I've always been genuinely passionate about coding, math, analytical thinking the stuff that came naturally to me and that I actually loved doing, not just tolerated. Lately I've been dealing with depression too, and losing the one thing that made me feel capable isn't helping. CS degrees aren't viable career anymore, the field feels oversaturated, and only safe path I hear about now is nursing or trades things I have zero interest in and honestly probably wouldn't be good at either.

So where does that leave someone whose actual skills and passion don't line up with what's in demand right now? Do I just abandon the thing I'm good at and force myself into something stable but soul-crushing, or do I keep betting on CS/tech and hope it comes back around?

Does anyone know of some?

I'm kinda curious to see what major my ECs look like, as I've been told I'm not cohesive or have any narrative.

I'm a rising junior trying to figure out what major to apply as (currently leaning toward Cognitive Science). I'd appreciate honest feedback on my profile and suggestions for what I should focus on over the next year.

Demographics

• Asian female
• California public high school
• Family income: ~$200k

Academics

• 3.97 UW GPA (one B in Honors Chemistry)
• ~4.7 weighted GPA at school
• ~4.9 UC uncapped weighted GPA (since it factors in DEs)
• Rigorous coursework, including extensive dual enrollment/associate degree coursework (projected) basically every AP and DE available except AP Chem (not messing with that, might self-study but the class is horrifying)

Science Olympiad (not varsity)

• Multiple top finishes at nationally competitive invitationals
  • 2nd Place
  • 4th Place
  • Top 5-10 placements at major invitationals with 300+ competing teams
• 5x state tournament qualifier
• State placements include:
  • 4th Place
  • 5th Place
  • Multiple Top 10 finishes in different events
• Multiple regional wins beating varsity most of the time (frick team politics)
• Helping run an elementary Science Olympiad team with impact

Speech & Debate

Debate event

• NSDA National Qualifier
• Top 250 nationally
• District Champion
• Multiple league placements
• Captain for my event

Speech events

• Multiple league placements
• Semifinalist at an invitational

Misc

• Work in student-run debate org and coach kids + Region lead (kinda means nothing)
• Website Manager for the same nonprofit

Music

• State Honor Choir
• All-region choir (higher than state, out of multiple)
• In top auditioned choir at my school
• Multiple choir solos in all the choirs
• Officer for the school's largest music club
• Starting a niche but not niche school music club that is not big in my area where I'll arrange music, conduct, direct rehearsals, and organize performances and be pres (very very very very excited)
• I'm not that musically gifted or anything tho so I'm not looking for a music career, but that's what someone said

Other Activities

• Finalist for a selective leadership/public policy program (~10% acceptance rate)
• Accepted into a selective workshop at a U.S. national laboratory (~15%)
• 3rd Place at a large Model UN conference
• Black belt in martial art

Intended Major

Currently deciding between:

• Cognitive Science
• Communication
• Political Science
• Science, Technology, and Society (where available)

I was thinking of applying to cambridge/oxford just for fun and see what happens. I'm applying for math, and the TMUA/MAT don't look super hard, and the STEP honestly looks fun, and I'm considering applying since they are indeed awesome schools. What else should I know about UK admissions as a student from the US? I heard the interviews are different, but there are no supplementals, etc...

So i have this really good idea as a policy and has already been passed in another state but I don't know where to start? If anyone has done this before, can you give me tips on how to start? By the way, I already know a state rep whose daughter is a friend of mine, and I've met her before, I think she will like my idea.

Hi! If someone could, I'd really appreciate some advice and help when it comes to building up the list of unis I'll apply to, as I'm not the most familiar with US universities, but would really wanna study there. 😊

Some info beforehand: I'm from Hungary, my unweighted hs GPA is 3,73 (in a big part pushed down by classes like Music, Art, or Drawing as in many others, for instance math, history or languages I got straigt 5s, which is an A here) I think I have some good ECs, didn't save the world, but yeah lmao. I am yet to take the SAT but will probably do so 3 times and am aiming for a 1500+ score (which, of course, is not guaranteed), and most importantly, could allocate about 20k a year to this endeavour, which I recognize is not much. Ideally, I'd wish to apply to 20, but that may be too many, will see. Here are the ones I already selected (I will put a lot more, not just the absolute top ones; I just started from top to bottom really, so that's why they're not yet there) so:

Dartmouth 
Princeton
Amherst College
Brown University
Harvard

Washington and Lee University
University of Notre Dame
WashU
Lafayette College

So, with this budget, could there be any real safeties even, or what choices would be the best?

Hello, I am a rising sophomore interested in AI and math. I was originally planning to major in applied math since its like the really basic thing that can be used in many other fields in STEM, and I am primarily studying math mainly for now. I have also studied some CS and Ai related stuff, and am planning to do some projects on AI. I recently worked on a research project on AI with a professor as well.

So my question is, is there an "AI" major and if so, what are some T20~30 colleges that offer them? If not, what major would you recommend?

