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What your full report looks like

This is a sample report for a fictional student. Your real report will be tailored to your intake, interests, state, budget, and intended major.

Student profile

Sample student · Grade 11 · California resident

GPA

3.7 weighted

Test scores

SAT 1380

Intended major

Computer Science

Home state

California

Citizenship

U.S. citizen

Budget ceiling

$35,000 / year

Recommended fields of study

Based on your interest profiler and academic profile

Computer Science Data Science Information Systems Applied Mathematics Cognitive Science

Your top three align strongly with your profiler results. The secondary fields are worth exploring if you’re open to adjacent paths.

Your balanced college list

Reach, Target, and Likely — grouped by band

Reach Strong applicants are frequently turned away. Apply, but do not plan around them.

University of Michigan

Computer Science · direct-to-major · out-of-state

Withhold 1380

UC Berkeley

Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) · UC application · test-blind

Scores not considered

Carnegie Mellon University

School of Computer Science · Early Decision available

Withhold 1380

Target Your profile sits inside the admitted range. These are the core of the list.

UC San Diego

Cognitive Science · UC application · 4 PIQs

Scores not considered

UC Davis

Computer Science · in-state · UC application

Scores not considered

Penn State University Park

Computer Science · rolling · out-of-state

Submit 1380

Likely You are above the typical admitted profile. At least two belong on every list.

San Jose State University

Computer Science · in-state · impacted major

Submit 1380

Arizona State University

Computer Science · out-of-state · merit aid likely

Submit 1380

A note on bands

Reach, Target, and Likely are descriptive bands — not probabilities. We never state a percentage chance of admission. Bands are based on published admission statistics and your profile inputs.

Test-submit decisions

Whether to submit or withhold your SAT/ACT at each school

Your SAT score of 1380 helps you at some schools and hurts at others. Here’s the per-college decision, based on each school’s test policy and published score ranges:

University of Michigan Withhold — 1380 falls below their published middle 50%, so submitting weakens an otherwise strong file.

Carnegie Mellon University Withhold — well below the CS median. Let your transcript and portfolio carry the application.

Penn State University Park Submit — 1380 sits above their median and supports an out-of-state application.

San Jose State University Submit — comfortably above their range for an impacted major.

Arizona State University Submit — above median, and scores are used for automatic merit-aid consideration.

All UC campuses Not applicable — the University of California is test-blind and will not look at scores at all.

UC schools are test-blind

All University of California campuses are test-blind — they do not consider SAT or ACT scores at all. University Application Guide automatically flags this so you never waste effort on test prep for UC schools.

Application-timing plan

Deadlines and decision types for every school on your list

Aug 1

Common Application opens

Create your account and start the personal statement. Six of your nine schools use it.

Aug 1 – Nov 30

UC application window

Berkeley, San Diego, and Davis share one application with four Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). It is separate from the Common App and cannot be reused.

Oct 1

FAFSA opens

File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) — the U.S. government's form for need-based financial aid — as early as you can. Several schools on your list award aid on a first-come basis.

Nov 1

Early Action (EA) — Michigan, Penn State

Non-binding. Michigan EA also maximizes merit-aid consideration, which matters given your budget ceiling.

Nov 1

Early Decision (ED) — Carnegie Mellon

Binding. Only choose ED if your family is prepared to accept the aid package without comparing offers.

Nov 30

UC application deadline

Hard deadline with no extensions. All four PIQs must be finished and submitted by this date.

Jan 1 – Jan 15

Regular Decision (RD) deadlines

Remaining schools. Arizona State and San Jose State are rolling, so submit them in the fall to hear back sooner.

Mar – Apr

Decisions and aid letters arrive

Compare net price, not sticker price. Two schools on this list will likely land above your ceiling.

May 1

National decision day

Deposit is due at one school. Withdraw your other applications the same week.

Cost reality check

Estimated net price against your $35,000/year budget ceiling

UC Davis

In-state · estimated net price after aid

$18,400

Within budget

San Jose State University

In-state · commuter option available

$14,200

Within budget

UC San Diego

In-state · estimated net price after aid

$21,900

Within budget

Arizona State University

Out-of-state · after likely merit award

$31,600

Within budget

Penn State University Park

Out-of-state · limited non-resident aid

$48,300

Over ceiling

University of Michigan

Out-of-state · limited non-resident aid

$62,100

Over ceiling

Summary

4 of 6 schools are within your $35,000/year budget. Michigan and Penn State exceed your ceiling without significant aid. Consider applying to Michigan EA to maximize merit-aid consideration, but plan financially for the gap.

What happens next

Your report ends with a plan you can act on

Every report closes with a prioritized action list for your grade level, and a downloadable copy (Portable Document Format, or PDF) you can share with your parents or your school counselor.

Do this term

Retake the SAT once in the fall, and add one more year of a lab science to strengthen your CS application.

Do this summer

Draft the UC Personal Insight Questions early. They are four separate essays and they are not reusable elsewhere.

Discuss at home

Two schools on this list sit above the budget ceiling. Decide together whether they stay before applications open.

See pricing Start your free preview Bands, never probabilities. Guidance, not an outcome.