Should I declare Computer Science?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Now, I know that Stanford doesn't admit by major, and they look at the entire applicant and how they fit the school. However, it's evident that they do look at your declared major, seeing as it is on the application.</p>

<p>Would it disadvantage me if I declared Computer Science, and not have the activities and classes to really back it up? I've heard of people who are applying to Stanford CS this year and they have games that hit the top 10 of the App Store, or they've done an internship for Google, or they made a program that thousands of people use daily and stuff. Me? I've just done some text-based video game design. I am genuinely proud of my work, and I've worked very hard on it for the past 4 years, but I'm afraid it won't be able to match up to what some of the competition has.</p>

2

<p>The thing about declaring a major -or in the case of Stanford declaring an interest in a major- is that it gives you a basis for what to write your essays on. If you declare a Computer Science major, write your essays to show that, while you may not be as skilled as some of your friends, you have a genuine passion for computers and want to learn. One of the things admissions officers look for in an applicant is their intellectual curiosity eg their passion for leaning. If you can make that come alive, declaring CompSci shouldn’t be an issue.</p>