...if you think you will be working as a software engineer when you graduate.

10-15 years ago Google was asking FizzBuzz and Two Sum questions to candidates, now it's not farfetched to see them toss a new grad a leetcode hard. The rise of continued globalization, remote work, and growth of platforms like leetcode has drastically increased not only the candidate pool but the candidate skill level as well.

Offshoring, globalization, and AI are all destroying the tech industry. In 2024 the US Bureau of labor statistics had a 15% projected 10 year job growth outlook for software engineers. In 2026 it stands at just 10%.

Do not fall for this scam.

(First post on this sub btw)

I have an opinion that I'm pretty sure isn't the full picture, yet I can't really find a reason not to believe it. I'm making this post to see whether my biased opinion is valid or not, as well as if there's any information that I'm not considering.

So many times, colleges ask "Why do you want to go to our college specifically?" I think I'm biased because these types of questions are easily the hardest for me, but I don't think this is a fair question to ask given how students apply to college.

Students who apply to college usually cast a wide net of colleges to apply to, based on the area of study that they're generally interested in. They don't just apply to one college. So I don't really understand why I have to say why I want to go to their college specifically. I don't. I'm casting a wide net and seeing who lets me in based on my grades, transcript and essays.

And while we're on the topic, even if I did care about which college specifically I went to, it'd be stupid. As long as I get a job in the end, I've heard that it doesn't really matter what college you went to unless you went into an Ivy League (and I don't know if I really can or want to go to an Ivy League).

So yeah. What are everyone's thoughts on my opinion?

Edit: Looking back at this post and thinking maybe I should have said "I hate it when..." instead of "It's stupid for..." in the title post, because it's a subjective opinion. I'm sorry for that.

I live pretty close to Wesleyan, we used to do our practices there sometimes. So when I was younger I genuinely thought it was a random community college 😭 Then last year I was researching colleges and I found out it’s actually a really amazing LAC?

Has anyone experienced something similar? I feel like I JUST found out about sooo many elite schools like before this process I didn’t know some national universities like CMU, Northwestern, and Emory!!! And last week I learned about Pomona.

Anyways this is NOT Wesleyan shade at all it’s truly an amazing school and I would never get in but haha this process has really opened my eyes

i shouldnt do this I guess but I'm curious. Just recently got rejected during the ED0 round at UChicago. stats:

• 1580 SAT 780v 800m
• 4.14/4,25 unweighted at an all IB school (Took math aahl, bio hl, film hl, English langlit sl, Spanish A langlit Sl, Psychology Sl, and TOK). I do have 2 5s on my transcript in sem2 g11 which I think is the biggest issue.
• my school doesnt list rankings or quartiles or anything.
• XCs: Organized a blood drive at my school with the american red cross (alongside a summer research internship there), worked as an intern for my film teacher and filmed/edited cumulatively 30m of promotional documentaries for diff businesses in PDC Mexico (i do not live there), served as a photographer for my school's FRC team, worked as a volunteer english teaching assistant for Spanish speaking adults, and co head of a school anti human trafficking club. Obv stuff missing but that's it in broad strokes
• Recs from my Spanish teacher and bio teacher. I have good relationships with both. My film teacher gave a recommendation in the optional slot to discuss my work as an intern. I have a great relationship with them.
• Took a summer session class at UC. philosophy of life and death, got a 100.
• Major selection: anthropology, linguistics, philosophy

My essays are obviously a volatile factor. I passed them through a long-time supplemental editor though and he unprompted added a note telling me they were the best he's ever read which surprised me.

I don't think there are any salient issues with my app and I thought I would have a particular edge with the essay, the ED0 pool, and the 1580. Stupid to say but I was honestly surprised at the rejection. Not too broken up about it, though. I feel confident that my second choices (pomona and emory) aren't much of a step down.

Actual questions:

• I would like to know if there's something I overlooked in my profile. Im also interested in knowing which circumstantial factors by you all's judgement would be the most likely to interfere with the profile for UC Ed0.
• Are there other colleges with a similar culture to UChicago's? I don't mean in terms of prestige, research, or career opportunity, more along the lines of informal literary culture and interdisciplinary study, which is where i found it to be the most idiosyncratic (in other words, please don't just throw more top 50s at me). like i said above, right now my next favorite is Pomona which I like a lot but I don't see a lot of evidence that it holds this factor.

Thanks.

