Chance Me: ED CMU or UPenn for CS/ Computer Engineering/ Datascience/ AI [OR resident, 4.0 GPA, 1510 SAT, <$70k]

Demographics

  • US citizen
  • Oregon
  • Public High School

Cost Constraints / Budget
Anything upto ~70K per year

Intended Major(s)
CS/Computer Engineering/Data Science/AI

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0 (Class Rank: 1 out of 426)
  • Weighted GPA: 4.3750 (Class Rank: 8 out of 426)
  • SAT Scores: 1510 (Super Score)

List your HS coursework

College credits obtained:

  • Math College Algebra 111,
  • Linux CS-140
  • Java CS 133j
  • B History
  • IB Psych
  • Chemistry CH 150

Highest level course till now:

  • English: IB Language and Literature 11 SL
  • Math: IB Math Analysis SL2/HL1
  • Science: IB Physics SL
  • History and social studies: IB History of the Americas
  • Language other than English: IB Spanish4
  • Visual or performing arts: Digital Photography
  • Other academic courses: Introduction to Engineering, Operating Systems, Computer Aided Design, Database administration, Python Programming, IT Tech

Extracurriculars

    1. Teaching in Mathnesium (2 1/2 years)
    1. Coding games
    1. Skiing (Recreational)
    1. Chess (Recreational)

Essays/LORs/Other
Good recommendation letters from school

Plan to apply for the following Schools

  • ED CMU/ OR UPenn
  • EA Purdue
  • EA University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • EA University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • EA University of Southern California
  • EA Georgia Tech
  • EA Virginia Tech
  • EA University of Massachusetts–Amherst
  • EA University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
  • EA University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • UCs (Reach: UC Berkeley, Target: UC Irvine)

Have you visited CMU and UPenn? Both great schools. Different campus cultures, though. Have you run their net price calculators to see if they would come in at or under your budget?

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A couple of initial questions:

What are your SAT score breakdowns?

Will you be applying for financial aid? Several of the schools on your list are above 70k. Some do not offer financial aid for OOS students. The UCs and UMich will not meet your budget.

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Math : 780, Reading: 730
If we are able to make it beyond 70k, are there chances in UCs or others in the list (based on the scores)

Thanks. Will calculate and check.
But which one should we target? CMU or UPenn? I am guessing we cant do both?

Correct that you can’t apply ED to both. Which is your favorite? If you’re not applying for financial aid, they’re both around $90k a year. ED is a binding commitment so you wouldn’t be able to compare offers from other schools.

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By the time you graduate, will you have four years of social studies, and English. I see you will have math and science, and level 4 of Spanish.

You have chemistry and physics…did you take biology also?

You have all of your courses listed under “college credits obtained”. Does this mean you took all of your required high school courses as DE courses. Any chance you can list your courses by what you took in each grade?

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So CMU, UPenn, USC, Michigan, UCB is above budget and UCI right there.

I’d remove Michigan and the UCs.

That said your STEM courses are very advanced.

Are you a full pay family ? Have them fill this out.

It’s hard to say anyone is in at Penn or CMU. You’re likely competitive but I wouldn’t expect an acceptance.

Better odds at Purdue and UIUC.

Wisconsin a target. I think in but it’s gotten tougher.

USC - toss up.

Ga Tech like the earlier - it’s a reach but possible. However it’s not likely.

Va Tech I think happens. Will say likely.

Umass yes

Michigan - not likely but unaffordable and the last two years go up another $4k plus.

UC - will let others guess.

You might consider adding a UMN - a likely. Well under budget and certainly in line reputation wise with several on your list. Ohio State could be another.

I wouldn’t discount Oregon State. Arizona and CU Boulder are also also solid with School of Mines if you want smaller.

Good luck.

https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/upenn

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Delete. Missed ED at Penn or CMU. Please check the NPCs. ED is binding. It may not be appropriate at all.

Is your family ok at $400k - don’t forget there are other expenses - books, travel, spring break, Friday night pizza etc.

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Sorry I accidentally listed everything under “College credits obtained”. I have separated them out now. Listed only the highest level courses.
Yes Bio was also done too. Will complete all required courses in DE

Thanks. Not appropriate for affordability ? or Rest of the profile?

Affordability. I put the NPC for Penn. please fill it out for an aid (or no aid) estimate . If it shows they’ll give you aid to hit your cost, take the shot. You’d also need to do the CMU one.

I don’t think the student gets in based on minuscule admit rates but someone will get in and if it’s really the student’s desire, they should take their shot. They’ve earned that right with their record.

You shouldn’t ED to either without a visit (in addition to measuring affordability).

Good luck

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Please note that OP is the parent, so use pronouns accordingly

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Understood, Thanks for the advice.

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Run the NPC for both. In fact, run it for every school on the list. NPCs are fairly simple tools and provide a directional sense of what the school will cost.

Both UPenn and CMU will later require a CSS, which will take in a lot more information about your assets and income. UPenn and CMU are also both “meets need” schools, but have different formulas for determining need.

An ED agreement assumes you made a reasonable effort to determine what the school would cost you. Running the NPC shows you’ve performed that due diligence, and that will be helpful if your student is admitted and you get a lower-than-expected aid package.

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What’s the unifying feature(s) in the creation of this list? I ask because there are schools where the day in day out experience will be very different.

Full cash pay? Do you know your EFC? Is $70k the top yearly number?

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The college list I came up with is based on the desired Major (as per US News ranking) and the chances of getting in.

The goal ultimately is to get into a college which has ties with tech companies for internship opportunities.

Since you’re the parent - what does your child (the one applying to college) think of this list? What are his/her preferences?

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Actually this is my son’s list, I am just posting here and getting help to save his time

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Do you know your expected family contribution (EFC) yet?

I would also encourage you to look at the USNWR methodology to see if it aligns with what you and your student care about. For most, just as in engineering, it doesn’t.

This is it, verbatim: “These rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty members of computer science departments at institutions around the country who participated in a peer assessment survey.”

The problem is that the opinions rendered, if submitted at all, are likely based on research output. I say likely, because they are literally asked to rank peer schools. That’s it. It says nothing about industry connections, salary outcomes, internship opportunities, class size, etc. Those are things that most of us are concerned with.

As a result, their rankings are heavily skewed towards large, PhD granting programs, and are against some great small schools. Brown, Harvey Mudd, Pomona, and Cal Poly are all grossly underrated by USNWR if earnings potential and industry connections are the goal.

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