<p>Well my current list is:
CalTech
Cal Poly San Luis
Cal Poly Pomona
Carnegie Mellon
Georgia Tech
Harvey Mudd
Illinois Institute of Technology
MIT
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
Stanford
Stevens Institute of Technology
UC Berkeley
UC Irvine
UC Los Angeles
UC San Diego
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
</p>
<p>You see the trend right? I want to double major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and take some classes in theoretical physics. Then I want to go to Grad school then earn my PHD. Why do I want to do that? I want to be a research scientist; I want to research in the field of quantum computing, artificial intelligence/robotics, massively parallel processing (main frames), traditional computer architectures, and stuff like that. Then eventually becoming a professor. Preferably I would want to stay in Academia or government, but I have heard that it is a lot slower in innovations compared to commercial industries.</p>
<p>Well the thing is, I really am interested in the smaller schools (>5000). Is it hard to be close with your professors? I feel that having a good relationship with your teachers/professors really enhance your education. Also research would be a big thing for me.</p>
<p>17 schools is a lot IMHO. Even if I will get a financial need waiver for the application, doing 5 sets of applications seems a lot to me.</p>
<p>Price is an issue, I am hoping that I get enough from Need based FA and Cal Grants and then I can just do work study or something.</p>
<p>What is your GPA, SAT, ACT, AP and ECs</p>
<p>You should check with those OOS privates – they may not meet full financial need.</p>
<p>I’ll post those stats in the summer. I thought privates did not matter whether or not it was OOS. So Georgia Tech and Illinois might not meet my full FA?</p>
<p>Without knowing your gpa, SAT and ec’s, it’s impossible to say either way. If you actually have the stats to get into MIT or Caltech, then you’re wasting your time applying to half those schools. If you don’t, then you probably have too many reach schools.</p>
<p>SAT:
1850</p>
<p>CR 570 //No bueno
Math 680 //Should have been at least 700… I put 0.33 in the SR section and the answer was .333 -___- and other dumb mistakes. I could have gotten the 800 there
Writing: 600//Will improve
Essay: 8</p>
<p>ACT 28 </p>
<p>I am retaking those… Anyways… Those were first timers, the ACT english section just through me way off LOL</p>
<p>GPA… <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/1129613-come-laugh-my-grades.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/1129613-come-laugh-my-grades.html</a></p>
<p>EC:</p>
<p>Honestly, if you spend time with me for a while, you will realize I am a total nerd and will have deep conversations about anything really. I have been programming C++ since I was around 11, and I taught myself, no classes. Why did I do it? It was from my obsession of knowing how things worked and the want to create… Then I got into Assembly language, because for that same reason, I wanted to know how the computer worked under the hood in the engine. Also self taught. How ever, the only thing I do regarding programming is in my free time (never anything productive is ever created…) and lead programmer on the robotics team. I will be participating in the Google Code Jam this year, but I do not know how well I would do honestly because it is a new kind of thing for me. I never done competitions. </p>
<p>Football
Weightlifting ever since October of 2007… Yes I know the Month I started
Church, I am the sound/tech technician I guess…</p>
<p>Personally, I only do things I like. Hence why my grades are so low… I do not function the way that most people function. Sounds like an excuse, I know. You should have seen my grades BEFORE highschool. It was absolutely horrific. Somedays I wonder how I even promoted to Highschool. That does not mean I am dumb. </p>
<p>Why am I even bothering applying to Caltech MIT and all those schools? I honestly believe I have a chance of getting in and succeeding in that environment. When it came to school, I am not a good student. Secondary school is essentially disciplinary training. It may seem I lack discipline, look at my grades. Grades are proportional to discipline the student has.</p>
<p>Man, not to be mean but you really need to be realistic. Based on that link, it looks like you have about a 3.0 UC gpa right now. Even assuming you get straight A’s this semester, it will be at best 3.3 or so. Every UC you listed admits applicants with, on average, a 4.0 gpa or higher and sat scores in the 1880’s or above. That puts all of those UC’s out of your reach. </p>
<p>You might have a chance at Merced or Riverside. However, even those schools accept applicants with an average gpa of 3.5 and 3.6, respectively. If you don’t get into those schools, or do get in but aren’t happy with the choice, you can always go to a community college for a couple years.</p>
<p>Again, not to be mean, but I don’t think you have any chance with MIT, Caltech, or Stanford. Your efforts are better spent applying to other schools.</p>
<p>I know you think you’ll be able to handle competitive colleges, but you do realize that every college student has to take many courses which they might not find interesting?</p>
<p>Yeah UCSC is right near the silicon valley, job opportunities after graduation. Apply to all the UCs. I dont think you’re getting into caltech or mit with those grades.</p>
