I saw a video on YouTube showing admission officers making decisions on who to accept/reject/waitlist, and I was shocked to say the least, it's a literal dice roll, they choose their literal gut feeling and what they feel about the person they are about to change the course of their life! Isn't this a super flawed system? What are my chances of getting into ivy leagues if that's the case.

People build their college lists around weather, location, food, and other quality-of-life stuff. I honestly don't think any of that matters much. To me, going to the most prestigious school, or the one with the best program for your major beats everything else. people are just scared to leave their comfort zone and adapt to a new place.

Exactly what the title says. Why do some colleges not have "why us?" essays? How would they know a student is a good fit for the school just based on the basic information on common app? (i'm sorry if this question is kind of stupid. im genuinely curious)

I’m deciding whether I’m going to ED to my reach or not today. This sounds like a stupid predicament, but while I liked the school I’m thinking to ED to, I’m not sure if it’s my favorite I’ve visited. One of the big publics I toured had my favorite town and favorite campus and it felt like I would fit in there really well, it’s just really not as good as my other school (though it’s definitely not bad). I’m scared I might make the wrong choice by EDing, but I’m also worried I won’t be able to get in without EDing. I do really like my reach school too, I’m just worried it won’t be nearly as good as the other one.

She says, "It is a party school and not good for you since the ages 18-22 are the years when you develop your personality. Additionally, she also states that USC is meant for the elite and rich class public. Since i would be applying from india based on hoping to acheive trustee schoalrship. she sayd getting in makes no point since you wont be able to match the people there and be depressive or end up spending too much and stuff. And she says I must go to a research-heavy university only, as it is the best for me "

Is this true??? Someone help me!

https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/1xgjudc/you_owe_the_doomers_an_apology/ Brother I just want to get a j*b in 4 years 🥺.

GENUINE question not a shitpost wallah

been getting straight A's up to now except one B+ freshman year but im getting straight teeth rn in one of my senior courses

how bad is this like ik my previous grades might be a good blanket but its hella downward trend and im genuinely losing so much sleep thinking about how thats gonna effect admissions

Hi everyone, I’m currently a Grade 10 IB student and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I might want to study in college. I’m mainly planning to apply to universities in the US, although I’m also considering universities in Hong Kong. My current grades are around 40/45 in the IB, and my interests are somewhere between mathematics, applied mathematics, computer programming, economics/finance, and the applications of math in business. At first, I was mostly looking at finance-related majors such as computational finance, financial mathematics, and quantitative finance because I may want to work at a large financial firm in the future. However, I’ve recently started to feel that specializing in finance too early might not be the best choice.

Right now, I’m more interested in majors such as Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Computational/Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Sciences, Operations Research, and Statistics. I like the idea of studying a lot of math first and then deciding later whether I want to apply it to finance, computer science, data science, economics, or something else. One concern I have, though, is that while I genuinely enjoy math, I don’t consider myself naturally gifted at it. I’m not the type of student who can immediately see the solution to a difficult competition problem, and sometimes I need quite a long time to fully understand something. Because of that, I’m not sure whether I would still enjoy math once it becomes much more abstract and difficult at the university level. I also currently don’t have any significant math competition achievements.

Instead of focusing entirely on competitions, I’m considering building a longer-term applied math project. I could start by learning probability, statistics, and Python, and then gradually explore things like mathematical modeling, optimization, Monte Carlo simulation, and portfolio risk modeling. I’d like these projects not only to help with college applications, but also to help me figure out whether I actually enjoy applied math enough to major in it.

Another important factor for me is the overall college environment. I want a university with a strong academic culture, but I don’t want to be surrounded by people who are constantly stressed or competing with one another. I’d still like to have time for clubs, sports, friends, and other interests instead of spending almost all of my time studying. The US schools I’m currently looking at include Brown, the University of Michigan, UW–Madison, Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley, UChicago, Cornell, and Princeton. In Hong Kong, I’m also considering CUHK, HKU, and HKUST. CMU originally stood out to me because of how strong it is across math, computer science, statistics, and finance, but I’m a little worried about the workload. Brown has also become very appealing to me because of its strong Applied Mathematics program and Open Curriculum. Michigan and UW–Madison interest me as well because they seem to combine strong academics with a more traditional and balanced college experience.

