@bopper very good points! He is very very good at about half of those and the others well, yes some oversight to be sure.
Good to think about things on that level, thank you.
@AroundHere agreed. I’m a UW alumn and believe me, I get it. As we narrow down I’ll dig into catalogues but Seattle campus, even if he gets in is unlikely to be the right choice and on that we all agree.
@Westchestermom I agree, not all large schools are equal and should not immediately be discounted. My adhd S17 is thriving at a small college within a mid sized school and we chose to pay for that difference, and it was absolutely the right call. His 2nd choice school. Similar overall enrollment would not have delier c the same experience at all.
Hi, I haven’t read through this entire thread so forgive me if I’m missing something. We just toured Hofstra today and were really impressed - full disclosure we already have relatives who are happy and successful there so may be biased. My daughter is looking into it for premed. Interestingly, they have an engineering school and CS major, but they don’t admit by major like other schools so it should not be hard to declare. With his ACT score he will probably get merit aid and possibly honors college. I know I’m starting to get an reputation as a Hofstra booster, so take it for what its worth.
Santa Clara would be a solid choice. Beautiful campus, excellent Engineering program with lots of ties to Silicon Valley obviously. One of my alma maters so I am extremely biased, but you can’t go wrong with it.
What might trip you up is that you are looking at the stats for entire universities but CS students will have a higher profile. It’s an impacted major at many places and usually GPA is most important. How much can you afford each year? Some of these choices are pricey. I don’t think you are going to get really high merit. Would 40k a year be affordable?
For RIT, the average GPA is 3.7 and he has a 3.3. GPA is most important. I think schools like this might be reaches for him in CS since his GPA is below average. Probably in the 25% range. Santa Clara, same. problem. Make sure you have true safeties on his list. They really might not forgive the GPA because of a test score. GPA is usually most important. Test scores less so.
Have you thought about heading just over the border to a school in BC? UBC would be a reach, but UVic is decent in CS, and is in a benign(and beautiful) urban environment. I would think that even full pay would be affordable. Maybe a bit bigger than you want, though.
Macalester is local to me. Very good school in an interesting, but not too interesting(speaking for parents here) area, with at least four other colleges within a mile, and U of M not all that far away. Not known as the cheapest school, though.
Beloit isn't urban at all. Good school, but if you are considering it you may as well look at St.Olaf. Again, not urban, but it shares a very nice small city (20,000)with Carleton, and the Minneapolis suburbs start around a 15-20 min. drive away.
I will say the Beloit is a very kind school. Wife is an alum, and she excelled there . No clue about their CS. Back in the 80’s the town of Beloit was pretty run down, but I’ve heard it’s better now.
My son got into RIT last year with a gpa of less than 3.3 and an ACT score in the mid 20’s. I would not consider it a reach for the OP’s son. My son is studying software engineering with a cyber security minor and loves it there. The school has a very interesting mix of majors and consequently of students. It seems to be easy to find students with similar interests there.
@Tyberius According to this year’s RIT applicants, there are only 200 spots for CS and RIT accepts by major. Rejected for the major of CS this year at RIT was a 3.5 UW GPA with a 1440 SAT (750 Math 690 Reading). Perhaps if OP is flexible on major then it is no problem for RIT, but like I said CS is impacted and there are only 200 spots.
@gearmom you are now scaring me. Do you think going ED for RIT helps? my DS19 is hovering around a 3.5 UW GPA and 1470 SAT (so similar) and wants to do Game Design. i know that when we went, there is a CS exploration program, which tends to be a bit easier than picking one of the concentrations.
Software engineering may be an overlooked major by CS hopefuls and may therefore be less competitive to get into at schools that offer both.
@sdl0625 Usually ED helps. There are some HIGH stats kids trying for CS at RIT though. And this is just for CS. There was an unhappy parents whose kid had those stats and was told the denial was because of major. We often do post mortems here and people are surprised they didn’t get in but CS is impacted and there are limited spots and will attract the highest stat kids so apply early and have a safety. Not sure about Game Design specifically. There are people not only from this country but internationally applying for CS at RIT and others. One student that was accepted to RIT for CS had a 4.0 GPA and a 32 ACT (international) with 10k a year awarded in merit as a merit point of reference. Just make sure you have safety schools.
SUNYs? WVU? U Delaware?
Since he has lots of rigor and good ACT score, he could send an application to Pitt. Make sure they report the weighted GPA.
Him being from WA rather than PA neighboring states, might help. They will be on the common app next year I’ve heard, or they have their own online app too.
