Hi. I’ve applied to a bunch of places, and have started getting results back (The ones I’ve gotten are below) I just had a string of rejections, and am feeling kind of worried… Could people predict where else, if anywhere, I get in? Thanks. Applied in Computer Science/ Computer Engineering to all, so schools/colleges of engineering.
Decisions from:
-University of Michigan - Accepted EA
-University of Maryland - Accepted
-Johns Hopkins University - Rejected RD
-UCLA - Rejected RD
-Washington University in St. Louis - Waitlisted
-Georgia Tech - Rejected RD
-Johns Hopkins University - Rejected RD
Still to go:
-Columbia University
-Harvey Mudd College
-Cornell University (5 legacies, parents, grandparents, great grandparents)
-Carnegie Mellon University (Applied to school of CS, I know it’s ridiculous)
-USC
-Princeton University (2 legacies, one of whom is still very very connected w=to the school (was an interviewer, knows some admissions people))
-Stanford University
Objective:
-SAT I (breakdown): 1580 (790 M, 790 R/W, 23/24 Essay) (1 Sitting)
-SAT II: 800 Math II, 780 Bio
-Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.80 w/o freshman year , 3.7 with. (4.0=A, 3.0=B, no +/- weighting)
-Weighted GPA (Out of 5.0): 4.7 w/o freshman year , 4.5 with. (All AP/College level honors-y are on a 5.0)
Lots of the schools i’m applying to cut out freshman year from their GPA calculations.
-Weighted and capped GPA (For UCs): 4.03 ( I know it’s low, but it gets lowered since I took more classes than is normal during sophomore/senior year, which deflates it)
-Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%, extremely competitive magnet program school, worried that it makes it harder for me to get in.
AP (place score in parenthesis): National AP Scholar, Computer Science (5), Biology (5), Physics (5), Chemistry (4), Statistics (4), BC Calculus (5), English Lang (5), World History (4), NSL (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Linear Algebra, Mathematical Physics (Crazy hard), Marine Biology, Political/Sports statistics, Honors English, AP Macro, Research Project
Pretty crazy course rigor throughout HS: Quantum Physics, Organic Chemistry, Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, Cell Physiology, Immunology, Analytical Chem, Physical Chem, Bio Chem, and all AP english and social studies’.
All the math/science courses i’ve taken are college level, above AP.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, National AP Scholar, AP Scholar with distinction.
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (leadership in parenthesis):
Debate Team (Captain of school team), Also on an independent team. Top 200 in the country, made NSDA Nationals and a bunch of other national tournaments. Round of 16 at a big international debate tournament, have gone far in a bunch of other national tournaments too.
3rd degree Black Belt, Have won a few sparring competitions
Independent Soccer Team (Captain, Goalkeeper) On it since kindergarten
Independent Baseball/Basketball teams, Low-level
Surf and Rock climb a lot, wrote some essays about the rock climbing community.
Job/Work Experience: Interned in a well-known Parkinson’s disease lab over the summer at UCLA, independently invented something to improve their research… Possible that I may get a patent on it. They’re using it now.
Camp counselor the previous two summers
Volunteer/Community service: Lots of miscellaneous stuff, but the Camp counselor work experience was as a volunteer.
Summer Activities: (See above)
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Essays are 9+, both parents are writers and I have them working with me on them. I’ve got a lot of dramatic, good stories about how my grandparents have Parkinson’s so I did Parkinson’s research, carried a kid out of a valley on my back during a camping trip when he gashed his knee open, etc. I pretty consciously tailored my essays to what the different schools I applied to were looking for in students.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: Computer Science Teacher, 8/10. He had everyone he gave a rec to fill out a form, so I gave him a bunch of good material to write about. Very eloquent guy, Harvard journalist turned CS major, should be a good rec.
Teacher Rec #2: Economics teacher: 9-10/10. Loves me, I get hundreds on everything in his class.
Counselor Rec: 7/10. I talk with her fairly often, she likes me. Gave her some good material to write about, wouldn’t expect anything too fantastic though.
Additional Rec:10/10 From the PI of the lab where I worked, well-respected researcher. Said he would write a “Glowing” rec for me at the end of the internship
Interview: I interview well, have had a few and they’ve gone well so far.
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes, but don’t really need it
Intended Major: Computer Engineering/Computer science/BME, maybe double major with econ/business
State (if domestic applicant): MD
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public, Magnet
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Upper
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): No real hooks
Thanks for reading this far… I’m very happy with being into Michigan, but I just want to know what choices people think I’ll have going forward, and if the results so far are indicative of any broader trend.