Hmmm…dunno if living in VA counts against anyone locakl applying applying to their state schools! Always envied those kids who lived in-state where they have stellar public schools! My son was accepted into VaTech and he hopes to declare CS as a major after his first year (assuming he can maintain 3.0 GPA!)…and we are out-of-staters (from Kansas). His ACT was 31 and decent extra curricular activities, 4.0 GPA and excellent references from his teachers. Took a lot of AP classes and did well in them. Other than that, he was wait listed at Purdue, RPI and rejected by UNC, Chapel Hill…think their acceptance rate of out-of-staters is very low. Learning from my older son’s college application experience in 2011, (he was interviewed by Duke and UPenn and did not make it - scored 34 ACT), I was disenchanted with the whole selection process of these ‘elite’ schools. I think he did not climb Everest on one leg nor work in a South American leper colony for a year…or some such thing. Based on this experience, my youngest son applied to all NON ‘top tier elite’ schools (perceived) and the experience was very different. Hence, I am somewhat puzzled by the comments here…I always thought that VA and NC applicants were at an advantage when they applied to the UNCs, UVAs, VATech etc!
JUST got off of the wait list for neuroscience. NOVA resident with MEH grades from a highly regarded DC private. 35 ACT (1 sitting) and 800 math level 2.