<p>I've just realized that basically 3/4 of my college list are reach schools...
Can anyone name some match schools...</p>
<p>Stats: 2140 (720m,690cr,730w), 4.0 uw
i only have a few ec's: Habitat for Humanity 4-6hr/wk, physics research 9hr/week, tutoring 3hr/wk...
summer: 05' physics class at epgy, 06' nasa research internship
awards: nothing national... some sci fair awards</p>
<p>so I know most of my reach schools are mostly high reaches... i want some match schools i can look into.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat as you w/ stats and all. The only "match" school I really like Carnegie Mellon. Though Umich and UVA are most likely matches, for someone like us, I visited them and got those "intuitive bad feelings". But thats just me.</p>
<p>I've started eliminating the out of state public schools... but i cant seem to bring myself to get rid of the UC's yet. </p>
<p>I really like Carnegie Mellon too, but is that a match school... I heard its getting pretty competitive now.</p>
<p>Also, heh the reason im so reluctant to give up my long list of reaches is i dont want to feel like i settled you know.</p>
<p>anyways... can you think of anymore match schools that are private?</p>
<p>Mellon really is only competetive at the computer science level and tepper. All I can say is that the UCs are a great deal. If I had anything like that in NJ I would not even be worring about finding the right school. I say, apply in volume b/c if you get into one reach school, its worth 10 match schools. </p>
<p>Hell, it worked for my HS val this year, who only got into one OOS school, MIT.</p>
<p>Duke, Rice, RPI, JHU, Northwestern, Case Western, Lehigh, Vanderbilt</p>
<p>You might have a shot at Cornell. Else maybe Columbia or U Penn.</p>
<p>Where did you do your NASA internship?</p>
<p>@mike, "if you get into one reach school, its worth 10 match schools." my sentiments exactly. lol i want to get out of texas so badly.</p>
<p>@collegehelp, i really dont see those schools being matches. i mean a lot of them are on my list but i consider them all reaches. then again i cant discern between all these matches, safeties, and reaches anymore.</p>
<p>I'm actually doing my internship right now... im working in the arc jet facility, doing a whole lot of programming with no programming experience... its great and scary at the same time :)!</p>
<p>If you're into physics, I'd say you should apply to mellon and uchicago, though it might bode well for you to check out some LAC's too.</p>
<p>im thinking more electrical engineering... and i know uchic doesnt have that.</p>
<p>Well if you think that you'd like to do a 3-2 program, you'd have many options availiable to you at LAC's :-) Swarthmore does offer engineering.</p>
<p>Mellon is amazing though, I have friends there and going there and they all love it.</p>
<p>Remember that CS/ECE are both pretty competitive. ECE is usually just a tad bit less competitive than CS. I think your scores are acceptable but perhaps need to work on your essays. I see this hurting you:</p>
<p>" only have a few ec's: Habitat for Humanity 4-6hr/wk, physics research 9hr/week, tutoring 3hr/wk...
