Hey all! CC student here from North Seattle College. I have a 3.7 college GPA, but my lowest grades by far are in Calculus (2.9 Calc I, 3.7 Calc II, 3.2 Calc III). 4.0 in Engineering Physics I. 4.0 in all 3 of the Chem sequence. 4.0 in Comp Prog I. 4.0 in a bunch of liberal arts classes. A few questions:
Clearly I’m a B math student. Do I even have a shot when it’s obvious I’m not great with math? I’m continuing with Vector Calc, Linear Algebra and Diff EQ regardless.
Surprise! I’m actually going to be a geology major (once I transfer next year), but am considering tacking on Computer Science as a double major if I’m qualified. I’ve been told than many geologists/geophysicists spend a large chunk of their postbac work learning how to program and that it’s helpful have a background in comp sci. I want to get into a good grad school with a head start. Too ambitious? I’m applying for Fall 2019, and I haven’t even been admitted to the UW Earth Science program. (hopefully I get admitted. I got 4.0s in every Geo course you can take in CC…still nervous!).
For all of the UW CSE students out there, if I were to get admitted, what classes should I target if I want to do scientific modeling and prediction? For geology, my focus is on the physics of natural disasters (volcanos, earthquakes, general plate tectonics) and I want to research and model what’s happening beneath the earth’s surface in greater detail than what’s available now to offer predictions for narrower timetables for events like eruptions, plate faulting etc. (I know this is HARD to do, but no progress will ever be made if no one tries, right?!)
My ultimate goal is to get a geology degree and get into a really good grad school for geophysics. I’ve always dreamed of Stanford, but although I’m a hard worker, I’m not a super brilliant mind. Any advice? I’m 33, and I can take feedback
Your GPA is significantly lower than the typical student’s transfer GPA into UW CSE (above 3.9). Without something else that was exceptional about your application, it seems unlikely that you should expect to be admitted.
UW Bothell might be an option, or UW Tacoma. There are other schools to learn to program at as well.
Thanks so much for the info! I hadn’t looked into Whitman, but I like the idea of going for a CS minor instead of a double major. So far, my top 2 choices are UW Seattle and Western Washington, but I still have a lot of looking around to do and am keeping my options open. Cost is a factor, so financial aid is a must. The whole CS thing is a recent idea, so it won’t be super upsetting if I don’t find a major or minor I could pursue alongside the geo degree. Western has a disasters risk reduction minor which is right up my alley.
I had looked into SD Mines back when I lived in Minneapolis, but I’m avoiding going into industry, even though that’s where the money and most of the jobs are. However, that video was SUPER helpful because it addressed the concern that I had about their program setting up their students to work exclusively for petroleum companies. I’ll have to look closer, because that doesn’t seem to necessarily be the case.
Some other schools I’ve thought about are schools within the Cal State program that qualify for WUE, but I still have a lot of research to do. I’ve always wanted to go to UW more than anywhere else (they have the Pacific Northwest Seismology Network housed on campus…dream job!), but I better keep my options open.
UW is a great school - I don’t know about their earth sciences stuff specifically but I can definitely see why it would make sense as a first choice, especially given the seismology stuff. It’s just a tough place at which to make a gentle entry into the CS field, because the lower-division classes are a proving ground for the major, and demand for the major far exceeds supply. They’re investing and expanding but it’s not an easy program to break into. But for your primary major UW sounds great.
FWIW UNevada-Reno also regional has a seismology lab http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ and a substantial geology department with undergrad degrees in Geology, Geophysics, and Geological Engineering. https://www.unr.edu/geology This is another WUE school (COA with WUE is $27K/year) This is probably a better program for less money than any of the CA WUE schools.
If you’re planning to transfer and graduate in two more years, adding a second major is a tall order under the best of circumstances. But it sounds like your interest in CS is more about skill-set than about a degree/credential per se, so I’m sure there are ways to accomplish that no matter where you go. Good luck!!
Earth and Space Science is not a constrained major. You won’t have to worry about “getting into your major.”
Getting into CS is going to be hard as a major, but the CS courses for nonmajors should be fine for your purposes.
Also look at the applied math program – specifically the scientific computing courses.
UNR is also a good school for geology/earth-science! As with SD Mines, there is a lot of funding from the mining industry. This is great for scholarships – you don’t have to tell them that you want to go to grad school instead of going into industry on your scholarship application. I would put UNR above Western Washington in terms of geology opportunities.
I would put UNR above Western Washington in terms of geology opportunities.