<p>So dont just jump on the bandwagon and take CS like a lot of Indians do, it may not be for you ;)</p>
<p>Phew, thats a sigh of relief!
Btw, how is the admission process at CMU different, mysticgohan?</p>
<p>EminemFan -Yea, you are correct c++ shouldnt take long anyways, for me to be on par with other students. </p>
<p>Guys, is anyone here a gap year student? Any idea if a gap year hurts your chances at top tiers?</p>
<p>Well CMU has different schools. For computer science they have the School of Computer science and for engineering they have the Carnegie Institute of Tech. So you apply to these schools when you apply to CMU. Some schools are more difficult to get in than others. </p>
<p>As for a gap year, depends. Some super technical places like MIT and Caltech might disadvantage you cause honestly they dont really care about your life experience and stuff, just your ability and potential. Though I think the others might appreciate your willingness to explore new avenues in life and all that jazz. </p>
<p>And dilettante, why CS now if you’ve never done it before? What draws you to it?</p>
<p>@dilettante800- I am a gap year student !
but reading mysticgohan’s last post, it seems ,it does ! :-(</p>
<p>@dilettante800 - are you too a gap year student ?</p>
<p>It seems that it does disadvantage you? Why where’d you get in?</p>
<p>hey perfectprashant…yea, im a gap year student too man. And mysticgohan, after reading your comment, we are really worried now.
Top tiers are already very hard…n a disadvantage on top of that is scary.
Are you sure of what you are saying, buddy? Pls substantiate your statement with an evidence man…have you seen such a case before?</p>
<p>Indeed dilettante I did not intend to worry you. You did not completely read my statement. I said its more likely that super technical schools like Caltech and MIT might frown upon your gap year since they might consider it to erode your ability but others might consider it a wise decision that you decided to experience all this.</p>
<p>I got into Stanford, and recently another top-10 (:D), from my Gap-year. :)</p>
<p>Use your gap-year well and it can make all the difference in getting accepted.</p>
<p>No disadvantage if you use your gap year wisely. Nothing to worry about, but you can’t laze around or just up your test scores. Has to be planned and should have demonstrable value addition. </p>
<p>The 2 school’s mysti names are “number” school’s but there are many “touch and feel” one’s.</p>
<p>Yep Chimni, thats exactly what I mean. However, if you can somehow prove that in your gap year you decided to explore the frontiers of sci/tech/math, even MIT and Caltech will love you. Of course its hard to demonstrate that.</p>
<p>i removed CMU and berkeley already as they have no financial aid for internatonal students and now, i guess i’ll remove HY too coz they’re bad at engineering …lol im left with no choices!</p>
<p>Well since you’re too lazy to properly research Ill list some you can try for. Note however, that I do not know the full measure of your stats and cannot accurately discern what might be a reach or match for you.
Difficult: MIT, Princeton, Caltech
Easier: Cornell
Easier than that: GA Tech, Purdue(these are cheaper state schools, im assuming you can afford them)</p>
<p>Thats 6 schools already. Im sure liberal arts schools offer a lot of aid. You can check out Harvey-Mudd which is really good for eng.</p>
<p>This is by no means a definitive list, only a hastily made up one since you sound so despondent ;)</p>
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<p>If you need financial aid, you would be downright crazy to remove any of HYP from your list. Also, some of the need-aware schools, like the lower ivies, duke etc. are actually quite generous if they like the applicant. Only schools like NYU, CMU, and Berkeley, which offer no aid for internationals should be removed from your list.</p>
<p>@mystigohan - well i did research a lot! I think MIT and Caltech are way too difficult for me because i have no olympiad medals except for olympiads like NSO, IMO good ranks and KVPY scholarship. Cornell should be easy. GAtech also does not give financial aid btw. Purdue should be easy, but everybody gets into purdue.</p>
<p>@PD - yeah, i removed NYU, berkeley and CMU 
i guess you’re right. HYP should be kept for the need blind factor</p>
<p>Are you going to apply to HYP just because they’re need blind? Well if you’re insistent I suggest HP. Y is rather bad for eng.</p>
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<p>Haha, one of my clients’ (I’m working part-time as a counsellor) first choice is MIT. So I’ve been researching MIT admissions and there’s actually a pretty easy, legit way to guarantee admission there lol. :D</p>
<p>You definitely don’t need olympiad medals to get in. Caltech is a different story, since they’re much more numbers-based than MIT.</p>
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<p>Need-blind aid is a good enough reason to apply, imo.</p>
<p>Oh and maybe you should apply for the liberal arts colleges. Im pretty sure they’re generous with aid for intls.</p>
<p>There’s a pretty easy and legit way to guarantee admissions there? Wow man the entire world must be missing something there. But from my own experience, you dont need intl olympiad medals to get to caltech. Just show them that you’re intensely passionate about STEM and you might stand a chance.</p>
<p>i am not dedicated towards engineering by the way. Could pick up any major that interests me.</p>
<p>@PD - how much do you charge for that piece of information? :D</p>
<p>@mysticgohan - idk why but i dont like liberal arts colleges :/</p>