<p>Hey guys, I have a 3.6 GPA weighted, 2000 sat score, 30 act score, 11 on the sat essay. I know my GPA is low, it dropped as my parents nearly separated twice and left me with mild depression. It's all good now :) Retaking the SAT, will probably get above a 2100. Top 12% currently, will hopefully go to top 10% next year. </p>
<p>I am Hispanic living in one of the poorest parts of the country (across the street from border wars).</p>
<p>I'm not going to go into my ECs, but I will say they are amazing. I've created several clubs, I'm president of several clubs involved with my major, I have hundreds of hours of community service, had an internship at a local engineering firm, I've held a steady job, I've started my own business...assume my ECs are perfect</p>
<p>Major is either Engineering or CS. </p>
<p>Note I live in Texas
Here are my High Matches and Reaches so far:</p>
<p>Tulane
UT
Rice
UCB
Georgia Tech
Stanford
Brandeis
Duke
Pepperdine
Georgetown
USC
Yale
Cornell
U of Miami
Amherst</p>
<p>Yes I know that's a lot of schools, and most are tough! But I think with my rigorous schedule and my unique ECs I could have a chance</p>
<p>I would love any of those schools. On the possibility I get rejected from all of them, my only real safety is Texas A&M at the moment. Can you guys recommend some more schools as matches or safeties that I would love and get a great education out of, just in case? Thanks!</p>
<p>Be sure to find out if the automatic admission to Texas A&M includes to your major or the engineering division.</p>
<p>If you are actually from a low or middle income family, Berkeley and Georgia Tech are likely way out of reach financially. Berkeley engineering, Stanford, Duke, Yale, and Cornell are also extremely unlikely just for admission.</p>
<p>Amherst has no engineering, and limited CS.</p>
<p>I guess it doesn’t hurt to aim high. Just don’t be too shocked to not get into most of those schools. My son has better stats and I’ve steered him away from most of the schools on your list. Maybe you have an advantage as a diversity pick. Who knows.</p>
<p>If you can get your SATs up you might be eligible for full tuition at U of Alabama or Ole Miss. Actually, you might already depending on what your math and reading scores were.</p>
<p>I guess my top 3 would be Duke, UT, and UCB because they are superior academically, have awesome social life outside of class, lots of fun, great opportunities, etc. Everything I’d love. Also, it bothers me that everyone talks down about UT because its a state school. I’d love to go there because its awesome, but I’m afraid I won’t have the same prestige when applying for jobs</p>
<p>Assuming I get in. You wouldn’t believe how many I have heard talk about it condescendingly. The valedictorian told me it was for “lazy people in high school who didn’t do well enough to go higher”.
She’s admitted to Cornell so I can’t really bash her.
But I would personally choose UT over Cornell</p>
<p>Its tradition to knock your own state school. My kids storm out of the room when I mention our own state school. I had no respect for my state school growing up either. UT is a highly regarded school. You’ve done the research. You know.</p>
<p>Thanks, you’re right. I realize that it has everything I could possibly want, and it’s affordable. One reason it’s always bashed is because of the automatic admission. Well I’m not eligible for that, but I think it makes me appreciate UT more. If I was eligible for auto admit, I doubt I would be happy with it</p>
<p>Also, it bothers me that everyone talks down about UT because its a state school. I’d love to go there because its awesome, but I’m afraid I won’t have the same prestige when applying for jobs</p>
<p>Oh good heavens. Name a company that would “pooh pooh” an applicant with a UT degree. Companies will not care whether the degree is from UT, Cal, GT, or many others.</p>
<p>You say you’re from a very poor area, but are you saying that your family has money, so they can pay your way?</p>
<p>I think you should remove any school on your list that doesn’t have engineering. No sense in limiting your career options now, give yourself the chance to find out what path you really want by applying to schools that have all options you are considering.</p>
<p>Hispanics are very much underrepresented at engineering schools. You may want to consider adding more of those to your list, especially if you can bump up those test scores. I’m more familiar with eastern schools, so I was thinking of Case Western, RPI, WPI, RIT etc. I think you would get an admissions boost and perhaps some additional merit scholarships.</p>