Strong Transcript and EC's, Asian Male from Massachusetts for CS [3.93, 34+]

Demographics
US Permanent Resident
Massachusetts
Public High School
Male, Asian

Intended Major(s)
Computer Science

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • UW GPA: 3.93
  • Weighted GPA: 4.46 (4.5 is the max)
  • Class Rank: N/A (I know I’m definitely in the top 5% though)
  • ACT/SAT Scores: ACT is 34.25 (trying to improve for 35)

Coursework

  • AP Computer Science A - 5
  • AP Computer Science Principles - 5
  • AP Environmental Science - 5
  • AP BC Calculus - 5 (5 for AP AB Calculus too)

Classes to take Senior Year:

  • AP Physics
  • AP Spanish
  • AP Statistics

(My school doesn’t offer that many AP’s and I took as many as I could fit into my schedule)

Awards

  • #2 in Massachusetts for Clarinet (MMEA-All State Orchestra)
  • USACO Gold
  • Completed Google Foobar (Google’s Secret Hiring Process)
  • President’s Volunteer Service Award (Silver)
  • AP Scholar Award

Extracurriculars

  • Principal Clarinetist of state Symphony
  • Principal Clarinetist of state Youth Wind Ensemble
  • Captain of the School Math Team
  • Varsity Tennis and Junior Varsity Tennis Captain
  • Computer Programming Internship at Startup
  • Web Director at Music Education Non-Profit
  • Partnership with Server Hosting company
  • Lead Jazz Group (20+ people)
  • Forum Owner of Gaming Community (500+ people)
  • Tutored Programming and Math to Middle-School Students
  • Sold Commercial Software

Essays/LORs/Other

  • AP BC Calculus loves me, I think he will write a good, unique letter of recommendation.
  • Included lots of information in guidance counselor form, hopefully she can write a detailed recommendation.
  • English teacher wrote a great recommendation for me.
  • Harvard music conductor recommendation is good for Harvard.
  • Essays are good in my opinion, I got them checked by some friends that got into Harvard.

Cost Constraints / Budget
None

Schools

Safety:

  • Northeastern (EA)
  • Purdue (EA)
  • UMass Amherst (EA)
  • RPI (EA)

Target:

  • Georgia Tech (EA)
  • UMich (EA)
  • UIUC (EA)
  • UCLA (RD)
  • UC Berkeley (Sister graduated from HAAS Business School) (RD)
  • UCSD (RD)
  • WashU (RD)
  • Rice University (RD)
  • Tufts (RD)
  • Harvey Mudd (RD)
  • University of Rochester (RD)

Reach:

  • Cornell **
  • Harvard **
  • Dartmouth (RD)
  • CMU (applying for Data Science Major for CMU) (RD)

** Depending on my ACT score, I will apply RD or ED/REA for these schools. If I get a 35 on the ACT, I will apply REA Harvard and RD Cornell. Otherwise, I will ED Cornell and RD Harvard.

Note: I’m definitely aware that most or all of these “target” schools are actually really reaches because of my major. I’m aware that it will be rough, but I’m going to try my best! I really want to reach high and be successful! I’ve got half of my supplementals done already.

1 Like

Congratulations on being a competitive applicant. I will only address the UC’s on your list.

The UC’s are test blind and only UCB has considered LOR’s which are submitted by invitation only.

UC Berkeley (Sister graduated from HAAS Business School)

UC’s do not consider Legacy so having a sibling graduate from UCB is not a consideration.

Below are the most recent CS admit rates available for all the UC’s so yes you are correct that UCB/UCLA and UCSD are all Reaches.

Campus CS
UC Berkeley 2.9%-L&S EECS-4.5%
UC Davis No data but <20%
UC Irvine 5.8%
UCLA 3.8%
UC Merced 85%
UC Riverside 36%
UC San Diego No data but <10%
UC Santa Barbara No data Historically 5-6%
UC Santa Cruz 60%

Best of luck and these schools are Reaches but attainable.

My S24 is also a CS aspirant with stats similar to yours. We have spent some time looking at CS programs.

I don’t know about Northeastern and RPI. But I would not classify Purdue and UMass Amherst as safeties for CS.

It seems like your “safeties” are unlikely to be safeties for CS.

Most of your targets should be moved to the reach category either for CS or in general.

Be aware that if you enroll at CMU other than in the School of Computer Science, changing into the School of Computer Science is very difficult.

