Actually, I’d say that refining your list represents what is most important right now. You have done what is needed to get into a high quality college for the study of CS, physics and chemistry. If you choose a variety of desirable schools for this, it’s likely that you will see acceptances at several of them.
I’ll add the opinion that you may be best suited to schools at which it would not be necessary to declare a major until late in your sophomore year, and at which the opportunities for adding a second major or a minor would be straightforward and commonly pursued. At some colleges the vast majority of students either double major or major and minor, for example.
Some universities, MIT comes to mind, will not even let you choose a major until the end of your freshman year. Whatever you put on your application as your intended major is only used to help assign you to a freshman year academic advisor. If you pick a “too popular” major, then you might get a freshman year academic advisor who is not from your major – but you still get to pick any major you want at the end of freshman year.
I would be tempted to add U.Mass Amherst to your list if CS is your most likely major. For universities that admit by major, I might be tempted to put CS as your major on the basis that it will be easier to transfer out into either physics or chemistry than to transfer in. I also would not count on physics as a major until you get through quantum physics (I took this sophomore year of university, and it convinced me to stick with mathematics as my major).
You have a long string of high reaches, and you are doing this without a lot of impressive leadership ECs. I might be tempted to think hard about which of your high reaches are or are not a good fit for you with the intention of trimming the list a bit. Then I might add a few schools that are slightly (and only slightly) easier to get admitted to and that are known for CS. U.Mass would be one example. Purdue might be another.
I do however like your CS research. I do understand that “research” is sometimes less exciting when you do it than it sounds like from a distance. Building tools that are useful for example can include a lot of grunt work but also be very useful to researchers. Part of being involved in research at an early age is to understand the 99% perspiration that goes along with the 1% inspiration, and to also understand that “research” means that you might not always succeed.
UIUC, CMU, UCB, U. Washington, and U.Wisconsin are all very good for computer science. I would probably pick any of them for example over Harvard if accepted to all of the above and if CS is my intended major. I might however first check out how safe the area is where each school is located. The world might not be quite as safe as it was 10 or 15 years ago. Harvard is located in a very attractive location that to me seems to be both relatively safe and very interesting as a place to live for 4 years.
I am not a big fan of taking organic chemistry as a high school student. One daughter referred to organic chemistry as “the most difficult B- that I ever had in my life”. She has since said that the hardest classes in her DVM program are just as hard or harder (and she is mostly doing better than B-'s), but that is not saying much regarding the ease of organic chemistry. I have heard of at least one case of a high school student doing very well in organic chemistry, but have seen a couple of cases (I think here on CC) of students taking it in high school, or as freshmen in university, and suffering. One daughter did not take it until junior year of university and breezed through it. You most likely will be a stronger student as you get through university.
If you get into UIUC as a CS major, it is a very good university with a very, very good CS program and should be a relative bargain for you since you are in-state.
You have a question mark next to the University of Wisconsin. I would keep it on the list. It is very good for CS.
And you should make sure that your parents are okay spending $400,000 over four years before you apply to expensive private schools without first running the NPC.
You have a long string of high reaches, and you are doing this without a lot of impressive leadership ECs. I might be tempted to think hard about which of your high reaches are or are not a good fit for you with the intention of trimming the list a bit.
Are impressive leadership ECs an absolute must for all of my reaches? My understanding is that Harvard and the other (more “traditional”) Ivy-league schools value them strongly, but I’m not sure how others like MIT, CalTech, UChicago, and Stanford weigh them in the admissions process.
My hope was/is that I might be able to engage in other things like research or volunteering instead (with no detriment to my application), especially since I’ve found that most “leadership positions” at my school are essentially manufactured and meaningless (in terms of tangible action). I’d much rather accomplish something real instead of achieving some silly position/title.
However, I do think that your research experience is likely to be very helpful. “Accomplishing something real” is exactly what you should strive to do. I also agree that some “leadership” positions appear to be artificially manufactured, and I think that university admissions can see right through this.
Impressive ECs - depth and tenure matter - and leadership doesn’t mean you have a title. You can lead without being given a title, in other words.
But it’s quality, not quantity and you seem to have it.
But no one can predict, you have this, therefore you’ll get admitted.
That’s why people are suggested other, less difficult to get in schools - although you have RPI and WPI, etc.
All you can do is put your best foot forward and it seems like you’ve set up to do so.
You can’t decide for the schools - if they should admit you. You an just put the best you forward - and that has to be good enough.
If they don’t admit you - their loss.
Successful people in society come from a such a wide range of colleges - really most all of them - and many successful people don’t come from any college at all.
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. You’ve positioned yourself extremely well - from sports to research to class rep, etc.
Be the best you and the chips will fall where they may - and you will make your success - moreso than the where you go - and with a drive like yours, that’s a good thing!!
You have quite an impressive record; kudos to you!
I agree with earlier posts about not worrying about “only” a 770 for verbal. The programs in which you are interested are more interested in your math score, which you maxed.
As impressive as your record is, you have on your list some of the most competitive schools in the country which turn away 10 qualified students for every one they accept. To make matters worse, CompSci is probably the most competitive (not to mention difficult) majors available. Based on your profile, I’m going to guess you are in the Chicago area (is this true?). Sadly, this might work against you with NU since every smart kid in Chicagoland wants to be a Wildcat and the school is trying to build a class that is more geographically diverse. Conversely, it might help you with some schools in other states. Note that CMU has a gender diversity policy for its STEM majors where it is trying to build a class that is half men and half women, so if the overall acceptance rate for CompSci is 7%, it is likely 4% for male and 20% for female applicants. As others have noted, you have a lot of extreme reaches on your list; I encourage you to apply to them, just understand that the odds are long even for students with impressive records. I would recommend adding a couple safeties.
