Math scores are holding me back

College Majors Math/Computer Science Majors
1

I want to pursue a Computer Science degree, but I feel that my math scores are holding me back. I have taken considerably more advanced math courses than most of my peers in HS and received A’s in all of them. Also, my SAT score is pretty decent in terms of CC standards at 2120, but I don’t believe my SAT I Math score of 680 and my SAT II Math 2 score of 690 are going to help me get into a above average,well-known university with a great computer science program.

Any advice? Potential college suggestions? Im applying to USCal, Vanderbilt, Cornell and GTech.

Thanks!.

BACKGROUND
• Ethnicity: African-American
• Gender: M
• State : Florida
• School Type: Public
• Income Bracket: Low-Income
• Projected Major: Computer Science

ACADEMICS
• SAT I : 2120 (680 M), (730 W), (710R)
• GPA (out of 4.0): [3.7 (4.2 W)]
• Rank: 40/600 (top 7% of class)
• AP Scores: [AP Calculus AB (4), AP World History (4)
• 13 AP Classes taken
• Senior Coursload: AP Statistics AP Macroeconomics, AP French, AP Environmental Science, AP U.S. Government and Politics, Honors Astronomy, Workplace Technology Applications

EXTRACURRICULARS AND LEADERSHIP
• Varsity Track and Field - 4 Years - (Current Team Captain):
• Varsity Cross Country - 4 Years - (Current Team Captain)
• French Honor Society - 3 Years - (Current Treasurer)
• Advanced Physics Club - 1.5 Years (Current President)
• National Honor Society - 3 Years - (Member)
• Robotics Club - 1.5 Years - (Tech Coordinator)
• Programming Club - 1.5 Years - (Member)
• Tutor for Algebra II and Geometry - 2 Years

SUMMER EXPERIENCE
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Software Engineering Summer Internship Program (Summer 2015)
• Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Seminar (HOBY) - Alumni Scholar ( Summer 2014)
• Local Lake Preservation Association - Sustainability Intern (Summer 2014, Summer 2015)
• Publix Super Markets - Front Service Clerk (Summer 2013 - Summer 2015) - Low Income Background so I must work.
• Local Harvest Food Bank @ 100 Hours - (Summer 2014, Summer 2015)

AWARDS
• IBM Master the Mainframe Coding Competion - 3 Years - (Recognized Participant)
• Principals Honor Roll Award - 4 Years -(Outstanding Academic Performance Scholar)
• AP Scholar
•“Le Grand Concours” National French Examination - 1 Year - Placed competitively in top quartile

2

Have applied to any automatic full ride safeties yet?

3

Are you full-pay or do you need financial aid? If so, how much?

4

In this thread and other threads, the OP has indicated being able to afford very little.

5

USC and Vanderbilt admit students to their universities in general, not on the basis of your major. At Cornell, you simply have to choose a college to apply to; you can get a BA in computer science from the College of Arts & Sciences (there’s a BS in CS offered in the school of engineering, but if you’re really concerned you can just take all the same classes they do).

GEorgia Tech doesn’t specify whether or not you have to apply to a specific major or college - you used to have to, but I think they removed that requirement. In either case, your SAT math score puts you in the middle 50% of accepted students, so you’re fine. (You’re also in the middle 50% at Cornell and USC.)

To put this in perspective, your SAT math score puts you in the top 10% of all test takers in the U.S.

Since you are low-income and need a lot of financial aid or merit aid to attend college, you need to add some matches and safeties to your list anyway. As an African American female interested in computer science and with test scores as high as yours, you have a lot of options. First of all, don’t pass over your state’s public universities - you have some good ones. UF and Florida State are obvious choices, but there’s also New College of Florida if you are interested in a small college. And you’d easily be eligible for a full-ride from Florida A&M.

