<p>I loved math, but hated computer programming, but I do agree most programmers are pretty good at math. However both my brothers and one of my kids are programmers, so I think it runs in our genes! Good luck to your kid.</p>
<p>State universities are more stats- driven for admissions.</p>
<p>If he is a junior, can he do something this summer in computer science or whatever else interests him? Or take a community college class in programming now?</p>
<p>If his GPA is lower than his test scores would predict, conventional wisdom is that admissions will see him as a “slacker.” Ditto is he isn’t taking the kinds of classes his scores would seem to suggest.</p>
<p>What does he do for EC’s or outside of school on his own? Does he have any genuine interests other than an abstract one in future computer science study?</p>
<p>He’s an East Coast kid. The only CA schools he’s applying to are Harvey Mudd, Stanford as well as Santa Clara where he has already been accepted. I was updating the thread from the spring.</p>
<p>Nice job executing a healthy admissions strategy. I’m sure it relieves a lot of stress and it’s all gravy the rest of the way!</p>
<p>No bias here at all, but Santa Clara makes a lot of sense as a match choice for a student like this. I work in tech (software) and Santa Clara is a school we recruit at every year. </p>
<p>MIT accepted 600 Early Action, deferred 4500, rejected 1500. The fact that this kid was rejected rather than deferred is not a good sign for his other reaches. SCUalum, how is Santa Clara for an outdoorsy kid?</p>
<p>I would not use MIT as a gage especially for a student like the one you’ve described. In contrast to many similarly competitive schools, MIT is all about what student have done-less so about scores. MIT is much more likely to favor a student who has significant achievements (inventions, patents, awards at national or international competitions) and lower scores than one with high scores and no achievements whereas many other schools rely more heavily on scores and grades. I’m not saying he’ll get into other “reach” schools-but just that MIT is probably not the best school to gage his chances. His credentials, at least as you describe them, make him a particularly poor fit for a school like MIT. Most schools are not like MIT. </p>
<p>I think it was momofthreeboys who mentioned Rose-Hulnan. How I wish I could get my students to consider that one. In fact, how I wish I could get any of the CS students to consider anything but ultra-reaches. <sigh> There are perfectly challenging CS programs out there for students so inclined. </sigh></p>
<p>Also agree with the comments about Harvey Mudd. I actually don’t know who gets into HM any more. None of my students, that’s for sure, including the ones who got LL’s to Columbia, including the ones who are robotics stars. Maybe it was indeed gender. I think there are a lot of good options which have been suggested here. I hope CF’s relatives do not over-dwell on the impossible and spend more time an the possible, but I hope that for a lot of students, and the mentality seems to be, ‘Buy as many " lottery tickets" as possible; after all, admissions is sheer luck.’ <second sigh=""> </second></p>
<p>Thanks, lostaccount. He’ll get in his reaches, or he won’t, but either way he has a solid acceptance that he likes. Amd I’d be happy to have a family member so close to us!</p>
<p>My sister and I long ago picked Rose-Hulman for our nephew, but he wouldn’t consider Indiana. (It is Indiana, right?)</p>
<p>(Though not addressed to me, yes, it’s Indiana). 
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<p>DS. got into into Mudd in 2010. He was an unhooked geek (and musician) with near perfect stats But that was the year they changed the scholarship to be holistic instead of using slam-dunk stats criteria, so he didn’t attend. At the time I followed the Mudd threads pretty closely, and competition was so tough that it was not clear to us whether he’d get accepted. Outside of CC, few appreciated that this his acceptance to “Harvey Who?” was an accomplishment. </p>
<p>I also researched R-H closely. What a great school! But like CF’s nephew, he wouldn’t consider Indiana. </p>
<p>My son got into Harvard and CMU but was waitlisted at Harvey Mudd. </p>
<p>Anyway, I’m glad CardinalFang’s kid has one school they like a lot already - that takes a lot of stress off the waiting!</p>
<p>I think I said earlier in the thread that I naively suggested Harvey Mudd to him, not realizing how selective it is. Oh well, now I know, and adding one more reach to his list doesn’t seem to be a problem. </p>
<p>The thing about Harvey Mudd is that it’s both very selective and small. It can’t accept that many students, because it has a small freshman class.</p>
<p>CF, Let me be the first to congratulate you on your 10,000th post!</p>
<p>How about UCSB College of Creative Studies?</p>
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<p>Student is from some eastern state (i.e. OOS), and the OP mentioned in early posts (e.g. reply #9) that the student and family may be naive about costs, financial aid, and scholarships. Given that, the student celebrating the SCU admission may be premature until the net price after financial aid and scholarships is known, and UCSB is not that likely to be affordable (and the UC application deadline has passed).</p>
<p>The price will work out. They’ll borrow if they have to. There may be schools that he could have applied to that would have been cheaper but that’s water under the bridge now. He has a school he likes and can go to, so I’m celebrating. Another family member, when she was lookin a few years ago, pinned all her hopes on reaches and ended up going to a school she didn’t much like.</p>
<p>I think the UCSB recommendation was meant for sbjorlo’s thread.</p>
<p>Yes, keep Mudd on the list. I think their admissions process looks at many factors… you never know. But if he gets accepted, make sure he is ready to work reallllly hard. It’s a tough program, known for grade deflation. </p>
<p><a href=“Harvey Mudd College”>http://www.gradeinflation.com/Harveymudd.html</a> indicates that the average GPA is 3.31 – slightly less than at some super-selective schools. The “tough program” may have more to do with the course rigor than the grading (some of the regular courses there are probably what would be honors courses at other schools).</p>
Further update for this kid:
He is a happy pre-frosh at Santa Clara. He loved his orientation. His parents are over the moon and think that Santa Clara is the perfect place for him. His reaches are forgotten.