My main questions are:

For someone who likes math but isn’t sure they want to commit to pure or theoretical mathematics, is Applied Mathematics a good undergraduate major?

Would it be better to major more broadly in Math/Applied Math and add CS, Statistics, Economics, or Finance later, rather than choosing something like Financial Mathematics or Quantitative Finance from the beginning?

If someone genuinely enjoys math and is willing to work hard, but isn’t especially strong at competition math, is it still realistic to do well in a rigorous undergraduate math program?

Is IB more competitive than AP?

I’m still pretty early in high school, so I don’t want to lock myself into one career path yet. What I’m really looking for is an undergraduate environment where I can seriously explore mathematics without closing off too many other possibilities too early. I’d really appreciate any advice from current Math/Applied Math students, graduates, or anyone familiar with these universities.

Thank you so much for reading my text, I am really appreciate it!!!

hello! i already have a pretty finalized list of schools that i’m applying to, but i noticed it is leaning a little heavier towards out of state public schools that will likely give me no aid. i want to branch out and maybe consider some more private schools, but i don’t want to expand my reach list.

here are some of my basic stats:

4.26 w gpa/3.93 uw

1410 sat/1420 superscore (would go test optional at some schools)

ranked 9/311 at a rural/suburban smaller school with decent opportunities

8 APs (all 5s and a couple 4s), 3 dual enrollment

i have fairly average extracurriculars including president of my school’s environmental club and HOSA chapter, jv tennis player for 4 years, stage crew for theater for 4 years, tutoring, cultural community, nhs, part time retail jobs. no major awards besides collegeboard stuff and a minor competition award.

i‘m looking for schools that would end up around the target range for me that might be worth adding to my list! looking for prestigious academics, good opportunities for a bio/poli sci double major (pre-law), welcoming social scene especially for people of color (none of the cliquey preppy vibes unless it’s actually tolerable). also preferably in a town or city that isn’t boring and/or miserable.

any help would be great!

Hi, Sophomore Year Just started, but i feel a bit behind for college. I'm at a comp HS in NYC, the SAT avg there is 1510

Freshman Year GPA 93-94

Sophomore Year so FAR GPA 96

AP's Taken, bio 5, world current

Extracurriculars

PF debate tried.. lowkey quit

Starting FTC Robotics This YR

Philosophy club

Orchestra (Middle level, 2nd yr)

Starting DECA this YR

Some Volunteering at church summer program, maybe 120 hours

70Ish hours of tutoring 8th graders

School Honor Society that's like decently hard to get into, 12 hours done so far; anticipate around 80 cut thats what's required anyways

Bread Running in HK

Maybe 15ish hours of helping out teaching English in HK

Everything's pretty scattered, it's just random volunteering and nothing that concrete.

Hi everyone! I’m planning to apply for the MEi:CogSci Master’s programme at the University of Vienna for 2027/2028.

I’d love to hear from students who were admitted. What was your academic background and GPA? Did projects, research experience, or a motivation letter help? Were there any specific admission requirements or selection procedures?

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, and I’d really appreciate any advice or information about the admission process, especially from international students.

What the text says.

I'm debating whether to list competitive gaming as my 10th Common App activity and wanted some opinions...

I've played both Brawl Stars and Clash Royale for years, founded and managed a clan, and reached the top 1% in trophies in both games. I'd report my hours as like only a couple hours a week.

For context, I'm in the top 1% of my class academically and have a pretty strong extracurricular profile with leadership positions, clubs, volunteering, etc. I'm wondering whether including something more personal and unconventional could actually help AOs see another side of me, because otherwise I could put another school club for ec #10 instead.

