Narrow the whole field down to the part that is yours
Three questions gets you a list — and the thing that matters more: what each cut removed, and whether it was worth it.
Act one · What do you want to become?
IllustrativeScores come later. Pick a direction you actually want to move toward — or just write something, even "my mother told me to use this".
The layer that reasons from an ambition to majors and schools is not built. Choosing here only records it; it will not change the numbers on the right.
Narrowing by major is not built — we hold no programme-level data at all, so there is no invented number here.
Act two · What do these places actually mean?
MeasuredCity versus small town is the cut that genuinely changes four years. Each choice shows what it alone removed, and what that was.
The small number beside each option is how many campuses would be left if you chose it. An option showing 0 would empty the list, but it is still clickable, and will tell you why.
The eight federal regions, not eight moods — the Southeast holds both Miami and rural Alabama. This replaces a list of more than fifty states; what actually shapes four years is still the Setting control above.
Which states are in which region
- New England CT ME MA NH RI VT
- Mid-Atlantic DE DC MD NJ NY PA
- Southeast AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC SC TN VA WV
- Great Lakes IL IN MI OH WI
- Plains IA KS MN MO NE ND SD
- Southwest AZ NM OK TX
- Rocky Mountains CO ID MT UT WY
- Far West AK CA HI NV OR WA
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) regions, as listed in the IPEDS 2023 data dictionary.
The December–February average of daily lows (NOAA 1991–2020 normals), at the nearest weather station within 25 km — a median of about 5.5 km away. A mountain campus can differ by several degrees from a station in the valley below.
Straight-line distance to the nearest salt-water shoreline (Natural Earth 1:10m, public domain), including bays, sounds and tidal river mouths, and excluding the Great Lakes — Chicago and Detroit do not count. Note that river cities such as Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia also read as close, because their rivers are tidal; they are not on the open ocean. Accurate to a few km, so read the 10 km band as "close", not as a precise line.
How much the land rises and falls within 25 km of the campus (a hiking radius): the 95th minus the 5th percentile of land elevation (USGS 3DEP / SRTM / GMTED2010, public domain). It measures relief, not altitude — Boulder and Denver are at almost the same altitude (about 1,650 m) but Boulder's relief is about 1,240 m and Denver's about 400 m. 25 km is a close radius: a campus near a big range reads low if the range lies beyond it — the University of Washington in Seattle reads about 170 m, below the lowest band.
Act three · What you are working with
Scores do not filter markets, only feasibility within one, which is why they come last. Nationality is the opposite — it is the single largest cut.
The aid layer is currently a single-digit sample extracted by hand, school by school, which is not enough to filter on. See DESIGN.md §13.
Every line is taken from the university's own website, with the page it came from and the date it was read. Three kinds of number appear below and they are not the same thing: read them against the key.
Admissions cycle: 2027 entry, using each university’s currently published pages; not every one names the year. Pages read on 2026-10-04. Websites change and this does not update itself.
- Stated minimum
- Below this you cannot apply.
- Standard offer
- The offer the university normally makes; individual programmes may ask for more.
- Expected lower boundary
- Where the university says competitive applicants start.
- Range of admitted students
- What the middle half of last year’s admitted students actually scored.
- Context (no single figure)
- How this curriculum is treated, with no comparable number.
United Kingdom · UCAS
A-Level: 9 of 9 universities read. Of those, requirement stated: 9; page says nothing on it: 0.
UCAS says there is no list of accepted qualifications: each university sets its own entry criteria, so what counts differs by university and by course.
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There is no list of 'accepted qualifications' because each university will have different entry requirements for their courses
Source page · ucas.comOne UCAS application carries at most five choices in total.
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you can only have five choices in total
Source page · ucas.comImperial: most students apply in their final year of school on the grades their teachers predict; only applicants who accept an offer send final grades.
