I’ve been admitted as a pre physical sciences student. I really want to attend UW, but I’m very concerned about the risk of not being admitted by the CSE department. It seems like it’s very competitive. Does the fact that I put CS as my intended major on my application hold any weight in the CS department application process? Did putting CS as my major on my UW application make it harder to get in to UW (as is the case with most UC), or is the intended major more or less meaningless?
The only other school I am considering is Penn State for Computer Engineering. I have also been wait listed at Uc Irvine for CSE.
Any advice as to what I should do between UW and Penn State and if the risk is worth it?
Did you list CS because you’d heard it was high-paying and popular, or have you taken courses in it and done work on your own?
If it’s the prior, then you’re unlikely to get into the department, and probably wouldn’t want to anyways. Choice: UW
If your answer was the latter, then are you looking to have a lot of fun in college, or are you willing to make what sacrifices you must, and devote most of your time to academics?
If it’s the prior, choice: Penn State
If once again you answered the latter, then you’re faced with a more serious dilemma.
The UW CSE department admits about 30% of all applicants, and in a quite competitive pool. They base admission on your GPA, a written statement, and your apparent involvement in the field. I’ve heard about people with 4.0’s getting rejected, but those stories generally come without context so it may be that there’s a good explanation for that. If you’re absolutely set on CS, don’t choose UW without acknowledging the large risk you’re taking and formulating some sort of backup plan. It’s pretty much up to you to weigh the risk against the reward.
I’m personally choosing the risky route, but I may well regret it.