<p>Okay so as I posted earlier, I have recently scored 800 in Maths level 2 as well as Physics Subject Tests. And I’m planning to take the SAT 1 in a few weeks…And today, I timed myself in a SAT 1 mock test, and got a 2030. I believe I can make it upto midway between 2100 and 2200. What I wish to know is, what schools pop up in your mind with the scores I wrote. I am an international students looking forward to pursuing UG studies in Computer Science.</p>
<p>What is your budget? Can your family pay $60k per year for the school of your choice? </p>
<p>“Maths”? Are you international?</p>
<p>@mighty19038: It might be wise to remember that standardized test results – even excellent ones, like yours – are only one of several important admissions criteria. Before CC participants speculate regarding what undergraduate schools might be good “fits” for you, they’d probably like to have some more germane information, especially GPA, curriculum rigor (APs/IBs), EC, possible “hooks,” class rank, long-term educational and career plans, and so forth.</p>
<p>An 800 on the Math Level II Subject Test is 81 percentile. An 800 on the Physics Subject Test is 89 percentile. Those are good scores, but by themselves offer little indication about which undergraduate colleges would be suitable for you.</p>
<p>@TopTier Well…Since I am an international student, the educational system is totally different for me than the one followed in US. But I can try to still elaborate. By GPA, I guess you mean the Grade Point Average. In my country there’s a 10 point CGPA (Cumulative GPA). So I have had a 10 CGPA in my previous standards and as for rank, I am also in the top 5 of my class. I haven’t yet taken any of the APs or IBs. Right now I am in the senior year of my high school, about to graduate in April next year. So I am planning to pursue a Bachelors and maybe later, a Masters degree in Computer Science and Engineering from US.</p>
<p>@mighty19038: If your SAT I scores are excellent (perhaps >2200, in aggregate) you should be competitive for many fine Bachelor’s-level programs. I urge you, however, to consider two key facts: (1) financial assistance – both need-based grants and merit scholarships – is generally considerably less available for international than for U S undergraduates and (2) the very best and most selective National Research Universities and LACs (perhaps 40 or 50 institutions) are extraordinarily competitive and essentially no one’s admission is assured (fundamentally, they are all “reaches” for virtually everyone). </p>
<p>@TopTier Yeah, I’ll keep in mind the financial aid thing that you said. Umm, I still have a few weeks for SAT 1, so I’ll definitely try my best to shoot my score upto >2200. Thanks for your suggestions. Would you mind suggesting me a few colleges I should be applying to in the coming months? Perhaps 4-5 colleges in which I might have a fair chance of admittance atleast with regard to the scores and keeping aside the rest.</p>
<p>@TomSrOfBoston Yep, I’m international.</p>
<p>@mighty19038: I am sure many CC participants would be happy to offer suggestions to you, but you need to provide a good deal more information. For example (and beyond your basic SAT results in your initial post and your limited curricular information in #5):
• Where do you want to attend college (regions/states/cities)?
• What are your financial constraints (if any)?
• Do you want to attend huge mega-university, a small LAC, or something in between?
• What else (beyond CS) interests you?
• Are there any ECs that would be near mandatory for your collegiate experience (hiking isn’t too easy if you attend NYU or USC)?
• What “environmental fit” best suites you (Urban, rural or suburban? Strong cultural communities? Quirky or staid?)</p>
<p>The foregoing list is essentially endless; school recommendations require this sort input to be meaningful.</p>
<p>@TopTier Oh…That’s a very lengthy and tiring process I suppose to find a school that fits me 
Well, I have a few in my mind - MIT, Caltech, UC Berkeley, UCLA. These are the ones I found as the top notch in Computer Science. I know MIT and Caltech are a bit out of reach maybe. But still, what would you say about them? Is it sensible to apply based on my academic qualifications and yeah, regardless of the financial requirements?</p>
<p>@mighty19038: MIT and CalTech are decided "reaches’ for almost everyone, while Berkeley and UCLA are public institutions, almost as selective, and in part supported by California’s taxpayers (you know all this). I would assess MIT and CalTech as a considerable reaches for you (and just about everyone else) and the two UCs as lower-reaches/high-matches. However, there are several other outstanding universities you may wish to consider: Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Michigan, Illinois, Georgia Tech, UT-Austin, and Rice (all in CS/engineering) immediately come to mind. ALL of these universities are highly selective; however, I have attempted to provide an abbreviated range from unbelievably competitive (MIT and CalTech) though less-competitive – but still very prestigious and demanding (both for admission and for Bachelor’s-level course rigor). This may offer a start for your investigation. </p>
<p>The key element for any international is: how much can your parents pay?
Then we’ll be able to give you more information.</p>
<p>Another element, considering the caliber of the schools you’re aiming for, is what level are your EC’s?</p>
<p>@TopTier Thanks a lot for all your replies… You’ve been very supportive and helpful to me. Finally I think I’m getting somewhere as to the title of my discussion. Nice talking to you :)>- </p>
<p>@MYOS1634 I think, regarding college fees, my parents can afford around $45-50k per year for college.
And if you mean Extra Curricular activities by EC, then I am afraid it might be a setback for me.
Apart from academics, I am mostly interested in spending my time learning computers. I have taken classes for learning a few programming languages. Animation, Web-Designing, Networking & Hardware etc. are, for example, a few things I have learnt.
And then in sports, I have participated in many Athletic events and competitions. I’ve gone upto the Zonal level in 100m, 200m race events.
Is this what you were talking about?</p>
<p>Yes, that’s what I was talking about.
You’ll have to list the programming languages you’ve learned, the actual projects you’ve completed (and if they were for a fee, or for an “adult” company, or if you started your own business…)
if you spend time reading/learning on your own, it can be an EC, but there needs to be a result (ie., “I love Ancient History and read … books about it, then I competed in the X History competition/then I wrote an extra paper just for fun…”)
Plus the sports, yes - you wouldn’t say zonal, you’d say “regional” on the CommonApp.
If your parents can afford about 45,000 a year for college, you’d have lots of choices at need-aware colleges.
You should look at universities in the 25-60 range (with honors colleges) as well as LACs known for good CS departments.
Universities ranked 25 and below, and LACs ranked 20 and below, would be reaches.
In addition, you would have a shot at UC’s and most public universities in the country.</p>
<p>@MYOS1634 Well thanks. That’s surely a lot of help to me. You’ve bolstered confidence back into me. I was pretty scared about my ECs. But now I’m having a better picture of the Application Process.</p>
<p>Focus on the match and safety schools for now. Once your essays for these schools are complete, work on the “reach” schools one by one.
You probably have a good shot at Penn State engineering (they’re very GPA X SAT scores-based), and if you’re good at writing you could even apply to Shreyer (a top Honors College). Same thing for ASU Barrett.
The schools you’re thinking of (CalTech, etc) will be big reaches, they’re reaches for everyone and are especially difficult for international applicants, so don’t focus on these.</p>
<p>@MYOS1634 Right now there’s no hurry… I have registered for the December SAT, so I’ll anyhow apply to colleges after that. Most of them have their deadlines in January. So as for the time being, I think I must apply to UC since they are having deadlines for regular applicants by 30th Nov. What do you think?
I’ll keep in mind the colleges you mentioned though.</p>
<p>Yes, absolutely - focus on the UCs for now. :)</p>