Yes, a number have experience with selective colleges. These schools have their pick of candidates. Most kids can hardly fathom just how many top performers they compete with. (I sometimes wonder if they think there’s just a handful of compelling applicants and the rest are slackers.)
Many kids assume the more purely stem they are, the better they look to adcoms. But those folks are trying to build a community of kids engaged in more than just their academic or career goals. Rounded. Depth and breadth. Likely to explore more than their majors and major-related activities. Interested and interesting. It’s holistic 101. It’s something kids can learn if they dig into what these colleges say and show. Any kid aiming high should be doing this.
And that’s not any old side activity you think up to challenge this. So, we ask, what else were you involved with? In and out of the hs.
You may know kids who got into top colleges, the obvious aspects of their records. But not how they completed their applications, what drew adcoms to them.
You have nothing to lose by thinking about our concerns. In fact, broader sights and insights are part of what tippy top holistic colleges DO look for.
“Obviously, I am a STEM person, I like to participate in such activities. I don’t see why I am required to have external passions that don’t allign to my main agenda.”
Colleges hope to see you on the cover of Time Magazine someday for somehow making the world a better place (in addition to being an alumni donating a lot of money to the school). What are you doing now that will show you have the potential to be that person someday? You’re developing your talent, but not your character.
This is highly simplistic, of course, but colleges do want students who care about something other than themselves (or their own career). Selfishness is not a highly valued character trait in admissions. That’s a weak spot on your application. Or perhaps not. But that’s the summary you’ve presented us with here.
@websensation Wow ok thanks. Alot of people on CC claim that most top-tier colleges like MIT, Harvard, Princeton are looking for multilateral students (those who are well-rounded with many interests and overall uniqueness). Don’t you think my image as a die-hard STEM student would hamper my chances? If so, are there any weaknesses in my application, what Princeton especially looks for, etc?
Are you going for EECS? I would say your chances are probably 70-30 for EECS. EECS is ultra tough to get in, but it is very stats based and you’ve got tremendous stats. Hopefully you’ve written decent insight answers. Do note though that I’ve known people in the last 2 years with perfect test scores who didn’t get into EECS, and if you look through last year’s big acceptances thread, you’ll see a couple of applicants with similar stats who went for EECS and didn’t get in.
@ProfessorPlum168 I am going for Berkeley EECS and if possible some sort of scholarship/fin aid (but I heard thats very unlikely). I am taking all AP classes this year (Calc BC, Bio, Physics, Art History, Env Science, Gov, Econ). .
I’m kinda scared stats-wise since I got a B in algebra 2. Would this stand out more for Berkeley admissions? And also if possible could you provide a contrast between UT Austin (with Turing) vs UC Berkeley like education, benefits wise. Is Berkeley admissions focused more on stats/ECs or your essays?
Stats (GPA and test scores) will count for around 2/3 of your “rating”. Other factors that make up the other 1/3 would be essays, class rigor and other things like ECs and first-gen. I doubt if one grade will be held against you. Being OOS might actually help since UCs love the full pay students.
I don’t know anything about UT since my kid didn’t apply there, so can’t comment much on it. I know it would definitely cost a lot less in your case, that’s for sure.
@yucca10 I love Princeton for starters. Some parts of the campus is so nice and modern. Do you think I would have a good chance if I were to shotgun all such schools (MIT,Caltech,Princeton,Berk,CMU,UT Austin(Turing), Cornell)?
Scholarship or financial aid will be none unless you earn a Regents’ scholarship, which is a super-reach.
Assuming out-of-state list price at UCB and in-state price with possible financial aid at UT, and admission to desired major at both, it is rather hard to make a case that UCB will be a good value for you.
With UT Turing you guaranteed small classes in your fundamental CS courses for the first 2yrs. Small as in less than 50 students. You get private events with companies and your own career fair. And honors housing. You can also take upper level courses early that interest you. Turing courses also have more difficult/involved projects. Turing also has a different advisor staff who will go out of their way to help you.
A 1560 is average for Turing. The incoming Turning class is usually around 50 students. Most kids quit Turing after the first 2 years because you need to write a research paper to complete the honor. Less than 30% of the initial bunch graduate with Turing honors.
Nobody really knows. You’re obviously qualified for all these schools, but a lot depends on your essays and recommendations, and there isn’t much time left. Are you auto-admit for UT Austin? It’s a great school.
You asked for brutal honesty, so here it goes. For a CS major, you haven’t demonstrated aptitude in math at the level most of the colleges on your list expect. Most of the AP courses you listed are the least challenging ones. Which AP Physics did you take? Is it AP Physics C with both mechanics and E&M? Anyway, getting a 4 won’t impress many of these colleges. Your main activities are in coding. However, even with frequent participation in coding competitions, you didn’t advance very far in any of them. I hope I didn’t come across as too brutal. If I did, I’m truly sorry. You do need more realistically matched schools.
@1NJParent Thanks for the insight. I know some of these schools require AMC10/12 scores so I am currently hardcore grinding those practice tests so I can score decently high and show some math aptitude. As for the APs, I took all the AP classes that my school offers and am in senior year I will take all APs (Physics 2, Env Science, Lit, Gov, Econ, Calc BC, Bio). In my opinion, I felt as if my awards in coding are pretty prestigious (Code Jam Round 2, USACO gold, ACM Win, CodeWars, and am currently preparing for CodeQuest) but altogether the network for coding competitions and growth is very limited where I live. Also, could you further explain some of the weaknesses in my application? What schools would I match for and would be safeties. I am auto-admit to UT so I’ll have that in the back-burner if nothing goes my way.
@abhonsley00 Are you auto-admitted to the Turing program at UT Austin? If you are, then you don’t need another safety. You ECs are highly focused on STEM (especially coding), so if you’re one of those “pointy” kids, you need to truly excel in it. It’s not that your accomplishments are not prestigious or commendable, but the few schools you listed have many applicants who have advanced further and accomplished more in these same area. The least competitive college on that list is Cornell (I assume you’re applying to Cornell Engineering, CMU SCS, Berkeley EECS). Admission to CS major is the most competitive of all majors everywhere and almost every college nowadays does take that into consideration in admission. Even though Cornell doesn’t require you to declare your major on your application, your activities are dead giveaways of your intention to major in CS.
@1NJParent Ah ok thank you. I am intending on shotgunning all of these schools for CS and hoping on atleast making one. Turing is also an amazing program which I need to look in further. The thing with UT is nearly everyone at my school ends up there with literally no stats or ECs whatsoever, so its kind of an ego thing. Plus, my indian parents…
@abhonsley00: Regarding your post #2 in this thread, I think that there may be a misunderstanding. Most elite schools want to build a well rounded class, and that does not necessarily mean that all class members need to be well rounded.
Of course you should apply to many schools since CS is a highly competitive major with respect to admissions.
OP, MIT makes the best case against unilateral. You read their blogs? Some of us aren’t guessing.
There is NO telling you that you will get in. Don’t be gullible, when so much info needs to be weighed, to make your best application.
Nor can anyone assert any one part of the app triumphs or is the majority of it. It’s holistic. In contrast: any one problem with the app/supps can hold you back.
“Shotgunning” imples closing your eyes and submitting. Not. You need your own sense of what various tippy tops want- and can command. Then, you can try to make your own best presentation.
Nor do you need to be unique. (Just how many variations on a hs senior do you think there are? Lol.)