<p>Took Intro to Comp Sci and Programming in C at a community college over the summer, got A's in both.</p>
<p><em>Computer Science Major</em></p>
<p>UC GPA - 3.62</p>
<p>SAT I:
2250 (780 M, 710 CR, 760 W)</p>
<p>SAT II:
Math: 780
Bio: 760</p>
<p>Do I have a chance at the following colleges?:
- UC San Diego
- UC Berkeley
- UC Davis
- UC Santa Barbara
- University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
- Georgia Tech
- U Michigan</p>
<p>Great essay topics:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I went to India summer after sophomore year. There, I realized that I'm taking everything I have for granted. Kids there yearn to learn, but are not given the opportunity to do so. Here I am sitting in one of the top high schools in the nation, wasting my time. The revelation changed the way I perceive the world, and thus resulted in a sharp contrast in worth ethic the next year, which is when I got a 4.2.</p></li>
<li><p>I run a YouTube channel that revolves around technology. It's a great, fun way to share my passion for technology with thousands of people around the world on a daily basis, while making revenue since I'm a YouTube Partner. I've been interested in technology throughout my whole life, and would like to further my knowledge at an established institution. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>What do you guys think about my chances? I'm so worried/nervous/sad. Advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>If you are instate, little chance at the Big three UCs. </p>
<p>Your essay topic #1 has been tried thousands of times before, and is boring for an adcom to read. IMO, #2 is much better since it shows what else you have to offer the campus (other than your epiphany on an overseas trip).</p>
<p>Also consider USC, which just loves high test scores. You might end up as a Spring admit dues to your lower gpa, but it would give you another option.</p>
<p>The OOS publics will not give you any aid. Are you prepared to pay full freight? Why not look at UCI, which has an excellent comp sci program, at ~half the price of an OOS public?</p>
<p>Parents tend to not react to chances threads so not sure what kind of response you are looking for. UofM will focus on your GPA first. For them it would be good to know your unweighted GPA as they will look at your transcript, look at your grades then give value for the rigorous classes. You can look at last year’s Common Data Set to see where you fall on that continuum (unweighted). Just eyeballing your GPA with the minimal data you gave looks like somewhere just north of a 3.0 which is low for Michigan. Michigan is holistic so make sure your essays are stellar and see what happens. Michigan will be expensive for you as they do not meet need for out of state kids so make sure your parents are on-board if you are accepted. If your school has Naviance you can go look and see how kids faired with your scores.</p>
<p>I don’t know about the California schools, but UIUC in computer science? No – although you might be admitted as an undesignated major and then have the opportunity to talk your way into CS classes while you prove yourself in college and then ask for a transfer to engineering.</p>
<p>One big problem you’re facing is your choice of majors: computer science. CS and engineering tends to attract those high school students who aced all of their math and science classes without making much of an effort. Most of your toughest competitors could have been slackers by choice and still gotten almost all A’s in the non-writing classes.</p>
<p>Give it your best shot, but remember that you always have the option of acing all your classes in a less-selective college and then applying for a transfer sophomore year.</p>
<p>A 3.16 seems too low for a computer science major at most of the schools on your list, but you definitely won’t get in if you don’t apply. As long as you have the time and money to do so, you might as well apply and see what happens. Your test scores are in the ballpark for these schools, and your upward trend is strong. Be sure to have more realistic schools on your list as well, though.</p>
<p>Yes, but won’t they take note of my 3.62 UC GPA? I feel that with 3.62 UC Weighted and a 2250, I surely have a great chance at UC Irvine Davis and Santa barbara, don’t you think?</p>
<p>That 3.167 includes freshman year, which is atrocious. UC’s look at soph/junior and 1st sem senior, even though only middle 2 years are used for GPA recalculation.</p>
<p>You should apply to UCSC - with the 3.62 UC GPA you will probably get in. Because of its proximity to Silicon Valley, many tech companies (including Google) recruit at UCSC. Also look into San Jose State for this same reason. Definitely give the other schools a shot, but make sure to have some reasonable safeties that meet your needs/wants/finances.</p>
