Match a senior for schools for Information Systems [GA resident, 3.8 GPA, 34 ACT, URM]

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Demographics
US Citizen, Nigerian dual citizen
GA Resident
Small Private High School ~70 seniors
African-American URM
Diagnosed with motor skills disorder in elementary school, and hearing disorder in middle school
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Intended Major(s)
Information Systems, Managements Information Systems, Operations Research/Industrial Engineering?
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA:
    3.85/4.0

  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system):
    4.3

  • Class Rank:
    None

  • ACT/SAT Scores:
    34 superscore 34 E, 31 M, 36 R, 34 S

Coursework
*Took all honors classes fresh and soph year, school did not offer aps
transferred to a new school junior and senior, took 5 APs and the rest honors and electives

Awards
National African-American Recognition Program

Extracurriculars
(Include leadership, summer activities, competitions, volunteering, and work experience)

  • Part-time job every summer (chick-fil-a, country club, retail)

  • Founded blog dedicated to AI. Currently have 20 high school interns from 17 states and 3 countries writing articles(Junior, Senior)

  • 2 internships: UX for a Startup (junior), investment fund (senior)

  • 2 years of Varsity Lacrosse

  • 1 year of JV Basketball

  • Volunteer at local computer museum (senior year)

  • Invited to two tech conferences in my city for underrepresented minorities, attended first one, volunteered second one (Senior Year Summer)
    2 years of STEM Club (officer)
    1 year of diversity club
    Wrote for school newspaper

Essays/LORs/Other
(Optionally, guess how strong these are and include any other relevant information or circumstances.)
I’m a pretty good essay writer, but not some Mark Twain reincarnated. My personal statement was about growing up with learning disabilities.

Cost Constraints / Budget
No Fin Aid, full pay, but I would like to get merit scholarships for safety schools

Schools
(List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below)

  • Safety (certain admission and affordability) GA State
  • Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable) UGA, IU Kelley direct admit (EA)
  • Match: None
  • Reach Stanford, Emory, Carnegie Mellon (ED?) Georgia Tech
    I have a lot of reaches, but not much else.
    I’m having trouble finding information about what schools are good for Information Systems, but I think I’m set to ED at CMU, even though I read it does not offer a boost, it is my first choice school right now.
    In terms of schools I want, I cannot stand cold whatsoever, so schools in NY and other states are pretty much off-limits.
    NO LACs.
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Congrats on a great record. Does your motor skills disorder or hearing disorder require any special accommodations that some on this list might lack?

Make sure that your essays or activities show that you are URM - so schools will know - if it’s possible. Frankly, your record stands on its own.

I think, while Ga State is fine, you needn’t apply there. It is highly rated in MIS I know.

UGA will happen and IU Kelley is assured. I imagine Ga Tech will happen too.

If you are seeking aid, I would not apply to Stanford or CMU - as it’s not happening.

Two top schools for MIS are Arizona and Minnesota - and both will give you nice merit. Arizona will be $20K tuition ($35K overall) and is perennially a top 5 in MIS.

The best deal financially may be Alabama. They just took down the National Merit AA Scholarship - not sure if they’re brining it back or not. But even if not, with $28K off auto merit, you’re about $20K all in - vs. an IU, even with merit, you’re likely $50K - if that makes sense.

For MIS, not sure it will matter where you go - i.e. pedigree.

If you’re happy with Georgia State, then your list is fine.

But I think your list works well as is.

Good luck.

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Thanks, i’m not sure about accommodations, because I do struggle hearing in large places.
I think my awards and ec’s will hint that I am an African-American? I can mention it in any diversity essays but I haven’t mentioned them in any why us? essay
I’ll look at Arizona and Bama as well. How did you find which schools were good for MIS?
Would UFlorida be a target or a reach? I was looking at that and UIUC but I don’t need any more reaches.
Thanks!

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There is no reason to take GSU off your list.

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For MIS, UIUC is fine but not better than what you have. I’d do UMN But it’s big city. UIUC is more suburban. Harder to get to.

There’s lots of rankings. Here two. The US Mews is pretty static year after year. I’m not sure in MIS it matters though. You’d be fine anywhere. So if finances matter to your family, take it in account. Going to a top isn’t a leg up. It does seem UGA is high level although you start as a pre major in Terry and need to meet requirements to advance.

I agree you don’t need to take off Ga State. The more the merrier. And it’s strong MIS. I was just noting if you were using as a pure fallback - I think you’ll be ok.

As for UF It’s either a match or reach. The test is great. Big help. To determine your UF GPA, add .5 to each honors grade - so an A = 4.5 and one to an AP - so an A = 5. Their 25/75 is 4.4 - 4.6 so if you’re close to 4.4, decent chance. If not, reach. I suspect you will be.

Good luck.

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CMU is great but not sure I would ED if there’s no boost. It does get cold in Pittsburgh. Have you visited?

