Chance Me (MIT, Duke, Mudd, etc.)

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Schools: MIT, Harvey Mudd, Duke, UPenn, Cornell, Tulane, Carnegie Mellon (all reach)

Demographics: White, Male. Montana, Private Catholic School (Top 10%)

Major: Computer Science

GPA: 97/100

Rank: Na

ACT: 32 M:28, E:32, R:33, S:34 - only took once, retaking and expecting a 34-35

AP (Previous and Current) : AP Stats(4), AP Bio(4), AP Computer Science(5), AP Calc, AP Literature, AP Computer Science Principles
(My school offers very little AP classes)

Awards:
ISEF: third place Systems Software
All-Conference selection Track and XC
School 5k record holder

EC:
Science Fair: Created a machine learning algorithm that predicts fire risk globally - no mentor, one second at the state fair and third at ISEF (First from Montana in 5 years) - continuing my project with the National Forest Service

Founded web and app development company in 8th grade - have made apps for a couple of clients out of state, provide on-call IT services for a couple of companies, manage about 10 websites

Running: Projected to take second at state XC this year, run year-round, All-Conference for all events

Participated in a work-study for my school’s IT department to help pay off tuition

Founder of School’s Hack Club (First in Montana)

Currently participating in STS

Essays/LOR: Common App 9/10 - talked about science fair and its potential for developing countries

Counselor - 9/10, 1st Teacher - 10/10, 2nd teacher - 7/10

2

For MIT/Mudd/CMU, SAT Math II and another science subject test (MIT) are needed. Have you taken them?

3

My main concern is your math ACT score. I am not particularly familiar with the ACT, but my understanding is that a 28 on the ACT is about equivalent to a 1320 on the SAT. That is really low for MIT or Harvey Mudd (or Caltech). I think that it is essentially a non-starter.

The typical MIT freshman was #1 or #2 in their high school in math and sciences (although I did know one person when I was there who was only #3 in their high school in math, and #4 overall).

How are you in math compared to other students in your high school?

4

28 Math? Was that just a bad test day?

5

As others said, you need good test scores, including subject tests, otherwise a very strong applicant. Caltech is not on the list? They recruit for track (not as big a deal as athletic recruitment in other colleges, but still).

6

For sure! I didn’t prepare well and paid for it. I have been consistently scoring in the 35-36 for my math practice tests so I am confident I will be able to bump that up. I also got an 800 on math II and Bio

7

Computer Science is widely regarded as the hardest major to get into at the ivies, and I am guessing that they are looking for someone who goes above and beyond in terms of combining comp sci with another subject. You seem very dedicated to comp sci, and I think that will serve you well for a school like Carnegie Mellon, but I believe CMU has someone between 3-6% acceptance rate for Comp Sci, so don’t count on it. You have a good chance at Tulane and I would guess Harvey Mudd, but the rest of the schools on your list are sooo extremely selective you should not depend on them. However, it seems like wherever you go you will do well because you are dedicated to comp sci and have experience. (People go for comp sci to Stanford then realize they hate it and switch, go figure. They are just figuring it out as they go).

8

All reaches, but, if you raise your ACT to 35+ and do well on SAT Math II and another science SAT II, you’ll be competitive, though it still will be a high reach. Except for Tulane, without a better ACT and without subject SATs with good scores, you’re not even in the running.

MIT - high reach with better ACT scores and good SATII scores, impossible without

UPenn - same

Duke - same

Harvey Mudd - same

Carnegie Mellon engineering - same

Cornell - reach with better ACT scores and good SATII scores (same ACT, with only good SATII scores - a high reach)

Tulane - reach as is, lower reach with better ACT (no need for subject SATs, present ACT in middle of mid 50% range, but math score problematic)