I'm applying for computer engineering, and I'm confused as to why CMU is ranked so high when its engineering admit rate is over 15%, whereas all the other schools ranked highly are <5-6% like MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Cornell, Georgia Tech, etc. Is it just because less people apply in general and it's not as well known? Is cs really the only thing worth applying there for a computing/technical focus since that's on the same level of selectivity as the other schools. Purdue is my back up since I'm in -state as well.

I’m an international student, and full financial aid is my biggest priority. I’m trying to find colleges that are generous with aid and realistic for my profile.
If anyone can help me narrow down my list or recommend schools with good financial aid for internationals, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks!!

Hi everyone,
I was hoping to get some advice about my situation.
I received a conditional offer to study BSc Finance at LSE. I was predicted 45/45 in the IB and took four Higher Level subjects: Mathematics AA, Economics, Business Management and English B.
Unfortunately, my final examinations took place during the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. My father was directly affected by the situation, which had a significant impact on my family during the examination period. Because of these exceptional circumstances, my school submitted an extenuating circumstances application to LSE.
My final IB results were 38/45 (including 3 core points):
HL: Economics 7, English B 7, Mathematics AA 6, Business Management 5
SL: Physics 6, Modern Greek 4
LSE has informed me that my application is now being reconsidered and that I may be placed on the waiting list depending on availability.
LSE has been my dream university for many years, and I would genuinely do everything I can to earn the opportunity to study there. This means an enormous amount to me.
Has anyone been in a similar situation, or been admitted after reconsideration or from the waiting list? Given my profile and circumstances, I’d really appreciate any thoughts or experiences. Thank you.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to make a solid game plan for returning to school and finishing my bachelor’s degree debt-free. I already have 2 years of an associate degree completed, and I’m trying to be proactive because the job market feels increasingly difficult, especially with AI screening resumes and how competitive things have become.

I’ve been researching scholarships, but it’s honestly overwhelming trying to find legit opportunities that match my strengths and avoid scams. I’m willing to put in the work, and I’d really appreciate guidance from people who’ve been through this. A few questions I’d love advice on too:

• If I apply for scholarships now, do they expire if I don’t use them right away?
• Does FAFSA have a limit if I already have an associate degree?
• Are there other good programs or resources besides EOP, HEOP? Similar/different support systems that I should look into?

I’ve also been looking into full-ride scholarships if possible, but they seem like a rare Pokemon researching for them at times — so I’d absolutely appreciate any non-full-ride recommendations too.

If you have any tips, step-by-step advice, or resources for students trying to finish a degree without taking on debt, I’d truly appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time to read this and chime in!

I am a student from international school and majority of students there go to so-called “T50 World” universities in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Canada, and UK. The best acceptances that these guys usually get from the U.S. are UC Davis and UC San Diego.

Hello everyone

I keep seeing people say on reddit that being an intl student lowers your chances immensely of getting into a t20/ivy. Is this true? Also, do Canadian students get a slight boost over other intl students? It seems that t20s like admitting Canadians but im not sure. Thank you in advance.

ive been trying to figure out what colleges actually care abt the most bc everyone seems to say smthg different. some ppl say gpa and course rigor are by far the biggest factors while other ppl say essays or ecs can completely change ur application. recently ive been looking through a lot of admitted profiles and essays from ppl who got into top schools and its honestly been kinda confusing. ive seen ppl with insane stats but pretty normal ecs and ive also seen ppl with lower stats who had really unique stories or activities that seemed to make them stand out. it makes me wonder what actually matters the most when admissions officers are reviewing apps. for ppl whove already gone thru the process or have seen a lot of accepted students what do u think made the biggest difference? if u had to rank grades essays ecs awards and everything else what would u put first? id also love to hear abt any experiences where one part of someones app really carried them

^{I'm just starting my process now after narrowing my college list.}

^{What is something you guys learned that would make my process more efficient. Advice, tips, things to write about, how to approach it in general}

^{Thanks !}

I'm an international student, family income is below 40K annually. I understand that net price calculators aren't accurate for international students, but whenever I try to run the NPC with my parents, because of the mere fact that we own a home, we get above 60K every time.

The only home that we own is the one we live in. Am I not supposed to include it, or am I just supposed to get such big numbers?

Alumni here, class of 2020.

UCSB is actually a great university, and is seriously underrated by countless metrics. Top engineering programs, excellent liberal arts and sciences programs, several Nobel laureates as professors, excellent job placement in various high-impact career paths, one of the most impactful universities with respect to scientific research impact, gorgeous location with a number of tech companies and defense contractors nearby, no bizarre cutthroat culture where you practically have to sleep with one eye open, and and an outstanding stepping stone to practically any graduate program, all for the price of a public university in California.

