<p>I'm sorry for spamming your forum with another "chances" post, but I have a good reason for posting here: I'm trying to decide if i want to use my early decision application for CMU, I only want to do it if i got a good shot of getting in (maybe 60%+ shot). BTW, im probably applying to MCS but maybe also CIT.</p>
<p>About Me:</p>
<p>My plan is to major in Physics. There's a very good chance I might end up wanting to be a doctor...or some type of engineer, but im reluctant to commit to any career yet. So here are my stats. BTW, I live in Maryland, I am an over-represented minority, Male, not poor or rich (money's not a problem) and am a junior at a competitive public school.</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>SAT: 2300 (760M, 740V, 800W(8E)) - kinda disappointed in the math, but i dont think its worth retaking
SAT II: I took in June, here are my predicted scores:
Chemistry: 800
Math 2c: 770-800
World History: 630-700 (yucky)
GPA: Unweighted 3.96-4.00/4.00 (got a B in english this year)
Weighted: idk, more than unweighted...i took mostly G/T and AP classes.
Rank: top 15ish/435
AP: (10th grade) US gov and pol (5)
(11th grade, ill predict scores) chem (5), calc ab (5), world history (hopefully 4), and english language (4)
(12th grade) physics (both of the C ones), english literature, and calc bc
EC's: (Not great)
-National Honor Society (did my community service requirements for this)
-Maryland Technology Honor Society (didn't do much)
-Future Business Leaders of America (didn't do much)
-Piano (umm...yea)
-Tae kwon do (black belt, demo team)
-An internship at NASA last summer
-Will Volunteer a ton at a hospital this summer
-Enrolled in a tech-magnet program at my school where i go to an applications and research laboratory and have a 2-period class there (we built an electrathon vehicle, its like a battery-powered racer that we can drive around in); will do a different project next year, maybe a robot
Teacher Recs: Pretty average (i dont do anything class) not bad, but average
Essay: Will be okay, im not really great at writting, i only got an 800 on the SAT cuz i aced the MC
Other: Perfect attendence throughout high school, (that's all i can think of now)</p>
<p>Thanks in advance, for any replies or for reading this long post.</p>
<p>Only thing you need to apologize for is making a thread name that has hardly anything to do with the post! Your chances seem pretty good for MCS, from what I believe CIT is a harder major to get into.. but even then it looks like your a good candidate (can anyone help me out with this one?)</p>
<p>and btw mate... you can only ed to 1 school of CMU.. not both. Transferings more difficult to do, depending on what college you want to get into... but yah.. make that ed count@!</p>
<p>Where else were you thinking of applying to?</p>
<p>i got into CIT chemE rd this year and my numerical stats were a step below yours (SAT verbal and writing, GPA, and AP scores). I did have a lot EC and Comm service though.</p>
<p>i think you have a great shot at CIT rd (60%+). but it's only my opinion =)</p>
<p>You seem to have an IVY-league like stats (good SAT's, GPAs, and activities). MCS Physics should be an easy shot for you in my opinion, but if you want to ensure that you will get in, try to participate in physics/engineering-related competitions (like physics olympiad, if you havent done it)</p>
<p>my friend who had a similar background/stats as you applied for cornell (engineering physics) and got in through RD. if the distance is not the problem you should consider applying for it...</p>
<p>Yea, i meant that I was still undecided about whether i want to go to MCS or CIT. If i decide to do just a physics major then obviously ill try to get into MCS, but if i decide to double major in something i might go to CIT.</p>
<p>Im not sure were else im gonna apply but this is my list so far:
Maryland-College Park (safetyish school but i wouldnt be dissapointed going here)
Carnegie Mellon (my top pick so far)
Lehigh (visited but i like cmu better)
Cornell (my reach school)
University of Virginia (probably wont get in, probably wont go if i get in)
Johns Hopkins (really good school but probably not the best fit for me)</p>
<p>Nameless1 I think you are underestimating yourself. You have 2300 SATs, top 5% in the class, good EC, you are almost a lock to get into CMU. MCS has an acceptance rate over 50% and CIT's is 48%. My advice and this is just my opinion would not to waste an early application on CMU because I don't think you need it to get in to either MCS or CIT. What I would recommend if you want to major in physics is to apply early to a school like MIT or Caltech. That's what I did and my stats were similar to yours though the Writing SAT not as high. I didn't get into either MIT or Caltech (I got deferred then rejected by both) but I think you would have a decebt shot as like I said your SATs are higher. And if you don't get into either then I think you would definitely have CMU like me. But I would stress that you should go where you like. I would recommend visiting MIT and Caltech this summer before applying early. Personally MIT and Caltech were about even for me, and then once visiting Caltech was definitely first. So again I would stress that you want to find a place that is right for you personally, but I think your stats indicate you would have a shot at them.</p>
