Hi. I just got a decision from Purdue saying that they couldn’t offer me a spot in their undergraduate computer science program but that I could either choose to apply to a different major or just be waitlisted for my original major.
I’m not exactly sure what to do. Would applying for a different major increase my chances of getting in? Or should I just wait and hope for the best? Seeing as computer science is such a competitive major, I’m really unsure about my chances on the waitlist. Any guidance would be really appreciated.
P.S. Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place. I’m new here
I think it would depend on your other acceptances. If you have another place you’re happy with attending, I’d just stay put and hope you get in off the waitlist. But if you are struggling with acceptances, I’d apply under a different major and try to get in.
If you are not able to major in CS at Purdue, would you prefer to attend Purdue and study a different major (and which major), or would you prefer to study CS at some other school?
That really sucks! This is my 2 cents as a computer professional. Don’t EVER let a school tell you what to major in. An artificial enrollment shortage is a very common way for flagship schools to weed out students they don’t really want. They make the employable majors cutthroat, so when you don’t get in, you either get to major in a useless Sociology degree or transfer somewhere else. UT-Austin is notorious for using this method, especially with their business and engineering programs. Don’t gamble your future on one school. Trust me, it’s not worth it. CS degrees are very employable out of college either way. I would take my credits, send them to a good school, and give Purdue the middle finger.
^^^They had 4000 applicants for their Computer Science Program this year. I tend to agree that if the OP wants to study CS then accept admission to a school that will accept him into their program. He can accept a spot on the Purdue waitlist and if he is later asked to if he wants a spot then he has the option. It is easier to transfer out of CS than in. Being an MIS major at Purdue is not going to be the same as a CS major elsewhere.
My D is in the same situation. She was denied admission to CS at Purdue. I talked to an admission counselor and was told it is literally zero chance to move off waitlist. My advice to the OP will be the same as everyone else here. If you are passionate about CS, go to a school that will offer you CS. While going to top ranked CS programs is great, doing CS is better than not doing it if one wants to pursue that as a career.
I also agree with @coolguy40. All these state flagship schools have created a situation that limits a lot of good students from pursuing a career they are interested in by not stepping up and expanding the popular majors or even if they are doing it, not enough. We are living in 21st century and these schools are still living in an era of offering hundreds of majors that have limited scope in job market and not enough capacity in line with times. STEM is the way to go, unless these institutions that run on tax payer dollars realize this, we will continue to fall behind other countries. Nothing wrong against sociology or psychology, but why force someone to study them when they are not interested in them or they are not employable. If someone wants to pursue sociology or psychology, by all means but not overcrowding these majors simply because they have to keep all their current teaching staff and departments will actually help because output then will be in line with the market demand.
I am tired of colleges telling our kids no – who is it to say a kid with 30 or 31 ACT cannot be a great developer or data scientist. Some are simply not just good test takers but they can be great CS professionals. While all colleges claim their admissions are holistic, for public universities test scores and GPA are the lion’s share of admission criteria for popular majors especially CS and to some extent popular engineering majors. Until these tax payer funded institutions can figure a way to match their supply against demand, this isn’t going to get any better and the whole college admission process will continue to be a nightmare for HS kids and their parents.