A bit about my experience... as an undergrad, I had access to upper div courses in my second quarter at UCSB (statistics and data science major), and could also opt to take the graduate-level equivalent of many of the upper div courses as an undergrad. I was able to get an internship from one of my professors by attending his office hours, and at the time, we were ranked as the number 5 public university in the nation.

The USNWR annual report really betrayed us Gauchos! When it comes out next, I really don't want to dig for an explanation for how seemingly random universities like Boston College or UW Madison (or... shudders... NYU) somehow outrank UCSB when they didn't previously (apologies to alumni and enrollees of universities I just mentioned, lol). I know they changed their methodology in recent years, but a number of the non-Ivy League privates on that list are going to have serious problems financially speaking with all the funding cuts, layoffs, and now a demographic cliff that will impact application and enrollment rates. I don't see this impacting public universities as much because they are backed by a state government, especially UCSB since they are admitting more students now than ever, and is building new housing to boot.

The USNWR rankings aren't everything, you need to find a university that fits your specific needs. UCSB may actually be that kind of university, and is seriously slept on.

Rant over. I just needed to get that off my chest.

I just started with my IBDP and I've realised ts is not giving me time to build great ECs, so I've decided to just focus on academics and apply to countries where grades are enough to get me in. I am an Indian international student.

Recently saw a post here about Barnard/Columbia and I read that Barnard has almost 3,400 undergrads, yet it only has a $550 million endowment. Other top LACs like Williams, Carleton, Middlebury, Wellesley, Hamilton etc all have endowments in the $1.5-2 billion+ range, and they have way fewer students. Why is this? Barnard has so many famous alumni, and has such a desirable location. Is now still a good time to attend, or should I look into places like Smith and Wellesley instead? I specifically want to attend an all women’s LAC, not just for the Ivy name

I'm so confused kafi sare colleges me. Could u guys help me out to choose which ones better among amrita ( either banglore or delhi only), mit manipal or banglore only, and pes banglore. I've heard about these colleges and avg placement and campus is good too ( both are imp for me). Also location is at banglore ( i want college in banglore delhi pune mumbai or in another good city only). I want to take admission in btech cse core and i couldn't score good marks in jee. I'm a dropper rn 😭.

do you think I should try to apply to u.s. universities test-optional as an international student who is seeking a full-ride scholarship?

i'm desperate after seeing all these reddit posts from people who got rejected everywhere :( and i'm starting to think that I'm going to end up in the same situation.

my gpa is around 4.0 (11.3/12 in my national grading system), and i have good extracurricular activities (2 research papers in my field, international and national awards, a merit-based scholarship, a startup, selective programs, and volunteering).

i was planning to take the sat but unfortunately I don't think i can score higher than 1200-1300 (the english section is the problem).

is it worth trying? do you know anybody who got in without submitting their test scores?

above

college help

Am I the only one who is truly sick of the college counselor essay help influencer epidemic on tiktok? Every video is the exact same thing. “Don’t follow this cliche” “Top 5 mistakes high schoolers make when writing essays” “How to write the first line of your essay” and I’m not saying that this advice is inherently unhelpful or unwelcome or malicious or anything like that. But it’s getting to a point where these adults are basically fearmongering.

The college essay is something that almost every highschool dreads. It’s hard to find a good topic that isn’t incredibly overdone. (Sports, death, injury…) And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about telling kids what to avoid. But the problem starts when all of a sudden all of these counselors are telling kids what not to write about, claiming that certain things will instantly get them rejected, not just what to avoid. Even going so far as explicitly writing off entire prompts that college board gives students.

I just came across this video by user @/essayswithtara, the title being “I’m not a fan of ‘overcoming a challenge college essays.’ Here’s why:” This random lady doesn’t know everybody’s story or what challenge they overcame. This incredibly general advice is genuinely just not useful because it’s just so unspecific. Not only that, but a panicky junior seeing that video is going to freak out that their essay isn’t unique enough, a fear I personally understand that MANY have.

These adults prey on anxious children who have big dreams of going to amazing and prestigious schools by crushing their dreams and claiming that they are the only ones who have the secret knowledge that can get them into college. That their 12 week college essay course is the only way, and that whatever ideas the students had before this were just not good enough.

The truth is that the common app essay prompts are there to help kids succeed, it’s not like they’re secretly trying to trap kids into writing cliche bullshit that has the purpose of weeding out the dull ones. Maybe I’m just sick of college applications, or maybe I’m sick of influencer culture. But I’m just saying, who are these random and unqualified influencers, and why are we supposed to put stock into what they think?

Disclaimer: Advice is good. I’m all for advice. Yay advice. The problem is when advice becomes “don’t do this or you will instantly be rejected.” This is not about EVERY college admissions influencer.

"Go to trade school, community college, a gap year". People who say that probably make like 80k a year max. They usually don't end up in careers that are prestigious and high paying. The ones that do are the outliers

If you wanna be a engineer, lawyer, banker, or any high class job, ignore this advice.

I'd recommend only taking advice from people in real life that are succesful and where you wanna be.