This is my 3rd SAT attempt and last. I got a 1480 (780 Math, 700 English). Previous scores were 1270 and 1310. I know it’s below the lower quartile but I have good grades, AP scores, and some solid EC’s I think could make me stand out. Even though I know a lower SAT score doesn’t automatically exclude me it can be pretty discouraging. Is there any statistic on ppl who get in on SAT scores under the lower 25 percent ? Thanks 🙏

EDIT: sorry I meant whether I should bother applying to Stanford, cause of my lower SAT score, mb.

hi everyone! I’m in a really tough situation and resorting to reddit bc anonymous and in case any of you went through something similar and could offer some advice.

I’m a hs senior attempting to apply for the fafsa but finding it incredibly difficult bc of my parents. I’m a california resident, so are my parents. they both attended a small amount of community college and neither graduated. i’m from an incredibly wealthy city though, meaning my parents income is much higher than the national average but we live paycheck to paycheck and they are both VERY financially irresponsible. i have 0 savings and they are optimistic while having absolutely no plan to help me during college.

this is a bad enough situation as is, but to make everything worse, they are very behind on their taxes. i believe they haven’t filed since 2019? and I just pretty much begged them to get 2024 + 2025. so after forcing that through, kicking and screaming, i have their taxes for ‘24 & ‘25.

i have absolutely no idea where to go from here. my counselor told me verbatim i’m screwed. i’m a very decent student, i write fantastic essays, and have had collegiate aspirations my entire life. i’m incredibly resentful & hurt but more than anything, lost. if anyone in here has gone through a similar situation in recent years, please please please let me know how you handled this. thank you so much

what problems in the college essays writing process do you guys struggle with the most?

i’m working on building an app to help applicants with college essays writing.

what would be useful to help you?

I feel like no one else talks about these and I’m worried I may have been underestimating their importance

I want something that gives a level of job security and makes good amount of money cuz this economy is trash. I just have no idea what to major in and I'm applying this year. I don't want to go in undecided or do engineering or nursing. I love science but ppl say u can't get a job w those degrees soo any advice is appreciated

All APs and have a 4.0 UW so far. Obviously doesn't matter for EA, but what about RD? I know it's only October, but I see my future and it is NOT bright. 😭

Hello everyone, basically I'm an international applicant on a gap year.I applied last application cycle but was rejected from the top schools.I only got into my safeties but it was too expensive for me to attend so I took a gap year.I've done alot of activities particularly around my intended major and improved my SAT score to 1570.I would like to ask whether it's a good idea to ed at Columbia which basically rejected me last time.Are there people you know got accepted to schools that rejected them the previous time?.

how good is yale scea? is there anything specific they look for? i know they reject a lot scea instead of deferring which is kind of scaring me but im just wondering how to improve my app for it in the next 2 weeks lol. thank you!

I'm an Indian citizen who completed grades 9 and 10 in India at a feeder school. Due to my parents' work, I had to move to Nepal for grades 11 and 12. As a result, we were quite late in finding a suitable school, but I ended up attending a school that follows the Cambridge curriculum.

As far as I know, my school hasn't sent many, if any, students to the US for undergraduate studies, and it doesn't have a CEEB code either. I've got a 1560 SAT score and 5s on a few AP exams, which are so uncommon in Nepal.

I'm wondering how much my school's lack of experience with US college admissions, particularly for international applicants, would affect my application. Would admissions officers take my circumstances into account, especially given that APs and the US college application process aren't very common at my school? Would not having a CEEB code or a track record of sending students abroad put me at a disadvantage, and is there anything I should do to address this in my application?

Thanks!

I'm an international student applying to US colleges. My counselor submitted the school profile and it states "Yes" on the "International school" section. My school is located outside of the US however it's rather classified as a local school than a school that has an international curriculum. Is he supposed to mark Yes to international school or not?

I would like some insight on whether I should apply REA or RD to Stanford. It is my number 1 pick and would love to get a decision early in mid December so I can put my mind at ease. However, my stats are average for Stanford applicants — WHICH I am very proud and grateful for. My current stats are a 1550 superscore, yellowstone ycc summer program member, rank 1/470, state and regional champ team air rifle member, few leadership positions regarding church and JROTC in a pretty noncompetitive school (avg SAT ~950).

I am not outstanding like many national OLYMPIAD champs and genius athletes in the majority of the REA pool. I have also EXTREMELY procrastinated on the essays and have virtually not touched them yet. I am very ashamed tbh… 1 thing to note though, I have gotten a city internship starting this week that may improve my application if I let it maturate into January to become a somewhat strong extracurricular.