<p>Elaborate on that more por favor. I have a tendency to think beyond what the normal person thinks about. Why is it that my grades would limit my potential? Now, I do understand my grades are mediocre at best, but now what are my options in your opinion? Sure, I may sound idealistic, may be even delusional, but why do I think I have any chance at all? In this society run by numbers and rankings, I thought that, may be, college would be the sanctuary from all of that. Hence, my goal of becoming a research scientist and professor. I do not want my knowledge being “used” by a corporation, but rather open to the public. I thought someone in the system would understand humanity. I do not want to be a mere cog in a machine driven by men. I saw school as this “machine”. May be I am insane, who knows, may be all of you are insane and I am the only sane one. Who knows. What kept me in the school system was that drive for knowledge; I never cared for tests, grades or even complements. I gauge my performance against a standard set by myself, not others. Sure, may be this standard is too high even for me to reach, but I have lived by the words “all limits are self imposed”. Now, what is a college admission officer going to tell the kid who wants to revolutionize the world by being the unconventional innovator? That his grades were not good enough? Sure, may be I will get a whole bunch of rejection letters from some big name schools. May be even the lesser known schools. Do I expect schools to accept me out of pity? No. I merely want to make a statement that genius does not come in forms of 4.0+ GPAs or 2400 SATs, but from the hearts and ambitions of men. </p>
<p>That was the reason why I did not want to apply to UCs, I thought private schools will look past my mediocre grades and look truly what my intentions and goals are in life. I wanted college to be the catalyst that will change me into a man and start making those changes. Now, it may sound like I am blabbing nonsense, but I have a very clear picture in my head for my goals. May be I will end up in history books as an idealist that failed to put his policies into action like Woodrow Wilson. Or may be as a man who enforced his policies to a gross proportion like Adolf Hitler. But I know at the end of the day that I pushed to embrace humanity and I did not let circumstances get in the way.</p>
<p>According to everything you’ve posted, a private school is most likely where you belong. Unfortunately, UC’s weigh grades heavily and I don’t think they’ll make an exception for you because you are not normal or however you’ve put it. Do try to write some nice personal statements though, incorporating those issues. You have a reasonable shot at say, UCSC, UCR, and perhaps UCI. I don’t want to sound mean because I’m usually the one who want’s to tell everyone they have a shot, but you should probably remove a majority of those privates off your list too. I am certain you have some qualities that Mudd, Stanford, and MIT are looking for, but unless you have conducted research or have won some sort of award using that “amazing intellect” of yours, you can’t really prove that you do have these qualities. To be honest, if you truly have these great qualities and want to achieve all these amazing goals, then you probably don’t have to worry about where you’re going for college. Just go somewhere, be happy and do your best. God that was the cheesiest crap ever but w/e. Just go and do it, because posting here hoping someone will give you false and idealistic encouragement isn’t going to get you anywhere.</p>
<p>I respect your response.</p>
<p>Try to do some weeding. I’d say get rid of maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of that list. And I would probably say that for anyone, because the application fees add up. Pick the ones that you really want to apply to. </p>
<p>I respect that you want to be something more than a number. My application process was this year and I vacilated between hopeful to demoralized to something like you and a thousand other emotions/thoughts. Realize, though, that they probably won’t be able to see you as a person. They have thousands of applications, many of which appeal with eloquent essays and work and volunteering towards something they’re passionate about. There are probably high SAT scores and high GPAs that are a dime a dozen, but there are also high SATs and GPAs that truly care and have a vision and have done something worth noticing. </p>
<p>With that in mind, your strengths are likely going to be your personal statement. Show them your vision. I don’t know what your extracurriculars and other things are, but they might help as well.</p>
<p>I can’t predict your results. Likely you’ll be rejected from most of them. But college admissions are pretty fickle anyways. Pick the ones you want the most and try. Just add one or two safeties.</p>
<p>My son had similar stats,but an upward trend, including 4.0 in junior year, got into CP Pomona (don’ ignore their new supplemental), but not SLO, or UCSC and was wait listed at UCR.4 year varsity, 2 year captain, two year editor, 1 yesr student gov.</p>
<p>Did fine at “regular”, but pricey privates</p>
<p>I was a similiar under-acheiver/innovator/programmer. My main EC was starting a online gaming service/network and making 60k over 2 years.
I had a 2220 SAT and a 3.5 UW GPA.
I got rejected
from UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Harvey Mudd.
I got into UCSB and Johns Hopkins and Cal Poly Slo.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to put you down but a 3.5 murdered my app, and I had a high SAT and good ECs as well. Just be more realistic.</p>
<p>So he’s basically like you minus the 3.5, high sat scores, or good ec’s? There’s nothing to indicate someone with these stats is going to do well in college. We’re probably being flamed btw but whatever.</p>
<p>Well the thing is, I’m basically a less extreme version of him, I’ve never been a high achiever but I do consider myself intelligent and creative. Sadly, ADcoms do not care.</p>
<p>
CalTech
Cal Poly San Luis
Cal Poly Pomona
Carnegie Mellon
Harvey Mudd
MIT
Stanford
Stevens Institute of Technology
UC Berkeley
UC Irvine
UC Los Angeles
UC San Diego
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
</p>
<p>What about those?</p>
<p>Hi. I still think your list is way too optimistic.</p>
<p>you might have a chance at UCI. SLO is very selective in their science and math majors but if you go there for art it’s easier. </p>
<p>You MIGHT have a chance at UCSB and that’s a maybe.</p>