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The majority of students apply in their final year of high school, on the basis of grades they are predicted by their teachers to achieve
Only applicants who receive and accept an offer are required to send us their final grades
Source page · imperial.ac.ukLSE received about 34,000 applications for roughly 1,900 places in 2026, and says that meeting or being predicted to meet its standard offer does not guarantee an offer.
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In 2026, we received approximately 34,000 applications for roughly 1,900 places
predicted or actual grades which meet or exceed the standard offer do not guarantee an offer of admission
Source page · lse.ac.ukCambridge: offers are made in advance of final results, and the predicted grades in the school's UCAS reference are used to understand an applicant's potential; the academic requirements do not have to be met when you apply.
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offers are made in advance of applicants achieving their final grades.
These predicted grades are used during the admissions process to help the University understand each applicant’s potential.
Academic entry requirements do not need to be met at the point of application submission
Source page · undergraduate.study.cam.ac.ukOxford: applicants are assessed on a range of evidence (the UCAS form, personal statement and reference, prior achievement and predicted grades, plus admissions tests and interviews where they apply), and Oxford advises against using UCAS entry-grade data to predict the chance of admission.
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Oxford’s admissions processes use a range of evidence about applicant performance and potential, including information from UCAS forms, the personal statement and reference, prior achievement and predicted grades.
We would not advise that UCAS’s entry grades data is used to predict the likelihood of being admitted to Oxford.
Source page · ox.ac.uk
- 1 Sep 2026OpensUCAS: completed applications can be submitted63 days ago
- 15 Oct 2026DeadlineUCAS 18:00 UK time: Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses19 days ago
- 13 Jan 2027DeadlineUCAS 18:00 UK time: equal-consideration date for most courses71 days away
These dates belong to the 2027-entry round, which is today’s Grade 12. Whether that is your round depends on your grade — choose it above.
Imperial College London
Standard offers between AAA and A*A*A; the course page gives the exact offer.
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Standard offers between AAA and A*A*A: please see individual courses for specific requirementsSource page · imperial.ac.ukLondon School of Economics (LSE)
Standard offers are expressed in A-levels and given on each programme page; LSE publishes equivalents for the offer levels A*AA, AAA and AAB.
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We express our standard offer in terms of GCE A-levels and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB)A*AA, AAA Five APs at grade 5, taken over a maximum of three yearsAAB Three APs at grade 5, and two APs at grade 4, taken over a maximum of three yearsSource page · lse.ac.ukSource page · lse.ac.ukKing's College London
Offers are set in A-levels, and King's own tables run from A*A*A* down to CCC. For most programmes AS-levels are not considered and A-levels must be completed in full; predicted grades come from your referee.
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we do not consider AS-levels and applicants are required to complete A-levels in fullwe would expect predicted grades to be provided for these by your refereeSource page · kcl.ac.ukUniversity of Manchester
For US applicants, the equivalent of three A-levels at scores such as A*, A, B, which vary by course.
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3 A-levels (at scores such as A*, A, B)Source page · manchester.ac.ukUniversity of Edinburgh
Three A-levels at specified grades in one set of exams for most degrees, normally after two years of study.
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You will need to achieve three A levels at specified grades, in one set of exams or assessments, to meet the entry requirements for most of our degreeswe normally expect A level applicants to be taking three A levels in one set of exams, following two years of studySource page · ed.ac.ukUniversity of Cambridge
Offers are usually based on three A-levels taken together in Year 13. The minimum offer and subject requirements are on each course page, and some Colleges set higher offers. Where a country does not award an A* grade, three A grades will usually be acceptable.
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our offers are usually based on 3 A levels taken together in Year 13Our course pages refer to our A level and International Baccalaureate requirements.In some cases you’ll receive a higher or more challenging offer.If you’re studying in a country where an A* grade is not available, three A grades will usually be acceptable.Source page · undergraduate.study.cam.ac.ukSource page · undergraduate.study.cam.ac.ukUniversity College London (UCL)
Note: UCL's pages do not say which entry year they cover, and its guidance page for international applicants still gives 2026-entry deadlines. These figures are its currently published standard, but the page does not confirm which entry year they apply to.
