What are my chances and please edit my list!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey guys, I was wondering about my chances at these selective schools as a computer science major!

US:

  • Vanderbilt (reach)
  • UChicago (reach)
  • Cornell (reach)
  • Caltech (reach)
  • UC Berkely (reach)
  • UCLA (match?)
  • USC (match?)
  • BU (safety)
  • NYU (safety)

Europe:

  • Oxford (reach)
  • Cambridge (match?)

Canada:

  • University of Toronto (match?)

Asia: I have a 12-year special case and I can go to these schools easily.

  • Seoul National University (match)
  • Korea University (safety)
  • Yonsei University (safety)

Student Profile:

  • Applying as an international student
  • Attending a credible private international high school
  • Planning to apply as a computer science major
  • Don’t need financial aid

Academics:

  • GPA: 3.7 UW (from the start of freshman year till the end of junior year) (upward trend if that matters? 9th grade: 3.54UW; 10th: grade 3.6UW; 11th grade 4.0UW)
  • GPA: 3.8 for UC scale (start of soph and end of junior) 4.2 Weighted for UC scale
  • SAT: 1550
  • AP:
    AP World History - 3
    AP Seminar - 3
    AP CSP - 5
    AP CSA - 5
    AP English Language and Composition - 5
    AP Research - 4
    AP Macroeconomics - 5
    AP Physics C Mechanics - 4
    AP Calculus AB - 5
    AP Microeconomics - N/A
    AP Physics C Electronics - N/A
    AP Calculus BC - N/A

SAT Subject Test:

  • Math II - 800
  • Physics - 780

Extracurriculars:
Varsity Swimming (9-12) Captain (9-12)
Varsity Soccer (10)
Debate Team (9-10)
Worlds Scholars Cup (9-10)
T.A. of Robotics Club (11-12)

Achievements:

  • AP Capstone
  • AP Scholar w/ Distinction
  • NSDA (Debate Competition in Taiwan) Octafinalist (9 grade)
  • NHSDLC (Debate Competition in China) Octafinalist (10 grade)
  • Swimming - Swim Meet Record Holder (11-12) Multiple Medals(9-12)
  • Worlds Scholars Cup - Global Round Qualifier (9-10 grades)

School Organizations:
National Junior Honor Society (9) President
National Honor Society (11-12) President (12)
HS Student Council (11-12) Head of Advertising Team (11) and Secretary (12)

Community Service:
Habitat for Humanity (9-12) 30+ Hours
Teacher Assistant for Community Church (9-12) 500+ Hours

Internships:
Go-Jek (Biggest start-up tech company in Indonesia)
CGV (Biggest cinema in Korea)

LoR: 3
1 from head
2 from teachers: Math Department and Computer Science Department

Can you guys please edit my list and recommend any other good universities that I should try applying?

2

UCLA should also be considered a Reach school with around a 5% acceptance rate for CS. I would also put USC in the Reach category.

You are a competitive applicant overall although GPA could be a bit higher (hard to believe) but CS such a popular and competitive major. I would add UC San Diego, Irvine or Santa Barbara as possible Match schools.

Admission Rates for International Applicants:
UCLA: 8.49%
UC Berkeley: 9.16%
UC San Diego: 29.7%
UC Santa Barbara: 34.6%
UC Irvine: 40.5%

2018 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 4.20 or above capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 37%
UCLA: 41%
UCSD: 70%
UCSB: 80%
UCI: 75%

2019 UC capped weighted GPA averages:
UCB: 4.23
UCLA: 4.25
UCSD: 4.23
UCSB: 4.16
UCI: 4.13

Best of luck.

3

BU and NYU are not safeties for anyone. They would be at best matches. And if they feel you are using them as safeties you will be denied or at best waitlisted.

4

Too many reaches. I would go for the guaranteed admissions at a SKY school and consider funded graduate school in the US.

If OP is male, there is also the issue of mandatory military service/conscription in Korea to factor into admissions for US schools.

5

You can’t apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. Pick one. Neither is less than a reach.

6

There is no basis on which to edit your list as you have failed to share why each of these schools is a match for you.

7

Your best chance is early decision. Are you applying early to any of these?

8

Are you thinking about applying to Oxford for admission in 2021? The application deadline for 2020 was October 15, which was also the deadline to register for the MAT.

Have you looked at a past MAT? That’s your first real indicator of how successful you might be in the Oxford admissions process.