I am a senior and the college process has been so difficult for me as it probably is for most students applying for college.
I know I would like to major in Computer Science. I’ve been doing my research on schools that have great Computer Science programs, but what makes me hesitate to apply to schools such as GIT is the fact that my SAT scores are so low.
When I first took the SATs I took them in May which I got:
530 in math
410 in reading
480 in writing
I took the SAT for the second time on October. (Which I studied very hard over the summer and through September)
I got exactly 500 on each section.
I was going to take it a third time, but my counselor said that I should not take the SATs three times since it looks bad and she also told me that I was not going to improve my score much in a month.
My GPA is high, it is a 3.8. I have been taking honors and AP classes since sophomore year of high school. I have done numerous clubs/activities/volunteering throughout school as well. It honestly breaks my heart that I have worked very hard throughout high school to receive an SAT score that does not competitive.
My question is what schools should I apply to with my stats? I honestly just want to go to a university in the east coast area, I don’t care about the size of the school or anything in that manner. I just want to go to a very good school where I can receive a great education.
Can you afford full tuition (which can be 60,000+) at large private universities and somewhat less at large out-of-state (for you) public universities?
On the AP classes that you’ve taken did you take the AP exam? And if so what were your scores? The reason for the question is that the score is indicative of how you’re likely to do on college courses.
When applying I recommend you look for colleges that are SAT optional and focus on these. To these don’t send your SAT score. See:
You should consider test optional schools. There are some decent schools on this list that offer CS majors. Your scores are too low for the schools considered top CS schools.
Considering your high GPA and course rigor, you’re better off with test optional schools.
GIT is not within reach indeed.
Marist would be a possibility, Union, Denison, Lawrence (WI), Agnes Scott if you’re a girl, WPI, Clark, Temple, DePaul, TCNJ, UScranton, Rowan, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Rollins, Christopher Newport. All of these are good colleges and they’re all test optional. Temple is test optional for admission to its Honors College, too.
Case Western Reserve University
Beloit College
Ohio Wesleyan University
U of Tulsa
Temple University
Connecticut College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Marist would be a great fit for you. You don’t have to send your SAT scores and you have a very good GPA that Marist would be looking for. We also have a very new building called Hancock which is our computer science building on campus. It is very nice inside with computer science classrooms as well as study abroad and even a starbucks on the first floor. You would get a lot out of using that building and all its resources if you decided to apply and attend Marist.
These good schools are test-optional, east coast, & have computer science:
-Allegheny College
-American University
-Bowdoin College
-Brandeis University
-Bryn Mawr
-Clark University
-Colby College
-Connecticut College
-Drew University
-Duquesne University
-Franklin & Marshall College
-Furman University
-George Washington University
-Hampshire College
-Ithaca College
-King’s College
-Loyola University Maryland
-Marist College
-Saint Anselm College
-Saint Michael’s College
-Smith College
-Stetson University
-Stonehill College
-University of Rochester
-Wake Forest University
-Washington College
-Worcester Polytechnic Institute