Future EECS Major

compSciBeast · May 1, 2007, 6:28pm

Let me just start by saying that I attend a rigorous high school in California, consistently one of the top rated high schools. We send about 80 kids every year to UCB and UCLA. Everybody is so damn good. I am a junior and am considering applying to all the good engineering schools next year for Computer Science/Electrical Engineering.

Here’s a little bit about me:

SAT: 2260(plan to retake because I somehow got a 710 on math when I usually get 800; So I expect 2330+ next time)
ACT: 34 (I think it translates to 2300 on the SAT)
Weighted GPA: 4.4(for 10th and 11th grade) 4.5 counting Senior year (assuming straight a’s)

Unweighted: I only got 2 b’s throughout my first three years. My high schoolhas some nasty teachers for AP physics.

Class Rank: Should be top 4% which is damn good at my high school.

Haven’t taken any SAT 2’s yet but expect 800 in math 2c and close to that in physics and us history.

EC’S

1)Cross Country Varsity Captain
2)Track-Captain
3)Received awards and got many of my poems published. I write a lot of poetry
4)Won several piano competitions- I have been playing for 7 years
5)Will obtain a job tutoring at Princeton Review over the summer; teaching math and science
6)Will work in India in my uncle’s gaming company- requires great programming skills; he will give me an internship
7)Speech and Debate- I did it freshman and soph. year. I won a few tournaments
8)Robotics- Will become more actively involved next year.
9) 100 hrs of Community Service- at YMCA and plan to do more at India over the summer.

Essays:
I consider myself a gifted writer. I write poetry in my spare time so I really have an affinity for writing. My essays will definitely boost my application.

I would appreciate comments on my chances at the following schools:

Berkeley for EECS
Stanford (Single Choice Early Action)
MIT
Caltech
UPENN(my dad went there for his MBA; He still keeps in touch with Wharton)
CMU(Carnegie Mellon)
Cornell
Princeton
Harvard
Columbia
Dartmouth

I also was wondering where I should early apply. Stanford(which is single choice) or MIT and Caltech(both of which are non restrictive)

Thanks a bunch. Please let me know what I should improve on.

Calcruzer · May 1, 2007, 8:54pm

Well, presuming you get the 800 in the SAT I Math and SAT II Math2 and SAT II Physics and SAT II US History (lots of presuming of 800s in your post if you ask me–you expect to get 4 more of them–or close to it–according to what you wrote here), then you are “good to go” at a lot of these schools.

There are things that bother me about what you posted, though–and that make me thing you haven’t yet decided what you are really planning to do with your life. For example, you rave about your poetry skills and writing skills–and then talk about your applications to Stanford, MIT, and Caltech as the first choices and how you want to major in EECS.

Looking at your awards–to this point, you have none relating to math, computers, or sciences.

You say you will work over the summer–both at Princeton Review, in India at your uncle’s programming company, and will also do volunteer work overseas in India. So, which is it that you plan to do?–since doing all three seems to me to be impossible.

You also say you are going to be active in robotics next year–but you haven’t done anything in robotics yet.

In other words, I see all these promises of things to be done on here–robotics, 4 perfect 800 test scores, internships in New Jersey and in India in two different fields, volunteer work overseas, etc.–

And while the things you have done are pretty good–good test scores, good grades, poetry, track, piano–none of these relate to your EECS interest.

If you actually want to get into MIT, Stanford, or Caltech in EECS, let’s get going with the stuff related to EECS–and not concentrate so much on piano, poetry, track, and debate.

Where are your awards in competitions in math, science, and computer work?–because your competition will have awards in these areas.

Just my two cents worth, you understand.

Future EECS Major

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