Chance Me: ED for Carnegie Mellon University [international, 3.6 GPA, IBDP, 1520 SAT, <$70k; physics, math, computer science]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics: Canadian, Asian, IB Diploma student

Intended Majors: Physics, Maths, Computer Science

HS coursework:
IB Diploma: Math HL, Physics HL, Chemistry HL, English SL; French SL; History SL
AP: Computer Science A: 5

Unweighted GPA: 3.6 of 4
Weighted GPA: 3.8 of 4
SAT: 1520
Rank: around to 10%

Awards: 1. Honor roll in Waterloo’s Fermat Contest; 2. Distinction in Annual Sir Isaac Newton Exam by Waterloo.

Extracurriculars:
Research in Wind tubine efficiency improvement (very draft);
Python for Economics and Finance, a Summar session in UCLA

Essay:
Essay is pretty strong according to his IB teacher

Budget: around $50 - $70K/year

Intended Schools:
UC Berkeley
Carnegie Mellon University, ED
UIUC, EA
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, EA
UCLA,
Georgia Institute of Technology

2

Berkeley and UCLA are outside your budget as you’d be full pay

2 Likes
3

It should be an annual budget.

4

UCLA and UC Berkeley are $75K+ per year for out of state students.

2 Likes
5

Carnegie Mellon does not offer financial aid to international undergraduate students. It is going to cost well over $70,000/year. You are applying ED to a university that does not fit your budget.

UCLA and UC Berkeley will also cost a bit more than $70,000 per year.

I am not sure whether or not the other schools on your list will be affordable.

This is low for all of the schools on your list. However, this is low for the grade scales typically used in US public high schools. I am not familiar with the grade scales used in your high school. University admissions either will be, or will be able to get this information. If this puts you in the top 5% of students in your high school, then this is good and it probably will not matter how this relates to typical grades at US high schools. If you are top 10%, you might get an acceptance but the US schools that you listed are reaches IMHO.

I have been assuming that this is in US dollars. If this is Canadian dollars then of course your financial gap is even larger.

The top universities in Canada are excellent, and will fit your budget with ease.

Top graduate schools in the US know how strong the universities in Canada are. I know several people who got their bachelor’s in Canada and either got or are getting a graduate degree (either master’s or PhD or both) at very good universities in the USA. By “very good universities” this includes in one case Princeton and in two cases Stanford, as well as a few other very good universities.

2 Likes
6

No financial aid available for international students AFAIK. The cost of attendance is $84,000 a year or so in billable costs plus an addition estimated $2000 in other expenses you will incur.

How will this be affordable?

The UCs give no appreciable aid to OOS students. Plan to be full pay there at over $75,000 a year. How will that be affordable?

2 Likes
7

To add to the out of budget list, Michigan is over $72k for OOS.

1 Like
8

Thank you!
My boy is the top 10% student, and very close to top5. I don’t know how to transfer IB grade to GPA. For this year, we are still waiting for the prediction.

Budget may be an issue…

9

As noted, the Canadian colleges are terrific and likely will meet your price point. There are colleges in the US that could meet that price point also.

Would you like some suggestions? If so, please give us a little more info…specifically college size, location preference, religious vs secular.

2 Likes
10

The only schools on your list within budget are Ga Tech and UIUC at the high end.

11

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.