SCS Chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Carnegie Mellon University
1

<p>Me:</p>

<p>White Male, no demographic hooks (except for maybe being from the midwest?)</p>

<p>ACT: 36
SAT: 2220 (710W 800M 710R), didn't retake after the 36, might not even show them
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Physics</p>

<p>GPA:
3.67/4.27
Toughest courseload possible, tons of math and science classes.
I'm also self-reporting senior 1st semester grades because they're significantly better and show improvement, though it's not going to count towards GPA.</p>

<p>National Merit (240 on PSAT), AP scholar, won some local and state math competitions, that sort of thing.</p>

<p>My essays are decent - no hooks or super creative writing, but very straightforward about my interests and abilities.
Recommendations should be pretty good.</p>

<p>I have a very active leadership position as a drum major of my high school band, wrote a short essay about this.
I've worked a full-time internship at a software company over the summer.
I'm doing research on mouse-movement biometrics - nothing super advanced, but it's real CS research at least.
I have other extracurriculars but they're not spectacular and they're just things I did for fun or because they interested me.</p>

<p>I'm applying to CMU's SCS as a regular decision applicant.
What do you think?</p>

<p>I've worked a full-time summer computer science internship</p>

2

<p>I think you have a very good chance. There’s never a guarantee, but you seem to have the scores, the grades, and interesting and appropriate ECs. Does your school rank?</p>

3

<p>Yes.
Weighted I’m 50/364 (~13-14%)
Unweighted I’m 122/364 (~33-34%)</p>

<p>This is probably my weak point - at my school, a 4.4 weighted or 3.9 unweighted puts you far out of the top 10%.</p>

4

<p>You have good stats, for sure. But do you have a hook of some kind? CMU has stated many times that they are not looking for the typical perfect score student. They want people with a wide variety of interests. Your ECs are good, but lack diversity. You still got a pretty decent shot though.</p>

5

<p>Shameless bump.
I’d like more input.</p>

6

<p>woah, a 36 on the ACT AND a 240 on the PSAT? That’s pretty beast. </p>

<p>I wouldn’t know, but I’d say you have a really good chance at getting in. Good luck!</p>