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Our application deadline for most courses is 18:00 (UK time) on 14 January 2026.Source page · ucl.ac.ukEntry is based on three A-levels. Depending on the course, standard offers range from A*A*A to ABB, and any offer consists of three A-level grades only. UCL does not use UCAS tariff points.
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Our entrance requirements are based on three A levels. Depending on the degree course, we make standard offers in the range A*A*A–ABB.Any offer will only consist of three A level grades.UCL does not use UCAS tariff points to assess applications.Source page · ucl.ac.ukUniversity of Oxford
Offers range from A*A*A to AAA depending on the course, and each course page gives its grade and subject requirements. General Studies and Global Perspectives and Research are not accepted by any course.
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Offers for students studying A-levels range between A*A*A and AAA depending on the course.Each course page gives details of specific subject and grade requirements.General Studies - not accepted by any courseGlobal Perspectives and Research - not accepted by any course.Source page · ox.ac.ukUniversity of Warwick
Note: Warwick says on its USA page that its undergraduate entry requirements are under review for the 2027/28 admissions cycle, and that until the review is complete and the notice is removed the published requirements are a guide only.
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Our undergraduate entry requirements are currently under review for the 2027/28 admissions cycle. Until this review is complete and this notice is removed, you should use the published entry requirements as a guide only.Source page · warwick.ac.ukApplicants are required to offer three full A-levels unless they are studying alongside another recognised Level 3 qualification such as BTEC, and no extra credit is given for a fourth. Typical offers are listed on each course's page, not on this page; the AP table on its USA page lists A-level offer levels from A*A*A* to ABB.
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Applicants are required to offer three full A-levels unless these are being studied alongside another recognised Level 3 qualification such as BTEC.When assessing applications, we do not give additional credit to candidates taking a fourth (or additional) A level.Typical offers for common qualifications such as A levels, the IB, Scottish Highers and BTECs are listed under each course entrySource page · warwick.ac.ukSource page · warwick.ac.ukHong Kong · direct application
A-Level: 4 of 4 universities read. Of those, requirement stated: 4; page says nothing on it: 0.
HKU: applicants must make sure predicted or actual results are entered in the application system for evaluation, and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
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Students should ensure their predicted or actual results are inputted into the application system for evaluation
Satisfying the minimum requirements does not guarantee admissions
Source page · admissions.hku.hkCUHK: applications received by 12 November 2026 are considered for advance offers, which may be firm or conditional; the regular deadline is 7 January 2027.
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candidates who apply to CUHK on or before 12 November 2026 will be considered for advance offers
applicants may be considered for either a firm or conditional offer depending on individual merits
Regular Round Deadline 7 January 2027
Source page · cuhk.edu.hkHKUST: for A-level applicants, predicted grades from the school, IGCSE/GCSE results and AS results are useful for a preliminary assessment.
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GCEAL predicted grades from the school, IGCSE/GCSE/ GCEOL results, GCEAS Level results will be useful information for preliminary assessments
Source page · join.hkust.edu.hkCityU: entrance requirements are subject to ongoing review, individual majors may require specific subject backgrounds, and the published score ranges are for reference only and should not be used to predict the chance of admission.
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Entrance requirements are subject to ongoing review.
In addition to the General Entrance Requirements, individual majors may require specific subject backgrounds.
