DS23 is trying to make a list of colleges to apply for CS. He liked Cornell when he visited Ithaca. But it appears that Cornell does not admit by major either at COE or at CAS. Declaration of CS major depends upon students performance in CS 2110, CS 2800 and Math courses 1110/1120/1920 sequence ( a GPA of 2.5 is required collectively as well as individually). My question is given that CS is an impacted major everywhere, how difficult it is at Cornell to achieve that B- in those courses in freshman and sophomore years. Are they graded on curve ? I am aware of UC Berkeley and UCSD making it virtually impossible to affiliate to CS unless admitted directly to CS major starting from 2023, hence wanted to clarify.
Cornell does grade on a curve and it’s not easy but that said, generally declaring your major, even in CS, is very straight forward.
I would not let that deter your student from applying.
The schools that worry me are those that set 3.5 or even 3.75 to transition to major.
For Cornell, a 2.5 GPA is between a C+ and a B-. For those course you listed, to affiliate, this is quite achievable. There are numerous support courses you can sign up for to help improve your changes for good grades. It is wise for students to enroll in these up front.
Thanks a ton for the clarification.
Then there is this other question : whether to apply to COE or CAS if wanting to major in CS. DS 23 loves Math and would ideally like to go for double major in CS and Math. From that perspective, CAS is right for him. However, he likes Physics as well and will rather take courses in Physics or Chemistry (and he can get AP/IB credit for some of them) than take many Humanities or Liberal studies breadth courses that CAS requires. If these two factors ( double major requiring CAS and limited humanities breadth requirement favoring COE) are a wash, then it boils down to the question of whether COE offers higher admission chance or CAS presents greater probability of acceptance. Any advice ?
In my experience, it’s important to apply to the school that is the best fit for the student’s interests and where the four year plan of study makes the most sense. Cornell is a reach school no matter which college.
I will add to look closely at required courses in CoE. There are still many out of college requirements and double majoring can be very difficult and still graduate on time. Students also need to be aware that double majoring can dilute their depth in their primary major.
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I agree with @momofboiler1 that double majoring has its downside. It shouldn’t be the goal for college selection (too many recent posts by students and/or their parents seem to be doing just that). A strong student should pursue his/her interests, including his/her primary major, to the greatest extent possible. Your son, presumably as a strong CS student, has plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his strength in math without a second math major. He should take math courses that interest him and help his primary goal in CS, rather than being compelled to take required basic math courses that are designed for a math major.
For Cornell, CAS may have a higher admit rate than CoE, but these two schools have different pools of applicants. He should apply to the school where he is a better overall fit and that he compares well with other applicants with similar interest and demographics in that particular pool.
quoting for emphasis.
One of the gradschoolkids TA’s in the CoE at Cornell, and her beau TA’s for math (and is on the committee that is currently restructuring the core math sequence). Both of them are very clear that 1) CoE is a different level of intensity than CAS and 2) the students who have a happy go of it in these subjects use the available support mechanisms early and often.
Exactly. Nobody in the whole world cares as much about majors, much less double majors, as HS students (and many of their parents) do. For grad school they will look at the classes you have taken, not just the name of your major, and for jobs they will look at what you know how to do, even more than the name of your major(s).