What schools should I apply to and have a good chance at getting in ! (CS Major)

College Search & Selection
1

Demographic : Asian
Major : Computer Science
Education: Competitive Public HS in Houston, Texas
Class Rank: 7th out of 810 (Top 1%)
GPA: 4.75/5 (W) and 3.97/4(UW)
SAT: 1570 (800M, 770R) Essay: 19
SAT II: Math 2 (800) Bio (800) English (760)
Classwork: All AP/PreAP Courses throughout High School
AP Exams:
AP Computer Science Principles (5)
AP Computer Science A(5)
AP Statistics (5)
AP Spanish Language(5),
AP Human Geography (5).
AP Physics (5)
AP US History (4)
AP Language and Composition (4)

NO HOOKS

Senior Coursework: AP Calc BC, AP Physics 2, AP Bio, AP Env. Science, AP Lit, AP Art History, AP MicroEcon, AP MacroEcon, AP Gov.

Extracurriculars:
FIRST Robotics Team (REDACTED) : Team Strategist (9-12)
Worked on programming autonomous and tele-operated robots in NI LabVIEW; developed subsystem coordination using motion profiling and vision tracking.

Computer Science Team : Vice President (9-12)
Competed in various local/national circuit competitions, grew school’s computer science program; started peer tutoring system for all CS courses.

Sewa Houston: Student STEM Mentor, Volunteer (9-12)
Mentored students of less fortunate communities in the Greater Houston Area through various labs and activities in primary subjects.

Technology Student Association: Vice President (11-12)
Competed nationally in computer-science related events, attended conferences on future of STEM Education and networked with IT professionals.

Mu Alpha Theta / Math UIL Team : Vice President (10-12)
Represented school in Texas UIL competitions(2x District Finalists, 1x State Qual.); organized school-wide peer tutoring for all math courses.

UT Austin Center For Space Research SEES Internship (11 Summer)
Worked on natural disaster response projects and research by analyzing geospatial information technologies and image analysis of NASA and ESA datasets

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap : Community Mapper (11-12)
International team dedicated to resolving global crises through open mapping; added new geographic information in areas affected by natural disasters.

Grow with Google Developers Scholarship Program (10)
Learned key skills in creating mobile/web applications in Android Studio; developed several interactive multi-screen apps for teaching basic math.

Neural Networking Analysis Research (11, 12)
Worked under mentorship of Rice Professor (REDACTED) in analyzing communications between neural networks; wrote paper on complexity of these networks.

HP Software Development Internship (11 Summer)
Worked on designing and modifying software enhancements; developed new infrastructure for testing newer applications and data structures.

Honors
Google Code Jam Round 2 Qualifier (Top 5% of all competitors globally) International (11)
USA Computing Olympiad Gold Medalist - National (11)
TSA National Conference Coding Gold Medalist National (11)
National AP Scholar Award - National (11)
Presidential Service Award Gold - National (9)
HP CodeWars Advanced Division Finalist - State/Regional (11)
Lamar University ACM High School Contest Winner / First-Year Keys Success Award Recipient - State/Regional (11)

Potential Weaknesses: My EC’s are too linear and not well-rounded

2

This is my advice, as someone who is NOT in the CS field: don’t worry about whether getting in to College A would be a “very big accomplishment” vs. getting in to College B.

Figure out where you think you would be happiest.

Try to go there.

What kind(s) of CS work interest you the most?

What do graduates of each school most frequently wind up doing?

How do you feel about the social environment at each school?

If you get an opportunity to visit these campuses, did one feel more like home than another? Did you get a chance to talk to current undergrads? Did you like the people you met?

Honestly, you ARE very impressive as is. You don’t need acceptances to any schools to prove you are AMAZING. You are already amazing. So now figure out what you want the next chapter of your life to look like and GO FOR IT!

3

UT-A would be a fabulous opportunity. It’s not about needing to go somewhere unique.
It’s a highly sought after top flagship.

Early is not a “huge chance booster.” Tippy tops aren’t afraid to reject kids just because they applied early. You need to research targets and learn the whole of what they want. Imo, don’t apply anywhere, don’t even narrow down the list, don’t even assume anything, until you uhave a better idea what will make you attractive to each college. Or not.

T20 schools do not admit based on stats alone. IIRC, your ECs are all stem. Read what MITsays about unilateral. It applies to all T20 and most of the best top LACs.

You have time to fine tune or not. Your choice. Be the sort who learns what all matters.