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If you are really interested in RPI, you can ask your GC to nominate you for the RPI medal which is a $120,000 merit award that is awarded junior year in the form of a “book award” to top math/science students.

You are right…your targets are reaches.

Do you have any real targets or sure things on your application list?

Please read this thread. The student as a NMF, top student, excellent LOR, excellent ECs…and no one expected him to get acceoted no where…but that’s what happened. And this was in 2005 when admissions were far less competitive. Please read the whole thing. It’s a must read for any student who plans to apply to all reach schools

I think these are targets, not safety schools.

I do want to be clear…you are a strong student and have the potential to be accepted at the schools on your list. So apply and see.

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If they are reaches, list them as that. You can still shoot for the moon, but don’t try to fool yourself.

It looks like you don’t have a true safety (for CS) on your list. Make sure it is a school you would be happy to attend.

3 Likes

Agree with others that the safeties are targets and the targets are reaches; therefore, you need true safeties.

Also you say you have no cost constraints. Have you run the Net Price Calculators and discussed with your parents? Sometimes parents tell their kids not to worry about cost, not realizing that some schools cost around $80K per year (such as the UCs on your list for which you are not eligible for financial aid and therefore will likely pay that full cost). If that works for your parents, then fantastic. But just make sure you’ve had a very explicit conversation with them about the cost of the colleges you’re applying to and make sure they are financially on board with your plans.

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U.Mass is very good for CS. It also has quite a good music program in case you want to study any music while you are there (whether as a class, or taking lessons). If you get accepted to U.Mass as a CS major, then you are in at a very good university with a very strong program. I do not think that it is a safety for CS, but I think your chances are good and it is very definitely worth an application. I think that the chances are pretty good that you will end up there given this list, but I think that ending up there would be a very good outcome. I know many really excellent CS graduates from U.Mass.

I do not think that Northeastern or Purdue are safeties. However, I also think that they are worth applications and are good universities with good CS programs.

I am not sure about RPI or Rochester. Otherwise I think that all of your other targets are reaches.

Your reaches are indeed reaches. I know nothing at all about Dartmouth’s CS program.

I think that you need to add a couple of true safeties. U.Mass Lowell comes to mind as one school to add to the list that I hope would be a true safety. However, if you get into both U.Mass Amherst and U.Mass Lowell (and as a CS major for both) then I would of course recommend attending U.Mass Amherst.

Can you leverage your music ? That’s impressive. Purely admission - Purdue is a low reach as is NEU if you want Boston and all your targets are reaches except Rochester. But you certainly have a chance. You might add a UMD type.

But you are strong and UMASS is a great option as is RPI.

I agree with the others that your list is mis-categorized and you have no safeties.

But I’m also curious about something else: I see a LOT of music ECs and awards - more so than CS. Are you truly interested in CS?
CS is a lot more than programming.

Would music technology be more interesting to you?

I’m not trying to dissuade you from doing CS - I just want to make sure you’re truly interested.

I think you need to add some “safer” safeties. CS is a very tough admit. That being said, I think you will get into RPI and most likely UMass Amherst, but it isn’t a given. S22 had some good friends with outstanding academics that didn’t get into the UMass CS program. They are now at the University of Wisconsin (which you might consider adding - they have a very strong CS program). For Northeastern there is a strong chance that, if admitted, you would be required to attend a different campus than Boston or start your freshman year abroad. You need to decide if that is something you’d be OK with. You mention that one of your recommenders is the Harvard conductor - if he/she/they are trying to recruit you to play for them that would significantly increase your chances there.

3 Likes

I do not see this as an issue. One of my kids was an engineering major in undergrad school…and really her ECs were predominantly music…and one sport. Nothing at all related to engineering. But the ECs showed a commitment. And kid actually wrote their essay about something related to the music EC.

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I didn’t say it was an issue. I asked OP if CS is what he’s truly interested in (because many kids enjoy programming but aren’t aware CS is a lot more than that, and then some don’t really enjoy it once they get into it). And I mentioned music technology in case he hasn’t considered that.

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I cannot speak for the OP and this is a good and very valid question.

However, I have worked for years (actually decades) in high tech. I know quite a few software engineers and other high tech folks who are very good at music. One of the best software engineers I know has also toured Europe with his music group, and owns a small recording studio. I have on multiple occasions gone to various music events and unexpectedly seen someone I know from work get up on stage and play. All were at least decent. Most were very good. One played a piece so well that I then took the next month to learn to play it myself.

This combination does not surprise me, which is perhaps why I did not even think to ask about it.

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