<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I am planning on studying CS wherever I go. Columbia has piqued my interest, but I was wondering if, as a CS major, the choice between CC and Fu is really no choice at all. My SAT score is acceptable, but my math subject test is in the 600's (test came at a stressful period). My math in the normal SAT is in the 700s, though. What's worse is my Physics subject test, which is in the 500s. I have a very strong app apart from that, with well-written essays and a very interesting cultural background. I have businesses, ECs, and all the rest...</p>
<p>I'm used to applying to more of the west coast schools (Stanford, USC, etc..) where test scores aren't really stressed, but I'm nervous that a low score is an instant blackmark at any Ivy. If, in that case, I have to apply to Columbia College over Fu, is it really worth applying at all?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Admissions are holistic. There is no magic cutoff mark. They look at your whole application (essays, recs, course difficulty, etc) and decide whether or not you’re admitted.</p>
<p>Stanford will likely be JUST as competitive as the Ivies, and public universities like UC Berkeley will place extra emphasis on the test scores, so as to not be accused of affirmative action. USC is also highly competitive, it receives around 40,000 applications for about 8,500 spots. </p>
<p>SEAS is actually a bit easier to get into than CC (I think someone said Fu was 9% and CC was 7%), but don’t let that dictate where you apply. Comp Sci at CC is easier (less credits required) and the Core is more focused on humanities. At SEAS, Comp Sci is a few more classes, and the Core has a lot of science-based courses. Comp Sci majors from both schools will often take classes together.</p>
<p>I think that you would have a better chance at the college than the engineering school. Although the engineering school has a slightly higher acceptance rate, there are more qualified people applying and I would say that the engineering pool is also more self selecting. Your scores would look pretty bad for that because they do value math and science scores. You should apply to the college because you likely have quite a few strengths in the liberal arts that will increase your chances.</p>
<p>That’s what I thought, thanks.</p>