4

If you are a Turing Scholar, likely never.

5

I would suggest doing a review of the typical stats for CS at UT Austin. It’s much more competitive than UT as a whole, and your auto admit status doesn’t auto admit you into your major, anyway. And it’s not unusual for high stat kids to be rejected. It may be more “elite” than you seem to think.

I think you mean ED instead of EA? You ca apply EA as many places as you want. ED is what shows you’re all in for a school, but it also is financially binding.

What kind of test scores are we talking here?

6

@Meadow530 You can find my stats and ECs in my previous threads.

7

Very impressive. I can see why you are having a hard time narrowing your list.

If money really isn’t an issue and your parents care a lot about this outcome, then I would consider hiring a private consultant to help you strategize about REA/SCEA and ED options. They can also help you with your essays and recommendations, and “package” you in the most favorable light possible.

You should know that UT uses an admission algorithm (even for auto admits) in which academic stats are only half the equation. The other half is your intangibles, any hooks, your essay, ECs, recs, etc. Not that I’m implying that you have anything to worry about in this area, just that it truly is a holistic review for your major and so it’s really hard to compare how others you know have fared while applying to UT CS (because even if you know their rank and scores, you don’t know the strength of their essay, or what their letters said, etc.)

Good luck to you! Sounds like you have a promising future no matter where you land.

8

You asked if you should “settle” on MIT CMU or Princeton. I would hope that you don’t come off like this in your essays. Not trying to be a “drag” just being “transparent”.

9

Good problem to have. Many CS applicants would be very happy with UT-Austin admit.

10

@privatebanker Sorry, I used the wrong word. I just meant something along the lines of “go with since they have higher chances.”

11

I was just making a point. I’m sure you’re a tremendous kid and obviously a strong student. But the schools you mention are elite among elite and you need to put your best foot forward. None are a step down from Stanford. And students are killing themselves to make the grades for UT.

As an aside. I just went to the funeral of a neighbor. He was the scientific lead on base metals and tungsten used in developing super chip technology. 3 patents and world renown in the field. Undergrad at Louisiana State and masters/PhD in physics from state school. And not a UC by any stretch.

12

^^ This…hope many posters on this site see that…elite schools aren’t necessary to make a difference and be successful. USA is mostly a meritocracy.

13

CS is a very competitive major everywhere and insanely competitive at the top schools. Applying EA to MIT does not increase your chances for any major. I doubt it increases your chances at CMU or Princeton either. I second the recommendation for a college consultant to strategize for ED or EA.

14

What is your family’s income and how much can your family actually afford to pay for college for you?

15

@rosered55 I would not like to disclose the specifics. Money is not an issue.

16

“But at what point should you consider attending schools like…”

Depends on what kind of environment are you looking for.

“If you are a Turing Scholar, likely never.”

The other schools you listed are known to be more selective and challenging.

Do MIT, GT or CMU have CS honors programs? No. They don’t need them.

Schools need to implement honors programs to simulate or draw an equivalency to elite programs. What do honors programs do? They have more selective participation requirements and challenging classes.

17

What kind of environment are you looking for, in addition to (or other than) a T20 school? They are hard for everyone to get into.

18

The other schools listed are not more elite for computer science, where UT regularly ties Princeton for ranking around number 7 in the country. UT also places more people into Google, etc, than some of the other schools you mentioned. It is a top target for Silicon Valley as its CS program, and Gates center ate very known. As noted, tho, it is very hard to get in, even for auto admits. So apply there, but don’t count on it.

19

I try to be extremely direct since it would help you the most. ED is a big decision and you shall take it seriously — you must bet on the school that you like the most. I assume you are an asian male.

I suggest you to visit all the schools on your list first. Probably some schools will be weeded out immediately.

After I look at your stats, your strengths are obvious, very impressive. However, you do have weakness:

  1. all the important activities in your ECs are CS-related. Do you really care people around you? the poor, the disabled,
    the struggling GPA 2.3 kids, the wells in Africa ? After I read your stats, you give me the impression that you live in
    the digital world everyday. (only frank and direct opinions can help you. so dont take it personally.)
  2. Your GPA is not full (unweighted). At this level of competition, a subtle weakness will make a big difference.
  3. You SAT is not 800 throughout.
  4. national/international prizes in CS?

Among UBC, GT, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, I would say: GT is a sure thing, UBC is a close reach, the rest are (far-) reaches. If you want to bet on the latter three, I would bet on Princeton.

20

You already have multiple threads going. Ask there.