CompSci is more competitive than physics or chemistry, and you might be accepted at some schools on your list for a natural science, but not for CS. Understand the application process for each school. Are you applying to the college, or by major? When do you declare a major? How hard is it to change majors later? (As a rule, it’s easy to switch to a less competitive major, but not visa versa.) My son was interested in multiple STEM subjects ranging from engineering to biochem. He applied as a MechE because it was the most competitive program in which he was interested.
UIUC is probably a good target, but I would not consider it a “safety” since it is still one of the best CompSci programs in the country. Have you considered Purdue, Penn State or Ohio State? I know they are not as prestigious as other schools on your list, but they are strong, highly ranked programs, where you are more likely to be admitted. They may also throw money at you.
This is SO true! One of my D’s friends got in to Harvard this year but got rejected OOS from UW computer science, which has a 2 percent acceptance rate according to their own website.
@ehcsrc, for highly accomplished applicants like you who are aiming for top CS schools, UIUC, UMD and Purdue are a common trio of schools to apply to that are somewhat easier to get into vs your high reaches. You have an advantage at the first, being an IL resident.
Then, possibly followed by UWisconsin, UMass Amherst and maybe Virginia Tech or some such school.
You definitely should trim down your list of high reaches. It’s very hard to customize your application for all of them.
@ehcsrc, for highly accomplished applicants like you who are aiming for top CS schools, UIUC, UMD and Purdue are a common trio of schools to apply to that are somewhat easier to get into vs your high reaches. You have an advantage at the first, being an IL resident.
I recently visited Purdue for information session on their engineering program. To be honest, their engineering program didn’t really appeal to me—I know it’s fantastic, but I think that the stringent requirements associated with an engineering degree maybe aren’t for me, especially if I receive little to no credit for my HS classes (including non-APs).
Generally, I’d like the ability to take high level courses—building on my current courses—that aren’t required but rather trend towards a specific major or two (or three?). I guess I’d like to eventually go to grad school too and it would be nice for some courses from undergrad to transfer.
I don’t think Purdue will stop you from taking any high level courses that you like as long as you meet the prereqs and there’s space. Perhaps @momofboiler1 can confirm.
Same with the other schools I mentioned.
The environment of your senior year at an excellent undergraduate college may be much like that of graduate school, in that you may complete research projects or theses. However, you may not find an association between the depth of these projects and the likelihood that they will provide graduate-school credit. At schools of this type, academic work on this level simply may represent an essentially expected part of a four-year degree.
That’s why I suggested bringing up this point with a college counselor at your high school. Since you attend a private high school that offers advanced courses, it’s probable that you have college counselors with time to talk to you, and you are also probably not the first student with this concern. They are likely to have a better understanding of how specific universities treat these specific courses for the purpose of advanced placement.
At schools of this type, academic work on this level simply may represent an essentially expected part of a four-year degree.
That makes sense. To rephrase my question, I’m wondering about schools that provide good research opportunities for undergrads in their third or fourth years. At the lab I work at, there are a couple '24 undergrads that work alongside some of the (much) more experienced grads and also take grad-level classes. I suppose I’m not so concerned about credits transferring, more so the opportunity to take grad-level classes in my 4th, 3rd, or maybe even 2nd year (if that’s how things play out) of undergrad while also having a solid research opportunities.
Also, I initially called my school a “moderately sized private school,” which, after perusing the forums and the “lingo” a little more, seems inapt. I guess the right designation for my current school would be “(very) feeder high school,” especially since we’re consistently ranked at least T5 in the country. I don’t really know how this changes much other than making it more imperative for me to speak to my college counselor (which I certainly have). If anything, the status and inherent competition of my school makes my lack of leadership ECs and awards more detrimental to my application. I suppose there is the consideration that I’m a transfer student (from a very small, very non-feeder school), but I doubt that makes a meaningful difference
There are schools beneath the pedigree you are seeking that have opportunities for Freshman and beyond. Not all kids want to do research and at many schools, if you ask a professor of interest, they will find you work in their lab or another. The departments also send out opportunities and some of them can’t find enough students.
If you want to do research, it’s likely not going to be an issue. And you won’t have to wait until the 3rd or 4th year to get interesting assignments.
And yes, if you’re at a T5 school that is feeding into high level institutions, that should be where you go as noted in many posts above - they will hopefully be able to give you the best guidance - although it’s always nice to get a third party bounce too.
I second CWRU as a “safer” admit (is any strong program a safety?). The school is strong in engineering, CS, chem and physics. More importantly, they encourage and facilitate double majors and minors, and you are not locked into a major until late sophomore year.
Case practices yield management and the AO may think you are using them as a safety, so if you apply show a lot of interest. If they think there is a good chance you will matriculate, they would likely throw a healthy merit award your way.
If you are advanced enough to be looking for graduate level course work and graduate level research as an undergraduate, then you are likely looking more at PhD-granting research universities rather than other schools like master’s degree universities or liberal arts colleges.
Of course, that does mean that you need to check each college’s or department’s policies regarding advanced placement in those subjects, as well as policies regarding undergraduates taking graduate level courses and undergraduate research.