For the UC’s, CS would require higher GPA and have lower admit rates so a Capped weighted GPA of 4.01 would make you competitive at UC Merced, Riverside, Santa Cruz and possibly Davis.
You will be reviewed in the context of your HS, your HS course rigor, essays, EC’s etc…
Are there any colleges/universities that don’t specifically look at class rank or take into account extenuating circumstances that could have impacted it?
UCs do not look at class rank as determined by the high school.
Alright thanks.
in a word, YES
There are hundreds of solid CS programs that would be happy to have you. Most might ((like OOS tuition for UCs) not be affordable - but I didn’t catch a budget.
I’d add, most students change majors at least once. So, don’t get fixated on a single best CS program. Find a school that a good fit - budget, size, personality surroundings, class size feel - and that you can get into - that has a CS program that’s going to suit your needs.
Keep an open mind and good luck!
There are many schools with less competitive admissions overall that nonetheless have top 100 computer science programs (as ranked by US News and World Report).
I recommend picking some that you like in terms of size and location and then do a deep dive into their CS programs to see which ones appeal to you (study websites, attend virtual info sessions, etc.)
Some possibilities in this category:
UT Dallas
UC Davis
University of Minnesota
Cal State Los Angeles
Colorado State
Oregon State
Washington State
I note that many students interested in CS who cannot get into (or do not like the environment of) University of Washington’s highly competitive CS program end up at Washington State or Oregon State and Washington State is generous with merit aid to out-of-state students.
Good luck on your search.
Just wanted to add that I think it is important not to equate “good” program with “ranked in the Top 10.” Not saying OP is doing that, but many students do.
There are 772 four-year public universities in the U.S. So, not even considering the programs available at private colleges and community colleges, a computer science program ranked #100 is still in the top 13%of all 4-year public university programs. That is pretty “good” to me.
It’s not all about the program you get into. You sound like an excellent student and I’m sure whatever university you get into you will do well. My husband was a CS major at a smaller private university in Ohio. He has a very successful career now and supports a family of 5. I think so many kids get stuck thinking they need a top 5 or 10 program to succeed in life and that’s just not the case.
2 posts were split to a new thread: California CS Transfer looking for OOS recommendations