Please help chance and match me for a few colleges

Chance Me / Match Me!
,
1

Demographics

  • US domestic
  • State/Location of residency: Texas
  • Type of high school: public
  • Gender: Female
  • Race/Ethnicity: Indian

Intended Major(s)
Computer engineering or Computer Science

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.97
  • Weighted HS GPA: 5.13/5
  • Class Rank: 28/941
  • SAT Scores: 1530 (770 R&W, 760 M)

Coursework
I have taken a lot of AP classes like AP Computer Science (predicted 5) and AP Calculus (predicted 4 or 5) along with many science APs like AP Physics (no clue honestly), Biology (5), and Chemistry (5). I have almost all As except for a high B in AP Physics. I have also done a practicum course where I worked on creating and competing with rockets.

Awards

  • Won three awards in The American Rocketry Challenge 2020 Side Competitions
  • Runner-up in the Tech Titans STEM Video
  • AP Scholar

Extracurriculars

  • Working at Kumon and privately as a tutor
  • Member and later team captain of a rocketry team I have been a part of for two years and going
  • Clubs like Tech/Robotics Club, The American Chemical Society, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society)

Essays/LORs/Other
I think I am a decent essay writer so I am not really worried about my essays.

Cost Constraints / Budget
I don’t have a set budget per say but nothing too out there.

Schools
I am currently looking at University of Texas at Dallas as my safety college. I am really aiming to get into the University of Texas at Austin.

How likely is it that I can get into UTA for my preferred majors? Also, what other colleges should I look into applying for?

2

Are you not an automatic qualifier for UT?

3

I am but I’m not sure if I will get my preferred major.

4

Both are good bets, even though of course UT CS is reach for everyone (I suppose you’ve looked at UT’s Turing?)
If you want other high quality safeties, Asu Barrett and McGill would both work.

5

If you want to supplement UTD, and it needs to be cost effective, add U of Arizona for huge merit, U of Tennessee is solid, Purdue is sold, Pitt is solid, Missouri Science & Tech is solid - these are all reasonably priced - especially U of AZ after auto merit.

You may also look at an Arkansas and Alabama (dirt cheap) and you’ll find good jobs but the “pedigree” isn’t going to be as strong.

If you don’t mind a more focused campus and perhaps an off kilter gender ratio in some cases, look at Case Western, Rose Hulman, RPI, and WPI. And of course, apply to Rice - because it’s awesome and depending on your financial situation - you can receive great aid.

However, before you do any of this, you need to know what you can afford - that is a different question than what you want to afford.

So have your folks pick a college like Rice or Cornell and have them fill out the net price calculator. The reason is - if it says you can afford to pay the entire bill, then you need merit aid to achieve the cost you want - or the amount you want to afford.

But if it says, you can only afford to pay $30,000 a year, for example, then you can expand your reach to include schools that meet 100% of need based aid - so your Northwestern, Wash U, Ivies, etc…because if say $30K is your target and they only expect you to pay $30K, then you can almost safely apply to those schools.

So you always need to know - what you can afford to pay (the school’s opinion) vs. what you want to pay - and that would then impact the list of schools you would consider.

Good luck.

6

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