Secondly, if you look at private (and some public) schools even just a tier down from where you’re currently looking you’d be competitive for some big merit aid awards. At University of Alabama you are eligible for their Presidential Scholarship (which is automatic, and full-tuition) and can compete for their Academic Elite scholarships (which are full rides). You’re eligible for the Ramsey Foundation Fellows scholarships at UGA as well. There’s the Banneker/Key Scholars program at the University of Maryland (which has an excellent CS department). At American University, you could be eligible for a full scholarship through the Frederick Douglass scholars program. Duke and Emory (which I’d say are at least on par with USC and Vanderbilt) both have full scholarship programs that you are potentially competitive for.

Basically, look for colleges at which you might rank in the top 15-25% of applicants and that offer large merit scholarships. Small liberal arts colleges (think Amherst, Pomona, Williams, Swarthmore, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, Haverford, Davidson, Grinnell, Macalester, Bates, Carleton, Colby, Kenyon, Wooster…the list goes on) are good for this, too, because they tend to have fewer applicants and thus higher admissions rates. (Women’s colleges - like Scripps, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Wellesley - can be great for this! For example, if you went to Scripps you could major in computer science at Harvey Mudd.) However, a lot of the elite LACs have generous merit aid policies, and many meet 100% of your financial need.

The short version is that your scores are still competitive with most top schools, but you should mix it up a little bit because of your need for money.

6

OP is male. NCF has few CS offerings, so it is unlikely to be suitable. FAMU is an automatic full ride for the OP: http://www.famu.edu/Scholarships/DSA%20Scholar%202015-2016.pdf .

7

First, I want to apologize for the extremely delayed response.

No, I have NOT applied to any automatic full rides, just two state schools, University of Florida and University of Miami. They did NOT offer me a full ride, but I assumed that since they were in state, they would be cheaper. I don’t believe UMiami is cheap though.

8

Do not assume affordability. Run the net price calculators:

https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/ufl
https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/miami

Unless you are assured of admission and affordability at a school that you have already applied to, you need to add a safety, such as an automatic full ride school.

You do not want to be back on the forums asking what to do after getting a bunch of admission letters to schools that are all too expensive.

9

Thanks so much both for the advice, encouragement, and knowledge! Really helped me reevaluate my options!

10

I highly recommend you apply, ASAP to UCF. It has a very competitive CS program, and if you apply soon, they may still have merit award funding. You could receive up to $4K a year in merit (which you can combine with Florida Bright Futures). However, it’s getting late, so apply soon.

UCF would make a decent safety school (academically and financially).

Since you’re applying to UF, you need to look into the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholarships. If you qualify and are accepted to UF, you will receive an e-mail around late March, encouraging you to complete the application.

http://fos.ufsa.ufl.edu/

Good Luck!

BTW: Vanderbilt is a good choice, in that their aid package will NOT include loans. If you get accepted, wait till you see the aid package before making any decisions.

11

Yes, do not automatically assume that in-state public schools will always be the least expensive option.

We are not from Florida, but my children ended up attending very expensive private schools in different states that met full financial need and it ended up being less expensive than the public in-state options.

12

University of Miami is NOT a State University and the tuition/fees runs about $44K/yr. Did you look into the Hammond Scholarship at UMiami. This scholarship covers full tuition/Fees. In the other thread, I suggest you apply to both UF AND UCF. You might get into a number of the schools on your list, but they might be unaffordable to you. A Haitain-American AA male student from Florida got into Harvard University this past year, but the family’s contribution was such that it was not affordable for them. I think he is a student at one of the Florida public universiity, since he had to decline Harvard University.

13

The expected family contribution for a low SES student at Harvard is around $2 to $4K a year, so the above student is much more the exception than the norm.

At the end of the day, cast a wide net that includes 2 or 3 Florida publics, and a few out of state private and public universities. When looking at OOS or private schools, you’re looking for scholarships that pay at least full tuition (otherwise Florida Public’s with Bright Futures and likely merit scholarships will prove more affordable).

Many of these scholarships are competitive (Like UF"s MFOS or UM’s Hammond’s), so you’ll have to be accepted and then wait to see if you qualify for one of these scholarships, before making a finale choice.

You can find a lot of information in the Financial Aid and Scholarships forum.

Good Luck!