Hello there! My name is Zach and I’m a senior at a public high school in Santa Clara, California. I’m interested in studying CS at a top university in CA for CS. My first choice would be USC and Berkeley, My older brother goes to Stanford for CS already so it would be nice to be with him for a year until he graduates. My dad is a Software Engineer at Google and my mom is a PM @ Microsoft so we are a pretty geeky family. 
Alright, here’s my stats:
Male, White
- 4.3 GPA (Straight A’s)
- 36 ACT Score
- 1570 SAT Comp Score
- SAT Subject Tests: Math 2 (800), Physics (790)
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Dual Citizenship (USA and Finland) (My mom is from Helsinki)
I speak fluent Finnish and Native English and I took 5 years of French in High School/Middle School
I’m hoping to go into the Software Engineering field like my dad and older brother after college.
If there’s anything else, please let me know and I’ll add some info. Thanks!
@Gumbymom I’ve seen your responses and they’re very helpful. Your insight on my chances at Berkeley would be most appreciated.
HS course rigor?
Is your 4.3 GPA, your capped weighted or Fully weighted UC GPA?
UCB is test blind unfortunately since you have very competitive test scores.
Are you applying for EECS or CS in the College of Letters and Sciences?
You are a competitive applicant based on your posted information but UCB should be considered a Reach school but reachable for you.
Best of luck.
GPAs as recalculated by https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/ ? Note: CSU uses weighted-capped GPA, and UC web sites usually refer to weighted-capped GPA unless otherwise specified.
SFSU is not impacted for the campus or for the CS major, so it will be a safety if you meet minimum CSU eligibility requirements (2.5 HS GPA as recalculated, a-g requirements complete). See https://future.sfsu.edu/admissions/impaction .
SJSU CS is highly competitive, but if you have all A grades in hard courses, you probably have close to the maximum possible CSU weighted-capped HS GPA. If you will graduate high school in Santa Clara county, you get extra points (equivalent to 0.25 HS GPA boost). Admission formula is given here: https://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/
UCB EECS is generally very reachy, but is direct admission to the major. UCB L&S is not as reachy, especially if you have all A grades in hard courses. But UCB L&S CS requires you to earn a 3.3 college GPA in CS 61A, 61B, 70 to declare the major. Obviously, what you write in your essays will have a significant impact.
Hey guys, I just noticed that I forgot to add some info like my courses and extracurricular activities. Should I just make another thread or add them in the comments? I’m leaning towards creating a new thread because I don’t want to get people confused when at the beginning is incomplete and the comments are answering the previous comments.
Better to keep it in the same thread so that others do not have to search two threads for all of your information and previous replies.
I’d make a new one just so that it wouldn’t be confused. @“Erin’s Dad” What’s your opinion? Should Zach make a new thread? He forgot to address his courses and extracurriculars.
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@“Erin’s Dad” I like that idea Autonomous Potato! Could you help me delete this thread? I want to make a new and improved thread.
Okay, I made another thread and it got flagges. IDK why though…