<p>Here's what I would say your chances are at these schools
Caltech (30/70)
MIT (30/70)
Cornell (60/40)
Carnegie Mellon (85/15)</p>
<p>One more piece of advice: if you do decide to apply to Caltech and MIT, take the math SATs (both I and II) again. They don't like to see anything under 800 in math. Their averages I believe are 790 for Caltech and 770 for MIT. If you brush up a bit on some SAT math, I think raising your score to 800 is attainable. My score the first time in math was 750 and I studied and did practice and I was able to raise it to 800. The 800 in Chem and on Writing though will look impressive</p>
<p>I don't think you can "waste" an application on CMU if you like it. There were 2 kids on my floor who were accepted into Caltech and chose CMU over that. One kid on the floor above me was accepted to Princeton and still decided to come to CMU.</p>
<p>Apply ED to a school you want to attend, not the school with the highest prestige factor.</p>
<p>That is exactly why I said "But I would stress that you should go where you like." in my last post. (I personally liked Caltech over MIT and CMU) </p>
<p>I was just telling nameless1 with those stats he shouldn't feel like he has to apply early to get into Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>I must say I do find that quite depressing that you know 2 kids who got into Caltech but chose to go to CMU. I'd give anything for one of those spots.</p>
<p>why? caltech is a closed track. theres no way you can go there and one day figure out that you absolutely despise math and be like "thats fine, ill just switch my major to psych." besides especially if you're a girl, caltech isn't too receptive. i was going to apply there but after i talked to an admissions officer, i realized that caltech is really a guys school and no matter how hard they try, its never going to be nearly receptive of girls as cmu is.</p>
<p>I don't know about Caltech itself but I assure you there are kids here who turned down lower Ivies for CMU and other top schools and they didn't do it because of financial reasons like me.</p>
<p>As far as I know $42,000 a year isn't cheaper.</p>
<p>Everyone else seems to have answered your original post pretty thoroughly, and I agree, you are underestimating yourself. Your chances at CMU are pretty good (excellent in fact) without going ED. MCS has a 50% acceptance rate, and you're already well within the upper SAT's for that particular school. Your class rank isn't hurting you, especially if your high school is competitive, and you have good credentials with your classes taken, AP's and extracurriculars. Don't stress out too much over whether you'll get in, it's way too early for that (wait till January). You're going to anyway, but you'll see later on how silly it is. Also keep in mind that you have a decent chance at Hopkins and Cornell, and if you're accepted later you'll probably be glad you didn't decide to go ED at CMU. </p>
<p>nameless1, is your username a reference to Planescape Torment?</p>
<p>Nope, i dont even know what the Planescape Torment is, its just a random name. And I agree, my posts were thoroughly answered, thanks everyone. If people at CMU are this helpful on this forum, i imagine it'll be pretty awesome at the actual school. This is actually one of the reasons i might choose CMU over a place like JHU or Cornell, less cut-throat competitiveness. But, we'll see.</p>
<p>NYsweetie, just a question here for you. You said Caltech is really a guys school. First of all, do you think the males there actually like the Male to Female ratio? Second of all, there's more males there because a lot more males than females apply, not because a higher percentage of males get admitted. In most tech school despite the high percentage of males, the acceptance rate for females is much higher than for males (like MIT). Specifically I believe Caltech's percentages are about even because they are not a strong affirmative action school. However once again, I certainly don't think that the high percentage of males at tech school is representative of a reluctance to admit females.</p>
<p>I don't know much about Caltech (I never even considered applying there), but I know several guys who were admitted there and CMU and chose CMU because there are more girls and people have more of a life (not that we're all incredibly social...)</p>
<p>clearly im not judging their ratio as an indicator.. i was reflecting on the attitude of the admissions officer who presented the school as a man's school. that's it.</p>