summer: 05' physics class at epgy, 06' nasa research internship
awards: nothing national... some sci fair awards
"</p>
<p>A lot of kids coming into ECE/SCS have some programming under their belt and their E.C.'s may include programs they've coded or competitions/science awards/etc. </p>
<p>The E.C.'s matter and so do the essays so work on those if you can.</p>
<p>I honestly can't see a NASA internship hurting the guy (or girl), maybe it's just me though...</p>
<p>@accepted already- </p>
<p>"A lot of kids coming into ECE/SCS have some programming under their belt and their E.C.'s may include programs they've coded or competitions/science awards/etc."</p>
<p>So I should I mention all these programs im working on at my internship?... i mean its taken a big chunk of my summer (40 hrs/wk)... most of my job there is programming with labview, matlab, C++ to automate instruments</p>
<p>Also, will it hurt me that I haven't officially taken a comp sci class, but I'm getting programming experience on my own</p>
<p>@ridethecliche- im hurt... that you put girl in parenthesis lol.... dont i like sound like a girl!?!?! anyways yea im a GIRL... and i hope this internship doesnt hurt me cuz its hard work... and the experience im having is so great... i mean im a sheltered child, never had a job... or even an allowance lol. even though im only getting a scholarship for the internship... i feel like im getting paid for doing work which is an awesome feeling.</p>
<p>aseemo-
The programming experience you are getting is extremely valuable. Be sure to mention it when you apply. Labview, Matlab, and C++ are important tools in EE. You are very fortunate to get this experience. Try hard to learn GPIB programming for oscilloscopes and see if you can pick up Visual Basic and Java. Those skills are in great demand. If you learn these things you might have a hook at Cornell. When you apply to Cornell, say "I hope to be able to apply my programming skills as a lab assistant at Cornell, perhaps in the laboratory section of the Computer Instrumentation course in the Applied and Engineering Physics Department". No guarantees, but give it a try. Cornell engineering is very hard to get into and it helps to have a special skill and some great experience.</p>
<p>Do you have a good mentor at your internship who can answer your questions and help you solve programming problems?</p>
<p>Actually I am getting exposure to GPIB, VISA, and IVI etc to automate filter wheels, an oscilloscope and parts of the laser system..... lol he's a great mentor... but I try not to bother him too much and I think because of that he's kind of amazed how quickly I picked everything up in a week. I'm pretty persistent... and when you have 8 hrs a day to figure stuff out, i think its more lucrative to do it yourself. So i only ask him things when I'm totally stumped. Considering I had no prior experience and the first week he left me for a funeral..... I was pulling my hair out for the whole 8 hrs lol!</p>
<p>I wouldn't call it hardcore programming from scratch... but I'm learning a lot about instrument communication which i feel is a lot more important in a lab now since they have a lot of instrument drivers made for the equipment... I think learning how to set up com and being able to customize these programs is going to be very useful.</p>
<p>Also, before this, all I did in my other research lab was take data and prepare samples... I thinking knowing labview now, theyre going to let me make a greater contribution. Theyre going to be so surprised when I get back in the fall.</p>
<p>Lol wow... I have always been confused about what kinds of things one should put for the personal contribution to the university... </p>
<p>You know how there is a spot for skills on job applications... is there anything like that on college apps or do you just work it into the essays or the additional info?</p>
<p>oh and have you heard of solidworks... you think that's used in a lot of labs for modeling?</p>
<p>Collegehelp basically answered what I was going to say. Java is probably the most useful here but any programming language shows you've wet your whistle in your future major and career. </p>
<p>For questions about filling out the application; check out the common app and try filling out a fake one and not submitting it.</p>
<p>aseemo:</p>
<p>Assuming you are a California resident,
UCB/UCLA: Slight Reach (Engineering)
UCSD: Match (Engineering)
UCI/UCSB/UCD: Safety
UCSC/UCR/UCM: Safety</p>
<p>actually im not im from texas lol... and ive finally realized that the uc's are not really worth the out of state tuition... </p>
<p>if it helps any i got my sat 2 scores back (800math2, 790chem,740bio)</p>
<p>im looking for match schools.</p>
<p>Another one of the schools I'm really interested in is UChicago, which has an amazing physics dept, but there is no "match" for them b/c admission is very dependent on the essays, but your stats won't keep you out. Just wondering, why didn't you take a physics SATII when you put so much time into researching, and whatnot?</p>
<p>I need to stop trying to get more people applying to schools on my list, it is hurting my chances. lol</p>
<p>lol. dont worry i was really thinking about UC until i realized they dont have an engineering program.</p>
<p>I've taken preap physics and the summer class which was all basically intro to electromagnetic theory, but during 11th grade I took college bio and chem. Basically i didnt really want to have to study much for these sat 2's lol. I'm taking Mechanics in the fall and Electricity and Magnetism in the spring next yr, but i guess ill use that to my advantage in placement tests fro college in the fall.</p>