GT is almost a no-brainer especially if you get Zell. Good luck.

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Yeah, theres no ED boost, so its not rational, but If I ED somewhere else and somehow get in, I feel I may regret not applying ED to CMU. I also can’t find reach schools that offer MIS that ED, besides UPENN wharton MIS or UPENN NETS, or Cornell ISST, I don’t want to go ED to any of those

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You are talking about MIS.

I’m not sure that those “reach” schools are any better.

So you’d be reaching to spend more money on a degree that won’t necessarily put you ahead of the game…

This is the danger when not taking a look at the majors but rather the schools overall.

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Yeah, if those other schools aren’t much better, and cmu and georgia tech #1 and #2 respectively, for mis, should I just ed1 to cmu regardless of not getting a boost?

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That’s up to you.

Why does #1 matter vs. #5 or #3 #18 or #40. In MIS, it likely doesn’t.

I’d do that - check career outcomes at the schools your are checking.

CMU is an outstanding school - but it’s likely not for everyone. Have you visited? I would never ED without visiting - and then you said this:

Cost Constraints / Budget
No Fin Aid, full pay, but I would like to get merit scholarships for safety schools

Now CMU isn’t a safety.

But let’s say UGA is room and board - $15K a year.

and CMU is $83K a year - are your parents willing to spend $275K more over four years?

That’s the question to ask before EDing - and it’s the same with an Alabama or an Arizona would be a bit more - so $200K savings

Is CMU worth more? Check the career outcomes in MIS. Is it worth $200K - $300K more?

That’s a family discussion before applying ED.

I get the sense you are saying CMU because of rank and nothing else - so in that sense, no you should absolutely not ED. You need to get there, see and feel. My kid never applied to Ga Tech. Why? He knew up front it wasn’t for him.

He was set to go to Purdue engineering but changed his mind last second after visiting the Alabama campus - and forget ranking, he flipped.

The point - make sure you know where you are going.

You have to spend four years there day after day after day. A rank doesn’t bring comfort after stepping foot on campus - so no matter where you go, make sure the environment is comfortable for you.

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I agree with @chmcnm about Georgia Tech being a fantastic option especially if you get the HOPE or Zell Miller. I think you’ll get as good of an education at GT as you will at CMU. Did you apply EA to GT (they began accepting applications 8/1)?

Also, have you visited CMU? I’ve heard it has a distinct culture. It would be good to determine whether it’s the culture you want prior to applying ED. Best of luck to you!

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Why would you ED to school with no boost? You’re locking yourself in to CMU without being able to compare offers. Is CMU affordable? Have you run the NPC? They aren’t known for great financial aid.

Also, CMU is great but it’s not for everyone. Look at the culture. Have you visited? I wouldn’t ED to any school if you haven’t visited. BTW it does get cold in Pittsburgh.

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Some college courses are large in large auditoriums. Would that be an issue by itself, or not be an issue because usually just one person (the instructor or a student asking a question) is speaking at a time?

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CMU has detailed career outcomes and I like those, but Geogia Tech is also good. I’ve been looking on LinkedIn with students with my prospective major and I like the types of internships they’ve been getting.
My parents are really set on prestige, and they want me to go CMU no matter the cost.
I’ve never visited it, and i’ve only talked to an IS advisor at CMU and talked to my friend, who said they had a good african-american community, which is more than I can say than a school like Cornell. Since CMU offers ED2 I could visit sometime next month and see if its right for me.
What about bama really appealed to your kid? I’m really curious, thanks!

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I mainly struggle in loud environments, ambient talking and background noise is the bane of my existence lol

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If you are looking for a safe school instate that has the Info. systems and industrial engineering majors, why not consider Kennesaw U?

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And I thought cold weather was a deal-breaker for you. CMU is in Pittsburgh. Its COLD there in the winter.

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No! DO NOT Do it! Because then you can’t choose you best financial option! Did you do NPC for CMU?
Why would you want to narrow your options when you do not have to?
DD got in RD into CMU and she got 5k FA. That is it! We laughed and said, “No way!”
She is at GaTech OOS.
You have Zell, or Hope. I think you have a great short at GaTech. You will be accepted at UGA and GA State.
GaTech at my time (25year ago) had great support for students with disabilities. I suspect it is even better now (very different from quite crappy mental support…)
Good luck.

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I am not sure that it makes sence to pay extra $50k a year between GaTech (with Zell) and CMU. It is not between GaState and CMU. GaTech is top rated… Are your parents ready to through away 200k for no difference in outcome? That is very strange approach.
I do pay my DD OOS at Gatech extra compared to our local UMD. But I pay extra (we have unique situation) probably 15k a year max. Not 50k a year. And in her major, BME -top#1 in the country at Tech vs Bio Engineering (not rated) in UMD there is a difference in outcome without grad school. But if student does go for grad school difference maybe minimal.

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The student is MIS - and not sure in that major where you go inherently matters.