NEED HELP ELIMINATING CHOICES/CHANCE ME

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Hello everyone,

I’m guilty of applying to too many colleges and now it’s haunting me. I have already eliminated 3 colleges and would like to narrow down my list if possible… Please don’t judge but I applied to 17 colleges out of panic and because I had fee waivers. I honestly do not know where I want to go. Most of the schools, I’m eligible for, I applied for CompSci which is honestly my backup choice. I applied to that major due parent’s suggestion (stable job after grad); however, I’m actually not interested. My heart lies in the Business industry, but my parents are worried that if I don’t attend a well-known school for Business, then I’ll struggle in that industry. Basically, I can only pursue Business if I get into a top Business school and now I’m scared I won’t…

Here are my stats in shorthand:
UC gpa: about a 3.93 (10-11)
total gpa including 1st semester of senior year: 3.84W, 3.46 (it went down alot)
class rank: about top 10-11%
SAT scores: 1860 (520CR, 660M, 680W)/ superscored: 1910 (I’m a bad test taker :P)
ACT: 23 LOL (did not submit)
Senior course load: IB Lit HL, IB Math HL, IB Bio HL, IB World History HL, IB Chinese SL, IB TOK, Newspaper (full IB diploma)
EC’s: editor of school newspaper, treasurer of Key Club, AVID tutor, track n’ field, cross country
work experience: 2years- cashier at a fastfood restaurant
Honors/awards: none really
Financial status: very low income
Race: Asian/Chinese female

I’m not sure if I missed any stats, but ask if you need more (I guess).

Here are the schools, I’ve applied to:

(for all of the UC’s, they only received my Dec SAT scores which was a 1710 (570CR, 600M, 540W)

UCLA- applied CompSci
UCB- applied Operation Research
UCI- applied CompSci (I’m not feeling this school)
UCR- (received a likely letter/invitation to Honors) applied CompSci
UCSB- applied CompSci
UCSD- applied CompSci
Cal poly pomona- (accepted CompSci)
Cal poly SLO- applied CompSci (not really interested anymore…)
NYU- Business: Operation Management (top choice…)
Wesleyan (opted SAT scores)- applied CompSci (not really interested anymore)
USC- applied CompSci/Business
Connecticut College- (thinking of withdrawing) applied CompSci
Northeastern- (applied EA, deferred) should I withdraw? applied CompSci/Business

Total crap-shot schools:
University of Chicago- applied Business (kind of my top choice…)
Princeton- applied Business/Operation Management
Harvard- applied social science?
Emory- applied Business
Columbia- applied Business

Do I have any chance with those schools listed above? And what schools should I eliminate or should I go all the way? Also, UCR and Cal Poly Pomona are my extreme backup schools; I applied there out of parents’ urges.

*Sorry for the rant…

2

To be truly honest in regards to the California schools, I only see you getting acceptances at Cal Poly Pomona, UC Riverside and possibly UCI. Your UC GPA is not bad, but below average for the majority of UC’s and SLO since CS is extremely competitive. SAT score is also not on par to be a competitive applicant. Do you have a true safety? It is really possible that you may get shut out all together, so I hope you have a safety on your list.

How were your essays?

Sorry to be a “Debbie Downer” but that is the reality with far too many Reaches. I hope you prove me wrong and you have more options in the end. Good Luck.

3

Sorry I missed that you received a “likely” email for UCR, so you should be in at one of your safeties. Your parents were smart in making your apply to CPP also. CPP has released some acceptances already, so I am assuming you have not heard yet?

If you have some outstanding essays, it should give you a slight bump up in your chances.

4

I would not withdraw anything right now. You aren’t going to get into a lot of these schools (test scores are just too low). Even if you think you aren’t interested, you aren’t going to have anything like 17 schools to choose from once you have acceptances. I’d say you will be lucky to have 6 choices overall, 4 or 5 is more likely. You might want to go ahead and revisit UCR and Cal Poly Pomona now, so you are more free with time to do final visits to other places you get in during that tight April visiting window. Don’t panic in the other direction and withdraw ANYTHING… choices are good, even if they aren’t the top ones you think you want this month.

5

@Gumbymom and @intparent thank for the responses! Yea, I understand my test scores are quite low and I know that I’ll be solely relying on my essays(/ maybe gender for CS)… I had friends from previous years who were accepted to UCSD, UCI, UCLA, and UCSB with similar/slightly lower stats than me. But time might have changed, I guess I’ll just wait and see then! (: