Chance Me as rising Senior (NJ Resident, 5.3 WGPA, 1550 SAT)

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US citizen
  • NJ
  • Large Public School (Class of 2026 size is around 750)

Cost Constraints / Budget: No Constraints
Intended Major(s): Biomedical Engineering, Data Science, Biological Engineering, CS

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: High School does not report
  • Weighted HS GPA: 5.3
  • Class Rank: Top 15% (might be in top 10%)
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1550 (790 Math). Giving second time in August

List your HS coursework

  • English: All 4 years Honors including AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition
  • Math: All 4 years Honors: Algebra2, Pre-calculus, AP Calc AB, Calculus-III
  • Science: All 4 years Honors: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics-1, AP Physics C
  • History and social studies: AP US History, AP World History
  • Language other than English: 3 years of Latin Honors
  • Other academic courses: Java Programming, AP CSP, AP CSA, AP Psychology, AP Cyber Security

**College Coursework **
Dual Credit and Summer Community College (about 40 credits) courses: Statistics-I, Statistics-II, Analytic Geom & Calculus I, Analytic Geom & Calculus II, Discrete Math, Leaner Algebra

  • General education course work: NYU Data Science (non-credit), AI and Machine learning two semester course (non-credit), Multiple course completion certificates related to Neuroscience, Ethics and Psychology

Awards

  • National Merit (Perfect PSAT 1520/1520)
  • Gold National Latin Exam
  • Women In Computing
  • Two research paper publication in peer-reviewed international journal

Extracurriculars

  • Summer Research Fellowship in BME at top ivy college
  • Science Honor Program at ivy (three year program)
  • Genetic research and publication in GenBank
  • Club and honor Society President at high school
  • AI related summer boot camp from T10 college
  • Author at website for teens about one article a month

Schools

  • Wanted to apply ED either Upenn/Columbia/Cornell. Where I will have best chance? Considering my GPA is the weakest link in my application.

Would it be possible to get some idea about schools ? I was thinking about applying EA in following colleges after the ED: Upenn, Columbia, Cornell, CMU,
Johns Hopkins, NYU, Rutgers, UMD, RPI, Georgia Tech, Brown

Any other idea?

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It’s difficult to evaluate your GPA from the weighted number you gave, because schools calculate weighted GPA differently. What is your unweighted GPA using 4 for A, 3 for B etc? You can calculate it yourself.

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You may not be given an unweighted GPA but you need to figure it out as the schools will. Weighted means little as all weight differently.

Each A = 4, B = 3, C = 2

Add the points and divide by # of courses.

Your math is amazing but I hope not too rushed - summer is not a good time in that sense (it’s compact). If you’re mastering it - great. But if not, slow down - Calc AB is enough for these schools although BC better.

No need to retake the SAT…you can if you want, but threre’s zero need to. 1550, 1570, etc. not going to matter.

While you have no cost constraints, just know that the NMSF (and likely NMF) can get you a full ride - or near - so saving your family $400K - in case you weren’t aware.

Please get us your unweighted - especially because you say it’s your weakest part.

Also, know who is and is accredited in engineering.

It seems you are listing big names vs. finding the right school for you. When you say, which is the best chance of ED, that scares me. You want the right school for you…you will be there four years, day after day. So the best to ED is the school you absolutely want to be at.

For example on picking the perceived biggest names, CMU is not accredited in bioengineering or biological. Columnbia, CMU or Brown not in biological (only 42 schools are). it doesn’t mean you can’t study at CMU (you can) but many jobs want ABET accreditation and they don’t have it in that specific major.

So are you picking the right schools? Or just names that are Ivy/tops.

Something to think about…especially with an ED. You want to love your four years…especially in this major which is one of the lower paid engineering majors.

Great record - and I’m sure your GPA is great - but we need it.

One last thing - most you mentioned don’t have EA. ED (1,2 in some cases) and RD. But where they do, use EA (UMD as an example).

Thanks

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Agree with @tamagotchi that it’s difficult to make a projection from the information provided.

My first impression is that you would be a strong candidate for RPI and Rutgers. You should get into Maryland, but Engineering is one of their most difficult majors for acceptance - especially out of state - so no guarantees there. Even with more information about your grades and class rank, the others on your list are a reach for even the strongest applicants.

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You should apply ED to your favorite school, not the one where you think your chances of admission might be better. Have you visited all three? Which one fits you best?

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My GPA is 3.66, school does not provide class rank. Along with transcript, school will include class of 2026 profile that has WGPA distribution. top 10%, 20%, 30 % and WGPA bar chat.

I visited all the schools in my ED list and I like all of them before putting in my ED list. I might have less chance in Columbia as compare to Cornell and Upenn.

Calculus-III is the highest class (higher than AP Calculus BC) offered at school that I’m schedule to take.

If I get accepted to EA (not ED) will I have chance to wait out for RD result?

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Since Terms of Service prohibit multiple accounts, I am closing this thread