The fact that CS isn’t in the engineering school at Pitt might help him with admission and possibly merit too.
Apply early.
@ucbalumnus OP’s kid might want to apply for software engineering rather than CS as a strategy.
@gearmom we have UAH as a safety.
I am well aware CS is impacted pretty much everywhere and agree that his GPA puts his top choices at match and reach. That is what it is. I think he has a shot at RIT but could easily be denied as well.
I think he may have a better shot at Drexel and Santa Clara is a reach. Rigor and test scores help but the gpa certainly hurts.
All that said, he has safeties that are livable and yes, if need be we can afford 40. I’d like to keep it at or under.
Several on his list will come in under 40, others have a chance at hitting it (except Mac in my opinion). He knows the budget and if there is a chance it could come in, it can stay as long as there are known financial safeties, which there are. He is allowed one financial reach (Mac).
I’ve suggested several SUNY’s but he’s not bitten. I think UDel (If memory serves) would be over budget and not urban enough, plus large. VA Tech was on the list for a bit but too large and a reach and also out of price range.
We don’t weight (or rank). I’d not looked at Pitt as I assumed it’s out of reach and we had enough of those already lol.
He will apply early every where he can but unlikely to do ED.
A quick update on our status! We toured RIT and Drexel over the summer and he LOVED loved loved loved loved RIT. Drexel however, fell short and fell off the list.
Updated stats:
As of today he is at a 3.36 UW, and an estimated 3.6 W (we do not weight or rank though). This “should” go up to a UW 3.4-3.42 next week after grades are adjusted for AP Test Scores.
33 ACT
Highest possible rigor, will have 4 honors classes and 9.5 AP’s after senior year. The .5 is due to dropping down to regular USH junior year 2nd semester, which was absolutely the right call and is reflected positively in his grades.
AP Scholar with Distinction: CS A (5), Calc AB (5), English Lang (4), World History (3), Physics 1 (3)
RIT Computing Medal
Senior Year classes: AP Calc BC, AP Micro/Macro, AP Lit, APES, Senior Civics, Team Sports, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band.
EC’s: Will have 4 years of every possible band offered (jazz, marching, pep, concert/wind ensemble). Founded and is president of two clubs (philosophy and anime), Boy Scouts through Life Rank (will not obtain Eagle), 4 years of XC, 1 of track. Mission trip stuff. Volunteer camp counselor for 2 summers. CS Internship with the school district (they take 1 per grade 11/12 for each of the HS’s so he is the only senior from his HS) that will turn into a paid job starting in November. It was supposed to be unpaid until after graduation but they want him earlier.
Should have decent LOR’s (AP CS/Precalc Teacher and his homeroom/AP Lang teacher) and will likely write decent essays. I realize the odds are (still) not in his favor for his desired major.
Current list is:
-University of Washington Seattle (in-state) – Reach
-RIT – Match
-Seattle University – Safety
-Colorado State – Safety
-University of Washington Bothell – Safety
The safeties may look like matches on paper but based on our HS naviance…most definitely safeties and he has legacy status at 2 out of 3.
His plan is:
EA: Seattle U, CSU
ED2: RIT
RD: UW, UWB (RD is the only option)
For RIT he plans to list majors in the following order: CS, Software Engineering, CIT. He will apply to CS everywhere else.
He is choosing ED2 as it gives him a bit more time to decide, it’s a friendly ED (can w/d for $$ which is a factor, the computing medal alone isn’t enough) and he will have his EA’s back by then. Seattle U is his #2, the rest are financial safeties (CSU is WUE for us). While UW is arguably the highest ranked school for CS on his list, and my alma mater…it really is too big for him. They are upping the in state direct admit pool but it’s still a high reach for the major. The branch campus would give him the same education and the ability to take some classes at the main campus, and possibly transfer so it is a solid safety, especially if he ends up deferred or denied at RIT.
I keep feeling like the list is lean but he is happy with it and it feels like we’ve looked at every program around the country and he keeps turning down additions. CS at RIT is a high match/low reach but the 2nd and 3rd major choices seem to make it more likely, we hope.
Is it too lean or are we really ok?
Right now we have 2 requirements for anything to be added. His is no extra writing/supplements and mine is no CSS PROFILE schools. There are some that fit this bill that have fallen off the list or haven’t made it on and I suppose I should leave well enough alone but there is, of course, FOMO.
Why no Profile Schools?
His list looks fine from my backseat. CS is a competitive admit almost anywhere. If it’s not a direct competitive admit as an incoming freshman, it is when they declare their major later on.