I've gotten mixed opinions from friends. Some think it's a terrible idea, while others think it could make my application more memorable or show some personality.

Would including this as my 10th activity add something unique to my application, or would it come across as unserious or corny to AO's at selective colleges? Curious what you guys think.

?

I know there are advisers who advise on getting into college. But are there advisers who counsel on how to maximize FAFSA/financial aid and/or scholarships? TIA!

Hey everyone! I'm a student from Nepal planning to apply to US universities for Fall 2027. I'm looking for universities where I can get a strong engineering education, hands-on experience, a great peer environment, and, most importantly, enough financial aid to make studying in the US possible.

Here's a little about my profile.

Academics:

- Grade 10 GPA: 3.77/4.00 (unweighted)

- Grade 11 GPA: 3.26/4.00 (unweighted)

- Grade 12 GPA: 3.29/4.00 (unweighted)

- SAT: 1310 (720 Math, 590 Reading and Writing)

Software Engineering Experience:

- Approximately 3 years of coding experience.

- Built a substantial freelance project for a US-based tax firm, handling the development process end to end.

- Independently developed a website with 50+ users after identifying a problem worth solving.

- Completed a 3-month full-stack internship at a technology company in Nepal and currently work there full-time.

Technical Skills:

- Backend development with NestJS and REST APIs.

- React and full-stack development.

- Real-time communication, including audio/video calling and WebSocket-based data transmission.

- Caching, Docker, and testing.

- A good understanding of C.

Engineering Projects and Extracurriculars:

- Built a DIY DC motor out of curiosity about the physics behind electrical and mechanical systems.

- Designed a PCB for a full-wave bridge rectifier to explore electronics and circuit design.

- Placed third in a national-level hackathon, demonstrating problem-solving under time constraints.

- I also have experience with hackathon organization and other leadership activities.

What I Want to Study:

I'm primarily interested in Computer Engineering, EECS, or Computer Science. I enjoy software development, but I also want to explore electronics, computer architecture, and hardware through hands-on projects and research.

I'm looking for a university with:

- Strong academics and practical engineering opportunities.

- Access to laboratories, research, and project-based learning.

- A collaborative environment with ambitious, technically curious students.

- Ideally, a full scholarship or financial aid covering education.

My family's financial situation means that attending a US university without substantial financial aid would be extremely difficult.

My questions:

1. Which US universities would you recommend for my profile, particularly those offering generous need-based aid to international students?

2. If you were in my position, how would you build your university list?

I'd especially appreciate advice from international students who applied from Nepal or other countries with similar financial constraints.

Thanks in advance! I'd really appreciate honest advice, including universities I might not have considered.

yeah the title sounds real elite I know, my dream school was middlebury as they have a great program for the major I want to do, and I'd expected I would qualify for their free tuition program but i found out they require a report from BOTH parents

my parents are separated and my mom is poor and won't be able to afford middlebury, and my dad is unemployed and isn't very present in my life but has enough money sitting in the bank allegedly that disqualifies me from the free tuition program. (he refuses to tell anyone how much he has or what he's going to contribute for college) I know you can fill out a form arguing for one parent to not be considered in the form but it's tricky because he's just present enough that we can't argue for taking him out of consideration

I don't want to be paying 90,000+ dollars in tuition but I've worked so hard all my academic career to get into a prestigious school (straight a student, bunch of aps, extracurriculars etc.) and it's been HARD, just for the realization to set in that i cant even afford any of them.

​​and I don't qualify for fafsa either because the income threshold is much lower, I live in a high income area despite my family being on the poorer side so to be making what fafsa requires would mean we'd literally be homeless

I don't know, I know I shouldn't just be looking at acceptance rates but I'm stuck with this mindset that if I go to a "less prestigious" school that its basically a failure (+I have pressure from other people in my life to go to an elite school)

and what if I go to an affordable school just for the money but regret it for the rest of my life? but on the other hand I don't want to be saddled with debt

I guess this is just a rant and I probably come off as snobby, but it's so frustrating to me that just because I'm not extremely poor that I can't get any financial aid, even middle class families can hardly afford these elite colleges I imagine. ​

Hi, I’m a prospective undergraduate student applying to the Grainger College of Engineering. I have an SAT score of 1510 (780 math, 730 R&W). I’m applying for the computer engineering major.

