<p>Where would you recommend a kid with the above stats and fairly good EC's look for a major in computer science?</p>
<p>Is your state’s flagship campus an option?</p>
<p>I live in Georgia, so we have both UGA and Ga. Tech as the big state schools around here. I know Tech is really good for CS and I’d be delighted to go but I’m just keeping an open mind right now.</p>
<p>Is money a concern? If not, maybe Carnegie Mellon?</p>
<p>I’m not sure yet. My parents assure me that money isn’t a problem but I’ve heard different things. </p>
<p>I love CMU and will be visiting in a couple weeks. I hear that their College of Computing is very selective though.</p>
<p>male or female?</p>
<p>Male Uzbek/Russian 1st generation immigrant.</p>
<p>What’s your SAT breakdown M and CR?</p>
<p>SAT
720 M
680 CR
800 W (11 Essay)</p>
<p>ACT
31 Composite
30 Math
34 Reading
27 Science
32 English/Writing (10 Essay)</p>
<p>I’m retaking both as well as taking the SAT II’s. My SAT retake wont be in time for some EA/ED decisions though.</p>
<p>I’d second CMU, but if you need significant FA, they are so-so on that score. UMD-CP has an excellent CS department and job placement. My older S (a math/CS guy) has a friend at GT who is very happy with its CS. UIUC, UMich and Berkeley are also good for CS. Look at Purdue – they have merit $$. Other private options – RPI, WPI, Northeastern. MIT, Caltech and Harvey Mudd would be reaches unless that GPA includes college-level courses or some significant awards. OTOH, noone is going to laugh your app out the door, either.</p>
<p>It is hard to justify private or OOS tuition when you have the HOPE scholarship in hand. (I have a niece in GA who currently is going through the same calculus – 32 ACT, 3.98 UW GPA – loves Boston but finds it hard to justify the difference in cost.) If you decide you want to co-op, that makes GT even more attractive (Northeastern is also known for its co-op). </p>
<p>I would strongly encourage your parents to run numbers on an EFC calculator to get an idea of what their expected contribution might be. It is ALWAYS more than parents think is reasonable! :)</p>
<p>Just saw your scores. Clearly you have some good writing skills – put them to work on the essays. Those can really help your advocacy for reachier schools.</p>
<p>Have you taken any SAT-IIs? Some places will require them. Check your list of schools to see what you need and by when.</p>
<p>If you retake SAT and ACT in October/Nov., your scores should be available for EA/ED.</p>
<p>Thank you for the replies thus far.</p>
<p>I’ll be taking the SAT II’s and the ACT in October and the SAT in November. </p>
<p>I’m taking a hard look at GA. Tech and to be honest I’d love to attend but for some reason my parents want me to look at other options. Go figure :/</p>
<p>When they see the numbers on the EFC calculator, they may change their minds! :0</p>
<p>GT can be very sink-or-swim. For CS, though, I’d take it over UGA (and I was a Bulldog in a prior life).</p>
<p>Have you taken AP Calc or any AP sciences yet? What is your weighted GPA? My one suggestion on scores is to get that math as high as you can. Your SAT is higher than your ACT – if you have a limited amount of time, I’d retake just the SAT and nail Math Level II. CR and W are fine, though if you think you can get to a 700 CR, spend some time on it. If you want to hold pat on a 2200/31, those scores will get you into most flagship CS programs.</p>
<p>Even if you live in the Atlanta area, you won’t go home too often. Trust me. Our community is 22 miles from the flagship. Noone comes home!</p>
<p>I would concur with GT as maybe the best option but also check out U of Illinois - Campaign</p>
<p>I’ve taken AP Physics B and a semester of AP Calc AB. Next year I’ll be taking AP Computer Science and AP Statistics. </p>
<p>As far as WGPA goes, I have no idea as my school doesn’t weight any classes. I have/will have taken 13 AP’s by graduation though, so that may help some.</p>
<p>I didn’t really study for the SAT last time so I think some rigorous preparation should help boost my scores a bit. The same goes for ACT and SAT 2’s. </p>
<p>Do you guys think I’d stand a chance at Emory? My cousin went there and I’ve been looking into it lately.</p>
<p>Any way you can take BC Calc instead of Stat? The reason I suggest this is that lots of would-be CS majors don’t realize how much math is required in a typical CS major. AP Stat will not generally give you the background you’ll need for CS. </p>
<p>I can tell you from family experience that GT’s Calc classes are weeders.</p>
<p>GT’s CS math requirement:
MATH 1501 Calc I
MATH 1502 Calc II
MATH 2605, Calc III for CS
MATH 3012 Applied Combinatorics
MATH 3215 Probability and Statistics (MATH/ISYE/CE 3770 or ISYE 2027 + 2028 may be substituted for MATH 3215)</p>
<p>UMD-CP –
MATH 140 (4) Calculus I
MATH 141 (4) Calculus II
STAT 400-level, not xlisted with CS course
MATH/AMSC/STAT, not xlisted with CS course</p>
<p>CMU CS –
21-120 Differential & Integral Calculus
21-122 Integration, Differential Equations, and Approximation
21-127 Concepts of Mathematics (informal logic, proof, number theory)
21-241 Matrix Algebra (or 21-341 Linear Algebra)</p>
<p>plus one of the following Probability courses:
15-359 Probability and Computing
21-325 Probability
36-217 Probability Theory and Random Processes
36-225 Introduction to Probability and Statistics I
36-625 Probability and Mathematical Statistics I</p>
<p>UIUC CS –
Calculus through Math 241 (Calculus III)
MATH 415 Applied Linear Algebra (also satisfying this requirement are MATH 416 Abstract Linear Algebra and MATH 426 Honors Linear Algebra)
MATH 461 Probability Theory or MATH 463 Statistics and Probability I</p>
<p>Case Western might be worth a look–they are very generous with merit $$ and you might entice them because you offer some geographic diversity.
Also maybe RPI?</p>
<p>Counting Down,</p>
<p>Unfortunately I can’t take anything other than AP Stat because of my school’s honor program math “path.” However, I’m an avid studier (self-studying AP Physics C) and I think I’d be able to survive Ga. Tech’s math (I hope, really ;))</p>
<p>boysx3,</p>
<p>I have heard a lot of good things about Case Western. I’ll make sure to give them a good look.</p>
<p>Agree with boysx3. I thought about Case, too, but didn’t know anything specific about their CS department. I know a couple of folks who looked at them for physics.</p>
<p>Agree with RPI. I knew there was one I was forgetting!</p>
<p>Rose-Hulman also has a good rep in STEM fields, and I believe they have EA.</p>
<p>Does anybody actually think that raising my SAT/ACT scores by a more than marginal amount would actually give me an advantageous boost in the admissions process given my GPA?</p>