Reverse Chance me for Computer Science (High stats, meh ECs)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Demographics

  • US domestic, New Jersey
  • Public HS
  • Gender/Race/Ethnicity: Arab

Intended Major(s)
Computer science, maaaybe Mech engi

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.9
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.4
  • Class Rank: top 8%
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1530 SAT (730 EBRW, 800 M)

Coursework
All honors, 8/9 APs possible taken, 5 AP exams by the end of HS, got a 4 and a 5 so far (APCSP, APphys1)

Awards
Inspire Award - FTC robotics

Extracurriculars
Freelance 3d modeling work - Connect with clients to create customized 3d character rigs for their professional/personal use. Gained online presence/funded $5000 for my dream PC.

FTC Robotics club (Robotics Engineer/Co-builder/Team Artist) - Assisted my team in assembling robots for FTC competitions/served as team artist in designing our posters/shirts. We qualified for state championship.

Personal Zoological Research/Taxonomy Enthusiast - Self-directed research into biology, phylogenetics, and paleontology. Frequent reading of scientific journals and partake in online discussions. (Wrote my commonapp essay on this, on how fish don’t really exist and why that’s everything to me.)

Multi-Medium Artist- Create art ranging from traditional sketches, digital illustrations, 3d blender models, and animations covering robot concepts to speculative zoology

Family Chef - Support my parents via stovetop cooking for my brothers when my parents are too busy, I also usually cook for myself daily.

Physics/Math Peer Tutor - Responsible for aiding struggling juniors succeed in physics through private sessions. I also frequently coach my brothers in algebra.

along with:

Weightlifting/Intramurals

Digital Content Creator

Housework

Essays/LORs/Other
Essays- described by Cornell student as engaging and well written, usually write about unorthodox topics.

Cost Constraints / Budget
140k income bracket

Anyone got any tips for safeties, matches, and reaches (How high I could realistically aim?)

2

How much will your parents actually pay (keeping in mind that they should want to budget for your younger siblings as well)? Will the in-state NJ public universities be affordable?

3

In state schools will be around 30k a year for me on campus, and 15k a year off campus, my parents can chip in around 20k a year, realistically.

4

By “15k a year off campus” do you mean as a commuter with your parents covering your live-at-home and commute costs? Because living off campus costs more than $0.

Which colleges are within reasonable commuting distance?

The $10k gap between your parents’ contribution and the $30k for in-state public costs can barely be bridged by a direct loan ($5.5k) and a reasonable expectation of your work earnings in the summer and part time during the school year.

5

Have your family go to a net price calculator and figure out how much schools would expect them to contribute. This one from the College Board is fairly general, though obviously the best ones are school-specific.

How far away from home are you willing to live? Do you prefer urban, suburban, or rural environments?

If you think that mechanical engineering is a possible major of interest for you, then I would only consider schools that are ABET accredited for Mech E. (There’s 392 of them, so still plenty of choices.) Most employers only want to hire engineers that have an ABET-accredited degree, so that’s pretty crucial to get.

I’d start off by looking at your in-state publics accredited for Mech E as they’re likely to be among your most affordable options, and any scholarships you receive could help make it possible for you to live on campus:

  • College of New Jersey
  • Rutgers
  • Rowan
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology
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