How can I Improve, Especially ECs and Awards. Trying to get into MIT, UNCCH, NC State, Rice

Take a deep breath. You have a strong resume.

It is just that some schools are extremely competitive to get into and are a reach for everyone because for every available seat they have, there are 4-10 qualified applicants with lots of ECs, awards, APs, 4.0 GPAs, and high test scores. Therefore, you cannot “out compete” other candidates.

You will need to demonstrate would makes you different, unique, interesting. Colleges do not want 4,500 incoming Freshman cut from the same cloth. They want all kinds of diversity - socioeconomic, geographic, race, interests, experiences, backgrounds, etc. - and they want students who are decent human beings. So, demonstrate what you bring that is a little different without coming across like you are bragging would be one goal to have in your application. Research what colleges are looking for in essays. Both my Ds focused on how to write good essays (and by that I mean content, not just grammar). Similar concept with LORs. What will your recommenders say about you that is beyond boilerplate.

Keep up your GPA, do as well as possible on your tests, keep doing what you are doing with ECs.

Both my Ds focused on something they brought that is a little different and both were accepted to UNC and NCSU from one of counties in NC people note as being harder to get in from (both 4.0 UW, one HS ranked, one did not, both HS were small, 32-33 ACTs, no hooks). They did not have any “awards” beyond standard NHS/student of the month type, but did have heavy ECs including demonstration of leadership inside and outside of school, volunteering and mentoring, which you have.

As far as safeties, it looks like you are willing to go across country. For in-state I believe UNC Charlotte is considered to have a solid CS program (more so that UNCW).

I would also suggest checking out Arizona State as a possible safety. Assuming your test score ranges align with your GPA range, you would likely qualify for Barrett Honors and OOS scholarship $ and they have decent to well ranked computer related majors (they have multiple majors in that field). ASU’s motto is “we pride ourselves on who we include, rather than who we exclude” so they are a large university with a high acceptance rate that has some surprisingly strong program rankings for a non-selective school. It seems most of their class sizes are not that different from say UNC (some classes have 400+ students, some have 40 or 20). It’s also rolling admissions, so apply early and you will have an acceptance to a good option under your belt early, which reduces the stress level of waiting for your reaches and UNC and NCSU in late Jan.

D21 put ASU on her list and now she is down to and struggling to pick between UNC and ASU/Barrett/OOS scholarship (for biomedical field).

Good luck!

3 Likes