<p>Are my chances of getting into Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science increased if i have a fairly good programming background such as knowing Visual Basic and a good amount of C++ (not saying i know it now but ill be learning it over the summer)?</p>
<p>CMU has many schools. a humanities college, arts, math science (engineering), drama, etc… CMU has like 7 colleges… if your applying to CIT which is where you an do cpu engineering yes all that stuff will help you.</p>
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<p>The answer is ** No ** ! </p>
<p>Most applicants who will compete with you will have a similar (or better) programming background anyway. And a programming background is not a substitute for stellar test scores, GPA and extracurriculars.</p>
<p>I mean, yeah, it does help. I dunno what bruno is talking about. Coming in with a solid programming background can only help you in SCS, and some (though not most) of your peers will come in with that background. It also shows that you have a demonstrated interest in the subject, know what you’re getting into (a lot of SCS accepts have no freakin’ clue and end up dropping or switching out) and you understand what the workload will be like in some fashion. It also demonstrates that you have a bit of a head start, so you won’t need to clog up a basic programming class and can start at a higher level.</p>
<p>I don’t think his chances will be increased much by having a programming background; the level of knowledge he has is what was required from any student at my school taking AP CS (back when it was still C++).</p>
<p>Having some background in programming is definitely nice when you first arrive in the program, though, since you’ll at least know you like doing it and have some familiarity with a few languages.</p>
<p>@completelykate: the quote below is from SCS’s own [undergraduate program page](<a href=“http://www.cs.cmu.edu/prospectivestudents/undergraduate/index.html”>http://www.cs.cmu.edu/prospectivestudents/undergraduate/index.html</a>).</p>
<p>``* To accommodate varying high school education experiences, there are multiple entry points into the SCS curriculum, ranging from those with extensive programming knowledge to those who have never written a single line of code. A strong aptitude for math and science is more important than prior experience with computers. *´´</p>
<p>Yes, students do come in with varying levels of experience. However, more experience is always, always a good thing. I fail to see how it won’t help him at all, which is what you told him outright – and that’s just wrong.</p>
<p>It may not be the thing that tips his application or anything, but it’s a great thing to have experience in your chosen career field, and colleges DO notice that.</p>
<p>Learning over the summer? Unless you’re coding with a decent level of sophistication and attention to detail there are much more important aspects of your application.</p>
<p>It’s a nice little bonus, but will not help greatly with admissions.</p>
<p>Yeah it will not really help with admissions. They will see that you have an interest but that is really all it will do. Everyone applying to SCS has an interest though so it is not a huge up. The only thing it may do is give you some help once you get there.</p>
<p>Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. I’m not saying it won’t help him at all. Of course, being a competent programmer obviously helps in a CS course. I just meant that it won’t be an important or tipping factor in his chances of getting into SCS (which is what the OP asked), not least because most CS applicants are likely to have similar programming experience anyway and that is not the most important criterion in admission.</p>