Source page · cityu.edu.hk
- 23 Sep 2026OpensHKU: applications open41 days ago
- 24 Sep 2026OpensCityU: applications open40 days ago
- 2 Oct 2026OpensHKUST: online application opens32 days ago
- 12 Nov 2026DeadlineCUHK: advance-offer round deadline9 days away
- 15 Nov 2026DeadlineCityU: early-round deadline12 days away
- 25 Nov 2026DeadlineHKU: first-round evaluation (noon, Hong Kong time)22 days away
- 25 Nov 2026DeadlineHKUST: priority-round deadline22 days away
- 1 Dec 2026DeadlineHKU: predicted or actual grades and supporting documents for the first round28 days away
- 7 Jan 2027DeadlineCUHK: regular-round deadline65 days away
- 15 Jan 2027DeadlineCityU: main-round deadline73 days away
- 30 Jun 2027DeadlineHKUST: applications close239 days away
These dates belong to the 2027-entry round, which is today’s Grade 12. Whether that is your round depends on your grade — choose it above.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Expected lower boundary from 1A*2A (that is A*AA) for 24 of 57 programmes, up to 4A* for 2 of them (Medicine and Science Master Class).
Source page
Computed from HKU’s own programme-by-programme data, not a sentence on the page; the method is in DESIGN.md §19.
Source page · admissions.hku.hkThese subjects do not count toward the grades: Chinese and English language-related subjects, Critical Thinking, General Studies, Global Perspectives and Research, Knowledge and Enquiry, Project Work, Thinking Skills and the Extended Project Qualification.
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excluding Chinese and English language related subjects, Critical Thinking, General Studies, Global Perspectives and Research, Knowledge and Enquiry, Project Work, Thinking Skills, and Extended Project QualificationSource page · admissions.hku.hkThe Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
Three A-level passes, or two A-levels plus two AS passes; each programme has its own subject requirements.
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GCE AL / International AL: 3AL passes / 2AL+2AS passes; different programmes have different subject requirementsSource page · admission.cuhk.edu.hkThe Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
High-school graduation plus passes in at least three A-level subjects (or a BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma).
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Passes in at least three Advanced Level (AL) subjects in the GCEAL/ International AL examinationsBTEC National Level 3 Extended DiplomaSource page · join.hkust.edu.hkThe middle 50% of the 2025 intake scored 144 to 168 UCAS points, that is AAA to 3A*.
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Mid 50% Score Range for 2025 Intake: 144 - 168 (i.e. AAA to 3A* in terms of grade)Source page · join.hkust.edu.hkCity University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Grade E or above in three GCE A-level (or A2) or International A-level subjects; two AS subjects count as one A-level subject.
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Grade E or above in three GCE A-level (or A2)/International A-level subjects.Two AS subjects are considered to be equivalent to one AL subject.Source page · cityu.edu.hkThe 25th to 75th percentile of the 2025 intake scored 144 to 168 UCAS tariff points for three A-levels.
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25th - 75th Percentile of Admissions Score Range (2025 Entry)144 - 168(UCAS Tariff points for 3 AL subjects)Source page · cityu.edu.hkThis block covers the UK and Hong Kong only. The US is not modelled here, so no US figure appears. We read part of each market, not all of it.
Act four · Major
MeasuredChoosing a subject removes no school. It does two things: it moves the schools that actually award it to the top, and it tells you when your location choice and your subject choice are in conflict.
An F-1 student who has studied full time for one academic year at a certified school can be authorized 12 months of OPT after graduating (the work must relate directly to the major; any major qualifies). If the degree is in a field on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, the student can apply for a further 24 months. The list is a list of CIP codes, not of major names.
Of the 30 programme codes under this selection that anyone graduated from, only 27 are on the list. Which code a subject is filed under decides whether it applies.
- 11.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General
- 11.0102Artificial Intelligence
- 11.0103Information Technology
- 11.0104Informatics
- 11.0105Human-Centered Technology Design
- 11.0199Computer and Information Sciences, Other
- 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 19 more
- 11.0204Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.9999Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other
576 of 576 campuses that award this subject conferred at least one programme under a listed code. The others stay in the list, just lower.
What this marker does and does not tell you
- It is the code that counts, not the name of the major. A school maps each programme to one CIP code, and the school's designated school official (DSO) puts that code in the major field of the I-20. For example, Economics, General (45.0601) is not on the list; Econometrics and Quantitative Economics (45.0603) is. Similar-sounding majors can be filed under different codes, so what matters is the code on the I-20 for the programme you would actually attend. This page uses the codes each campus reported its 2023-24 degrees under, which approximates the I-20 code and is not the I-20 itself.
