I want to get into U of M for data science (LSA), but if that doesn’t happen, my backup is computer science at Urbana-Champaign. Should I put a second major (biology) due to the competitive nature of computer science at UIUC or I am likely to get in for comp sci?
I really don’t want to end up not getting into either of the two schools, but I also don’t want to write another essay as I’d rather work on finishing my other ones. Thanks guys. Stats below:
GPA unweighted: 4.0
GPA weighted: 4.35
AP Classes taken: 12 (counting senior year)
-AP Human Geo (5)
-APUSH (5)
-AP Chem (4)
-AP Bio (5)
-AP Econ (5)
-AP English 11 (5)
-AP Stats (5)
-AP Calc BC - senior year
-AP Comp Sci- senior year
-AP English 12- senior year
-AP Physics C- senior year
-AP French- senior year
SAT score: 1570
Sat II: Bio M- 770, Math II- 790
EC:
4 years HOSA (nats qualifier once)
50 hours volunteering
President of FBLA (nats qualifier 3 times)
President of FPS (nats qualifier twice)
Treasurer of KAST (volunteer organization)
10 years learning, diploma test in a month for Indian classical music
Nats winner in TYE (business comp)
State: Michigan
Average “Why Comp Sci” essay
I am upper middle class, Indian, and my large public school sends maybe 5 kids to ivy’s or equivalent schools (stanford, MIT etc) a year, and about 100 to U of M.
You are competitive to both but for Michigan don’t make it an average essay if you want to get in. Create something personal, unique and interesting for your essay. CS at Illinois is one of the best programs in the world. It’s very competitive. Try to get A’s in senior year. Michigan will look at your senior grades. Apply early
Keep something in mind. Michigan is one of the best and cheapest schools for someone in Michigan. There really isn’t a better value in education.
CS in engineering at UIIUC is one of the hardest majors to get into. Stats are good but there is no certainty and you should act on the assumption that you will not get it (and then be glad if you do).
At UIUC, you are allowed to give a first choice major and a second choice. If rejected for first choice, you are then evaluated for admission to your second choice major, and if also rejected for second choice, you are evaluated for admisison to the Division of General Studies (unless that was your second choice).
If you provide only a first choice major in the application and are rejected for it, you are done and will not be considered for admission to any other major.
@calspeed your in a Illinois forum but… Very little. Essay and grades / stats and Rigor of classes and senior year more important. They check grades through midyear at least.
@kermit777 I was wondering the same thing. Especially for an OOS student. Michigan should be the safety and UIUC CS is a huge reach — for anyone, including Illinois in state students.
@srparent15 While I would probably say UIUC CS is more selective by a decent margin than Michigan’s data science, I wouldn’t call any STEM program offered by Michigan a safety…
@kermit777 I didn’t mean safety in the context of safety school like some generic school, but in the context that the person posted that Illinois’ CS program is. Illinois is no safety for anyone. Definitely didn’t mean to imply that Michigan is a safety either. But if you’re an instate from Michigan, you would definitely have a much greater chance at getting into Michigan’s CS program than UIUC. Especially also since Michigan houses their CS program in both Engineering or you can go in through LSA which then makes it even easier for people who couldn’t qualify for either Engineering programs.
Without sounding too cocky or confident, there are some majors at UIUC that could be reasonably be called a safety for some applicants. CS isn’t one of them certainly. Neither is engineering but I can see where a high stats kid would have UIUC as a safety for other majors.
UIUC isn’t nearly as selective as Michigan overall, so a lot of majors could be safeties for highly qualified applicants that might be target or reach at Michigan, especially for Illinois residents. CS isn’t one of them, of course.
I felt Engineering Physics was a safety for my son but made sure he had a backup plan just in case early admission didn’t come through. That wouldn’t have applied for CS, BioE, MechE and maybe a few other majors. I agree that CS-Eng at UIUC isn’t a safety for anyone, unless perhaps you’ve got nearly perfect academics, an ivy league application, are URM AND have solid CS-related EC and even then I’d have a couple more safeties;-)
Drusba is in error on the number of majors that an applicant is allowed to select on the application; it’s two, one of which could be DGS; there’s not a third bite at the apple by default for DGS. Outside the application, sometimes admissions may redirect an application; this was done in 2016 for some applicants, e.g., engineering majors, as some applicants weren’t even close to being competitive, and were offered admission under other appropriate majors, such as DGS, as determined by admissions officers. The policy can vary - this year, the application offered two major choice designations. There was no footnote that you’d be offered DGS if denied on the first two choices.
The catch with using UIUC as a safety is that applicants are not guaranteed admission based on their stats. See illinoisX3’s post above.
