What are my chances, please help!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello, so I am barely going into my senior year and am working towards my applications and am wondering what to do.
I am a Hispanic URM (speak fluent Spanish) with good grades, scores, and ECs overall.
I would like to study Computer Engineering or Computer Science (or possibly dual major)</p>

<p>Final SAT: 2190 (Math: 760 CR: 720 Writing: 710), improved from previous single sittings of 1980, then 2130
Am planning on taking SAT IIs (Physics, Chem, and Math II) in early October
GPA: 102.8 (only one that my school has showed me, not 4.0 based)
Rank: 4/674</p>

<p>APs:
World History - 5 (10th)
US History - 3 (11th)
Psychology - 5 (11th)
English Language - 4 (11th)
Spanish Language - 5 (11th)</p>

<p>Senior Schedule:
AP Calc AB+BC, AP Physics B, Courtesy, AP Chemistry, AP English Lit, Criminal Justice, and AP Economics/AP Government</p>

<p>Other stuff:
Did two summers of Chemistry research at UT El Paso and accumulated 640 research internship hours, may get published in Early 2013 (2011 and 2012)
Class council senator (11-12th)
NHS (10th-12th)
Track and Field (9th-12th)
Spanish NHS board member(10th-12th)
District and Regional science fair competitor (9th-11th)
Community service 125+ hrs (9th-12th)</p>

<p>Will get recommendations from teachers who do like me a lot, as well as from a prestigious Professor who mentored me in the research and is currently a candidate for Presidency of the American Chemical Society. </p>

<p>Universities Considering:
Stanford (Top choice)
MIT (2nd)
UC Berkeley
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
UT Austin (I live in Texas so admission is automatic for top 8%)</p>

<p>There is still much I am working for and will join more clubs and do more community service, but would like some tips as to how I stack up. I am also wondering if I should apply Restrictive Early Action to Stanford as it is my top choice but I have heard that lowers your chances.</p>

<p>ps. I don't know my way around the site so this may be a double post</p>

2

<p>Stanford- Reach
MIT- Reach
UC Berkeley- Fair Chance
Carnegie Mellon- Don’t know much
Cornell- Reach
UT Austin- You’re in</p>

<p>Those are my thoughts. I think you should stick with that list since you have a place you’re guaranteed to get into.</p>

3

<p>Yeah I think my list is solid, and I think I have a good chance at Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon, which I would be happy in, as for the other ones, would my essays and such have a huge impact as to maybe actually getting me accepted (such as Stanford)?</p>

4

<p>Hold on, for computer science, Carnegie Mellon is VERY selective, as much as Ivies are in general, don’t count on a solid chance</p>

5

<p>I think Im actually going to apply to its School of Engineering, if it makes a difference</p>

6

<p>I think if you were to write a strong, personal essay, it would definitely help your chances at Stanford. Do you have a hook?</p>

7

<p>Choosing a student is like a art. Even if a Picasso has some dark spots it still will retain its quality. You have a chance at all the colleges you apply to. Just speak your heart out on your essays. Good luck mate.:)</p>

8

<p>I think my hooks would be being Hispanic, as well as coming from a low income family, and I guess all the internship research stuff that I did.</p>

<p>And thanks, I plan on writing the best, most personal essays I have ever written!</p>

9

<p>bump
anyone else have any opinions please?</p>

10

<p>bump again! please help out!</p>

11

<p>buuuuump, anyone else?</p>

12

<p>I can’t speak to actual chances, but I do have some advice. Do NOT join clubs in your senior year because you think it might strengthen your application; it doesn’t. Indeed, it may very well hurt it. If you join a bunch of clubs all of a sudden during your senior year, it will look like application padding to admissions officers, and could actually devalue some of your more meaningful EC’s. Again, remember that quality always beats quantity in EC’s.</p>

<p>Now, if you actually have a passion for the clubs you’re thinking of joining, by all means do them. However, if you want to join the clubs solely to impress admissions officers, beware.</p>

13

<p>Thanks Adodie! And yeah, I spoke to one of my friends who currently attends MIT and he told me that beefing up your schedule for the purpose of curriculum won’t make me seem any more desirable, he suggested that now I only work on writing a beautiful essay that show’s my true self to the college!</p>