should i reapply or no?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Carnegie Mellon University
1

<p>Decision: Rejected from SCS</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<pre><code>* SAT I: 730V 670M 630W (I took another one in dec, so who knows)see bottom**
* SAT IIs: 720 IIC 580 Physics (I know..) 670 Lit 680 WH
* ACT: N/A
* GPA: 88.1/100 UW
* Rank: N/A
* Other stats:
</code></pre>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<pre><code>* Essays: not so good common, good supplementary
* Teacher Recs: good
* Counselor Rec: should be good
* Hook (if any): well, I thought being female might give me a push. Apparently not.
</code></pre>

<p>Location/Person:</p>

<pre><code>* State or Country: New York
* School Type: Public (v. prestigious..like we have 9 Harvard already)
* Ethnicity: Chinese American
* Gender: Female
* Perceived Strengths/Weaknesses: Had an internship at Morgan Stanley over the summer programming. Highest level programming courses at school. Weakness: GPA and low sat math & physics.
* Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: See weakness + I'm taking precal this year + Calculus AB. w00t doubling up.
</code></pre>

<p>Other Factors:Has been on Sci Oly since 8th grade, won some regional + state awards. On Key Club board, maintain website and maintain website for another friend's club.</p>

<p>I also took French for four years. Japanese for 2.5 years. </p>

<p>I got my SAT scores yesterday.
old high730V 670M 630W = 2030/2400
new high730V 700M 770W (no idea how the writing went that high..hahaha..it was 610 last time I took it XD) = 2200/2400</p>

<p>So my math went up 30 points. It's still bad but not that bad and 10 pts below SCS range and within lower CIT range and well into IS range. </p>

<p>My writing went up 140 points but that doesn't mean anything because CMU doesn't know waht to do with it except to inflate my overall score. </p>

<p>Verbal is in SCS range, over IS and CIT range. </p>

<p>Should I reapply to CIT and/or IS and try to transfer to SCS? If I do, which one would be easier to transfer from and what are the chances?</p>

<p>Also, since I sent my common app to CMU for early, I guess I have to write a new supplement with new essays? The common app wont let me sooo...how do I go about doing that? If you apply to two schools and the supplement askss you why you want to pursue your major, what do you say if you're applyign to two schools? [sorry if that was indicated in supplementary cuz i cant access it]</p>

2

<p>If you apply to two schools, you explain why you want to be in the first school, then why you want to be in the second major.</p>

<p>If you're planning on reapplying, I would suggest calling the very friendly office of admissions and asking them how you can do that or if you can do that. If you can stomach it, you might also try asking why you were rejected, though it's likely they can't/won't tell you. One mother on another board said her son got Yale to tell him (sort of) why he was rejected EA.</p>

<p>People to transfer between schools, but it's easier to get out of SCS into something else because more people want to transfer into SCS. Don't come here in another school if you won't be happy staying in it if things don't work out. You can, however, try to double major IS and CS or ECE and CS. The girl next door to me is doing that.</p>

<p>I think you were rejected as a combination of weak math/physics. Computer Science, though alot of people don't realize it until they're there, is very math intensive. It's not so much calculus and straight figuring (you're only required two semesters of calc at CMU), but discrete math and proofs. As an IS major, I don't think you would be taking as many math classes, and in CIT you would be taking calculus-y math classes.</p>

<p>I would suggest retaking the Physics SAT II (or another science one) if you have time. I know that it's a really hard test and that most schools don't really cover the material on it.</p>

<p>My observations on CMU's female admissions to CS is that being female doesn't make up for low GPA/scores/not many extracurriculars, but does make up for lack of previous programming experience, as long as they see potential. The entry level programming class (15-100) is almost 50% female, I think, while the CS program as a whole is 25% female. About the average level of incoming freshmen (15-200), I know two girls out of the thirty in CS.</p>

<p>Also, if you were supposed to take the TOFEL, did you take it? If you forgot, that could be part of the rejection.</p>

<p>Good luck! Even if you don't come to CMU, I'm sure you'll find someplace you're happy.</p>

3

<p>They said I neednt take the TOEFL if I got over 600V. My physics grade actually reflects my physics SAT. It wasn't really that hard of a test, it was just that I didn't know anything. Arr, really hated my 2nd term teacher. Anyway, thanks. </p>

<p>i dunno, i chose a math teacher to do my rec, and it seemed like he wrote a good one. </p>

<p>What degree do IS majors and ECE majors graduate with?</p>

4

<p>Yeah, munkeegirl, as KrazyKow said, don't worry about transferring into CS, that's next to impossible, but you can pick up CS as a second major. That's what my son did...entered IS from H&SS maybe at the tail end of freshman year. He purposely took the more difficult track for math and also programming, the same ones CS kids take as opposed to the IS requisites for math and programming (I'm not saying this well but I hope you get my point). So by about the start of junior year he was able to pick up CS as a second major...it was no problem at all, not like he had to do any major applying or anything. All he needed was a C or better in those courses, went through his advisor of course.</p>

<p>But be forewarned I can tell you from his experience that the CS math and programming tracks are hard and a lot of work...he knew several kids, IS and ECE mostly who couldn't make it through some of the CS courses so they didn't get the double major (or is it dual degree?). That said IS is a great program in and of itself, easily one of the best and overall not nearly as hard as CS. At graduation this past May each IS grad wrote a short bio. We were amazed at the type of job most had--many, I'd say even most, at the top NYC banks and financial institutions as analysts or in consulting. Son's at Goldman Sachs, which was his top choice. (He also stayed a fifth year for 12-month MS in IS which is a nice option CMU has).</p>

<p>The degree is BS in Information Systems (I just looked at his diploma).</p>

5

<p>2331clk: im interested in is and business.. is it possible for me to go in as is major and come out with a business second major tack on?</p>

6

<p>hopeful4cornell, </p>

<p>perhaps a cmu student can help with specifics, but I do have 2005 Commencement program, here are some IS stats that might be helpful:</p>

<p>68 IS graduates listed along with their additional undergrad minors/majors, not including any masters they may have earned.</p>

<p>48 of the 68 had additional undergrad minors or majors, including English, Computer Science, French, Human-Computer Interaction, History, Spanish, Engineering Studies, Jazz Performance, History and Policy, Religious Studies, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Architecture, and Statistics (my point in listing them is there must be plenty of room in the schedule for other things).</p>

<p>In addition and more to your point, of the 68: 2 double majored in Business Administration, 4 doubled in Economics, and 18 minored in Business Admin in addition to their IS. Business seems to be a natural complement to IS, as does Computer Science.</p>