What Are My Chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello everyone. I was wondering if anyone could chance me and give me any college recommendations. Honesty is appreciated. Thanks.

Personal:

  • Asian male
  • NJ
  • 50-75k income
  • Sub. high school
  • Major: comp sci/physics/film (undecided)

GPA (had to calc it myself as my school uses weird gpa system): 3.91 UW 4.38 W
RANK: Top 15
SAT: 1530 (760 R&W, 770 M)
SAT II: Chem 740, Bio E 750, Math 2 (taking in november)
AP: APUSH (4), APWORLD (4), English Lit (3), Calc AB (5)
Senior AP: Chem, Comp Sci, Calc BC, Lang

EC:

  • Programming as a hobby
    • Made multiple programs and apps (developed a game with friends)
    • Going to enter the Congressional App Challenge this month (hopefully I win) and the Microsoft Imagine Cup next year
  • Interned at a robotics lab for a professor in my sophomore summer (had to stop due to family issues)
  • Wrote a couple 10 minute screenplays
  • Orchestra (freshmen year)
    • Honors Chamber Ensemble (soph. year)
  • Science Research Program at my high school (soph year)

Awards:

  • Generic school awards like high honor roll
  • AP Scholar with honor

Hooks: no hooks?

College list:
Reach:

  • Columbia (ED)
  • MIT
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • Cooper Union
    Match:
  • NYU
  • Boston University
  • University of Michigan
  • Northeastern
    Safety:
  • Rutgers New Brunswick
  • Ramapo College

I’m still working on my common app essay. Praying it’ll come out great. Got my recommendations from my IB english teacher and my comp sci teacher (close with him).

Once again, please be brutally honest. Thank you!

2

Your list is almost all private schools. I recommend trying the University of California (UC campuses). The top two are Berkeley and Los Angeles. You look like you have a shot at the top six UC’s. Cal Poly SLO (Cal State system) is also a good school for computer science. Cal Poly SLO is a well known CSU with excellent engineering and computer science programs. I would definitely check this CSU out.It is considered equal to a mid tier UC (UCSB, UCD, UCI). If you want a film major, UCLA’s theatre, film, and television school is worth applying to as well.

3

@orangemo8, this student cannot afford the UC’s. Why would you recommend these schools?

He is from NJ, which means he is NOT a resident of California.

Non-residents pay full fees at the UC’s and CSU’s. These are public schools funded by taxpayers from the State of California. The State cannot afford to fund non-residents.

You are asking him to use all of his parent’s income to go to a UC or CSU.

There is NO state funding for non-residents so the UC’s would cost him $65K per year.

The CSU’s’s would cost him $40K per year.

4

Did not see the NJ meant new Jersey. Sorry about that.

5

I can’t say for sure but still apply!