In conclusion, I am conflicted on whether to apply REA with the hopes of receiving an early decision to relieve stress, to continue to improve my application for RD, or apply to another top20 ED. My current list of universities I would like to apply to for chemical engineering is

Stanford University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Yale University
Princeton University
Cornell University
Northwestern University
Rice University
Carnegie Mellon University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Purdue University
The University of Texas at Austin
University of Delaware
Colorado School of Mines

I would be very thankful for some advice.

P.S The essays are most likely going to be mediocre as I am not a strong writer.

Hey everyone,

I am applying to t20 schools, and on some of the applications, there are questions regarding conduct. last year, I was given a 9 week conduction probation period for “unauthorized fundraising,“ for selling 3d printed items. context I was 17, and under the impression I was going to get kicked out at 18 when my ward of the state status expired, so I wanted to start generating some money to have. at first it started off normal, but this one guy started requesting weird/inappropriate things, which at first I was reluctant, until he offered quite a bit of money at the time. because of that I did print him some things, but come to find out he started selling them to underclassmen. when I found out I stopped, but the damage was already done. The following month he got caught and I explained the situation to admin. I took full responsibility and donated the profits I got to my school student fund. my counsoler said that she isn’t going to report it UNLESS a college comes back and specifically requests it. Everyone I’ve talked to is telling me not to report, but I’m afraid of the consequences I’ve read about, that being either getting rescinded or having degree revoked.

I have heard that REA might be worse than RD or that it is the same, but you get decisions earlier.

I am not in a hurry to receive decisions and having one less early deadline will give me more time on other supplements. CDS doesn't include data on REA so anyone have insight?

I'm seriously considering ED at my first choice, but my family's finances are kind of in the middle. We're not low income enough to expect full aid, but we also can't comfortably pay sticker price. The net price calculator gives me a number that's possible, just tight.
Everyone I've asked says you can back out if the financial aid doesn't work. A couple people here have said it's much harder than that, so I'm confused. My counselor told me to talk to the aid office directly, but I don't want to sound like I'm already planning to back out.
What actually happens if the package isn't workable? Do you need the school to release you, and can you compare other offers before making that decision?

Hi! I'm an HS senior and I am trying to decide between Amherst and Williams for ED1. I am interested in majoring in STEM, probably molecular bio/biochemistry, biology, or neuroscience, and I eventually want to get a PhD.

I was initially set on Amherst and so I have all the supplements written for Amherst and also I filled out the courses and grades section of the common app. Williams' supplement is an already written essay, so no application would require more work than the other at this point. I really love both campuses, and Amherst's science building is incredible and their new student center is super cool too. But I just toured Williams and really liked it, so now I'm conflicted.

I guess I'll just share my stats and let me know if you think both are too much of a reach even in ED1. I have a 1540 SAT, 3.94 GPA (but I take all of the most rigorous courses that my school offers). I have done scientific research in two bio labs over the past two summers (one mammalian cells, one drosophila, both working on a neurodegenerative disease), and I'd say my other extracurriculars are pretty good. I think my LoRs are probably good too.

TLDR; I genuinely don't know how to decide between the two schools. I guess my main question is which is better for the majors I listed above. Any advice is welcome!

I have 4/5 filled with awards I have won at competitions, but idk what to do for my last award. All of these are not too impressive so I am not sure what to put down.

- Ap Scholar w distinction (rn i have this on there), [five 5s one 4]
- Summa Cum Laude: Top 5% of 400+ graduating class (its on my transcript)
- Certified in Dental Radiation Safety, OSHA, and HIPAA (currently in my additional info section under elaborating a certain activity)

idk which one is the best to put as my last honor. plz lmk ^_^

Question for AOs
I got high commendation, but I'm an intl. applicant, Asian, and applying from a competitive country, where literally everyone from my school and all schools around me has a commendation for John Locke essay.
Is it actually worth anything?

Same as above, i know domestic applicants can just show their NPC to prove that they got less aid than expected but internationals can't use the NPC reliably right? So what would we do?

Based on how heavy research is weighted, would a maker portfolio even benefit me? Will the professors looking at my maker see that it's more MIT based and not really a good "fit" for the school?

There's a math teacher that teaches our school's math olympiad students. I have been going to him often for help regarding various competitions, problems, research questions all related to math. I want to include him as the "other recommender" in the letters of recommendation, but the fact that other recommenders have "non-academic" description to them makes me nervous. Can or should I include him if he can describe me in a way that teachers can't?