Chances/Questions about CSE vs. CBS

Jess80808
Mon, 01 Aug 2016 05:02:30 +0000

Any help would be very greatly appreciated

(Also, might be helpful to note that I am an in-state applicant and am graduating a year early…)

GPA: 4.000 UW
ACT: 36
SAT: 2400 (old)
12 APs, all 5s (mostly STEM, will be taking a couple more this year)
Extracurriculars: Science Bowl, Economics Team, school newspaper, leadership team
Work Experience: 16+ hrs per week as a clinic receptionist, 6+ hrs per week volunteering at local hospitals
UMTYMP for 5+ years, PLTW for 2 years, no NMSF/NMF but scored near-perfect on PSAT last year (as a soph.)
Will be in the U’s PSEO program this year

Wondering if I had a shot at CSE Honors or if I should stick with CBS. I’m interested in more of the biological/chemical side of things, not so much in engineering, and want to perhaps pursue pre-pharm and/or an MPH, so CBS would probably be the more obvious choice. However, is CSE really considered more prestigious than CBS (my parents are CSE alumni and want me to go as well)? Would it be any more likely that I’d be accepted into the Honors program/perhaps get some scholarship money if I applied to CBS? (I understand that CBS is also very competitive so nothing is likely at this stage.)

Also, for the application, if I seem to be unable to fit the actual “title” of the extracurricular in the little box they’ve provided, do you think it’s alright if I put it in the “additional activities” section (that allows 4000 characters)? I just don’t feel like the application provides enough space to properly explain some of the ECs/work that I do and why I’m so passionate about them.

If you made it through this whole thing, thank you!