<p>Does your high school doesn’t rank? Colleges report % of kids in top 5 or 10% to US News for college ratings and if they don’t have to report you, they may overlook your grades.</p>
<p>You sound like a great kid with some awesome test scores!</p>
<p>One thing to consider is that in your case applying early action may not be in your best interest particularly at schools that outright reject some applicants from early action. If your grades are definitely trending up for the fall semester, in your most difficult semester, I think that it helps to be able to show those as semester grades. </p>
<p>I would definitely apply to all those schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>I’m not familiar with the exact stats on most of the schools on your list, but many of them seem a bit “reachy”, not that there’s anything wrong with that. But in general, you should divide your list into equal parts “Reach” “Target” and “Safety”. The most care has to be paid to cultivating the “safety” list. In case the worst happens, have at least one safety school that you’ll be happy to attend (even if you plan to transfer later)Consider a smaller school that will take the time to examine your application and may want those scores to skew their averages. The suggestion to look for schools in Tech regions like San Jose is also smart–maybe something along the lines of Santa Clara Univ which has strong job placement in the region. Think about a school where you can shine and the professors will notice you. And I agree with the others that essay #2 is your best bet–as important as #1 was to you personally, it’s not an uncommon experience.</p>
<p>I think Cal Poly SLO is as hard as many UCs with regard to GPA, but definately give it a shot for CS, and maybe Cal Poly Pomona, too. And check out Santa Clara. </p>
<p>I do not think UCs look at senior grades, except maybe if they ask you to do the “supplemental”. All but UCSC, UCR and UCM have avg UCGPAs of at least 4.0 now, but you could be one of the exceptions with your strong SATs. UCSC gives points for raising your GPA a full point.</p>
<p>Both my kids had similar stats, at a similarly rigorous high school. Can’t tell you about the schools you asked, but here are some ones they were accepted to…something to consider, these schools obviously gave them a GPA break. One is now a freshman in college, the other a senior, so this is relatively current, most were for CS.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon (forget CS, but you can get accepted for another program and double major in CS, no permission required, if you can’t transfer). They don’t consider freshman grades.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Santa Clara
University of Washington
Seattle University
Fordham
Bucknell
Lehigh
Northeastern</p>
<p>May be tough to get into state schools in Cal, don’t know if they consider what school you’re going to for GPA purposes. I think they’re a big machine, numbers in/numbers out.</p>
<p>BusDriver - Do you really think I’d have a chance at Carnegie Mellon? My GPA is so low! I don’t mind double majoring as long as I get Computer Science as well. Where can I look more in depth into this double major including my desired major option without permission? I’d love to double major in business and computer science. I want BS from college of computer science/engineering, no BA.</p>
<p>I’m already applying to Cal Poly SLO, Santa Clara, and uWash. Wouldn’t mind attending Cal Poly or uWash :). Just worried that if I go to Cal Poly it may take 5 years to graduate. Something to consider.</p>
<p>University of Washington CS is extremely hard to get directly admitted to as a freshman. Those admitted to the university but not the CS major face an extremely competitive admissions process for the major after completing the prerequisites.</p>
<p>If you are concerned about not graduating on time, you may want to go to the school-specific forum and ask if any students expect to be involuntarily delayed in graduation because of class unavailability and other things that are the school’s fault (as opposed to the student’s fault, like needing remedial courses or failing courses or not following his/her major’s course plan, or delays which are a non-issue like doing a co-op job where one is not in school for quarter or semester). Some CSUs (Pomona, Fresno, Stanislaus, and some others) do offer a four year graduation pledge plan to students who agree to follow their majors’ course plans and not need remedial courses; it gives priority registration. However, it does not appear that SLO has it. Minnesota has such a plan as well.</p>