- The list is applied at the moment a DSO recommends the extension in SEVIS, not at enrolment (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(C)(2)(iii)). DHS reviews nominations every year: 22 codes were added in 2022, 8 in 2023 and 1 in 2024, and none of those three notices removed any code; the rule itself allows removals.
- The extension has further conditions: the employer is enrolled in E-Verify, you and the employer complete a Form I-983 training plan, the work is directly related to the qualifying degree, and the degree is from an accredited U.S. institution (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(C)).
- A final rule published in July 2026 (91 FR 44976; the Federal Register gives an effective date of 2026-09-15, subject to congressional review, and we have not verified that it took effect on time) says an F-1 student below the graduate level may change major or transfer only after completing the first academic year, unless SEVP authorizes an exception, and a graduate student may not change educational objective at all. Changing major changes the CIP code on the I-20, and STEM OPT eligibility changes with it.
Source: DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List (updated 2024-07-22, ICE, CIP 2020 codes) · 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) · Federal Register 87 FR 3317, 88 FR 44381, 89 FR 59748, 91 FR 44976 · U.S. government works, public domain. Not legal advice: confirm with the school's DSO.
- University of California-BerkeleyCA · 2 programs · On the list326 / 1567
- 286 / 748
- University of Washington-Seattle CampusWA · 4 programs · On the list181 / 1061
- School of Visual ArtsNY · 2 programs · On the list166 / 241
- Berklee College of MusicMA · On the list145 / 365
- University of California-San DiegoCA · 2 programs · On the list140 / 649
- University of Massachusetts-AmherstMA · 2 programs · On the list126 / 489
- University of California-IrvineCA · 7 programs · Partly on the list 6/7121 / 773
- 118 / 361
- Rutgers University-New BrunswickNJ · 2 programs · On the list112 / 1131
- Columbia University in the City of New YorkNY · 2 programs · On the list96 / 419
- 93 / 415
※ A zero means only that no international student graduated from this programme in that one year. It does not mean the programme does not take international applicants — a small department graduates a handful of people a year and the number moves around. Conferral data also lags admission by about four years.
Source: IPEDS Completions C2024_A (degrees conferred 2023–24, provisional) · CIP 2020 · US Department of Education, public domain. "International" is the federal nonresident category; the file carries no nationality, so it does not mean Chinese students.
Official titles and definitions are in English (NCES CIP 2020). The Chinese field names are FREECC's own translation, not official; series and programmes keep their federal English names.
Schools in the essay library
In the libraryThe essay library covers only a small number of U.S. schools whose prompts have been checked one by one. Here is how they relate to your current filter: once on My list you can plan deadlines, and the reuse map shows which essays carry across.
The library covers 9 U.S. schools; 6 of them are inside your current filter.
- See promptsSign up to add →Brown UniversityRI
- See promptsSign up to add →Boston UniversityMA
- See promptsSign up to add →Duke UniversityNC
- See promptsSign up to add →Harvard UniversityMA
- See promptsSign up to add →New York UniversityNY
- See promptsSign up to add →University of Southern CaliforniaCA
- See promptsSign up to add →Cornell UniversityNYExcluded by: ≤ 200 km from the coastline (incl. bays and estuaries)
- See promptsSign up to add →Northwestern UniversityILExcluded by: ≤ 200 km from the coastline (incl. bays and estuaries)
- See promptsSign up to add →University of ChicagoILExcluded by: ≤ 200 km from the coastline (incl. bays and estuaries)
The library also holds 3 Hong Kong universities. They are outside the U.S. federal data, so they take no part in this filter: add them from the library directly.
Adding a school does not change your filter, and which schools your filter returns does not depend on whether they are in the library.