Will I get into a selective uni if I haven't won awards within my major?

Hi! My dream school is Brown and I’m currently a junior so I’m going to start the application process very soon! I’m planning to apply as a computer science major however this realization has been very recent as I’ve just gotten interested in the topic due to quarantine free time. I have not taken the AP cs class at my school nor joined the club or win any award or do anything great with it–I’m only beginning. Most of my extracurriculars have been around leadership & politics, there’s literally nothing STEM. Would Brown still accept me, especially because CS is competitive?

With an acceptance rate below 10%, Brown is a reach for nearly every strong student.

However, I do not think that your ECs are a problem. At least to me the point of ECs is to show commitment and leadership (where “leadership” means making things better for everyone). It was a long time ago but I at least got into a very selective school with ECs that had nothing at all to do with my major, or with anything academic at all.

Also, there are a lot of universities with very good computer science programs. It is true that it is a very competitive major for admissions, but it is not a major where you need to attend Brown to do well.

I think that you should continue to do the ECs that you want to do, apply to a range of universities, and do not worry about it.

My daughter was accepted at Brown along with a couple of other schools with admit rates below 10%. I am a firm believer that it is not one thing that is the deciding factor but when they say they do a whole review process of each applicant they mean it. I think grades, test scores, ec’s, recommendations, essays etc…all matter. I think the one area a lot of applicants do not put effort into is when they get the recommendations. Make sure those are solid.