For context, middle 50% is 1490-1550. So I’d be below 50%. My GPA is 101.4 weighted on a 100 point scale, and I’m ranked in the top 10% of my class officially (unofficially top 3 in my class of about 230 students). Do I submit my SAT score or stick to just listing GPA?

Howdy! I’m a current junior from TN. I plan on double majoring in Math and Art History.

i have taken the ACT 2x. Sept. score: 33 composite 35 English 33 math 30 reading Oct. score: 33 composite 35 English 35 math 30 reading. so all that happened is a 2 point increase in math, but hey, ill take it.

im probably gonna retake again in December to try to get a reading score of at least 34 (which would bring me up to a superscore 35 composite). Even a 31 reading would bring me up to a 34 superscore composite. However, not every school on my list super scores. I just really don’t want to deal with the stress of keeping up my math and English scores on the next test. :( I know, lazy lol.

Anyways, is it worth trying hard to keep up my math and English scores for the next test when most of these schools do superscore? Should I even retake? Here is a (ranked by how much I like them) list of the colleges I plan on applying to (I don’t plan on it changing much, seeing as I am very picky and I’ve already done a thorough amount of searching.)

1. Vanderbilt

2. Georgetown

3. Holy Cross

4. UT Austin

5. Villanova

6. Stanford

7. CU Boulder

8. UIUC

9. Emory

10. U of Utah

11. SLU

Is this something to worry about? Three days till deadline and im getting flagged

Pangram: 83%

GPT ZERO: Mixed

Zero GPT: 8.6%*

Quillbot: 0%

grammarly: 53%

Turnitin: 96%

winston: 100%

Copy Leaks: 0%

PLEASE HELP

I like using parallel structure a lot in my essays. Does that make it like, AI?

I've heard many times that there is like an "invisible" bar for GPA, and if you pass that "bar" (which is usually a very low set bar), the high school GPA itself matters much less, and colleges focus more on stuff like rigor, test scores, ECs, and essays.

How true is this?

Hello from Brunswick, Maine! Consider this our version of the Bowdoin Hello.

We’ll be live on this thread this Sunday, Nov. 1 from 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. EST. Bring your questions about Bowdoin and the admissions process: applications, financial aid, being test-optional (since 1969), life on campus, or anything else on your mind.

Answering your questions will be:

• Claudia Marroquin ‘06, senior vice president and dean of admissions and student aid
• Emily Almas, assistant vice president and director of admissions
• Maadhavan ‘29, a sophomore double majoring in economics and in government and legal studies, ready to answer questions about student life
• Franceska ‘27, a senior double majoring in English and in government and legal studies

Can’t make it live? Leave your questions now, and we’ll answer as many as we can once we log on.

See you Sunday,
The Office of Admissions
Bowdoin College

i need genuinely good schools that ARENT ivies that give solid merit. i dont qualify for need based aid so basically every prestigious school is out of the question, but my dad isnt willing to pay full price either. my dream has always been yale's cogsci program but im slowly coming to the realization that we won't be able to afford it, so i might not even bother applying.

anyone in the same situation have any advice?? 🙏🙏🙏
edit: i live in ny for those wondering.. im not tryna go to a suny

So basically I have a COOKED gpa due to health reasons and I’m taking mostly college classes right now. I have around a 3.3 UW and I wrote about that in my additional information section in commons app. Right now, I have a C+ in calc 1 which is a dual enrollment and its gonna hurt my GPA (all A’s otherwise). I’m just a bit worried as of right now. I have a 30 ACT so idk about that. I have solid EC’s as well (mental health) and wrestling. I’m just worried and need someone to calm me down.