How does one get into the Computer Science/Computer Game Design major? Their info site doesn’t say if the major is capped or if you can get into the major as a freshman or if everyone’s admitted as a generalist and then you compete to get into the majors. Any insight? If you start out as a computer science/computer game design major and then later decide you want to switch to regular computer science major - is that ok? Lastly if there are any CS/Computer Game Design alums out there - would you recommend that path to an incoming freshman? How were you career options on graduation?
S3 has a 3.86 UW GPA and 700/700 PSAT and he’ll have completed 4AP incl AP Calc AB and he plans to take 5 more AP senior year. Should that get him into Comp Sci comp game design or Comp Sci standard? Thank you.
https://admissions.sa.ucsc.edu/majors/csgamedesign
a couple of different topics here - I’d strongly discourage your son from taking so many APs Sr year, it is a chaotic and emotional time in everyone’s lives and full of distractions.
With a 3.86 UW GPA, I am guessing around 4.1 UCGPA. A 4+ GPA and 1400 sat will make him a very competitive applicant for the school. There are subjective elements to UC admissions so, there are no guarantees. He should apply to at least 3 other schools too. UCR, SDSU are good candidatures. Another UC, perhaps CPSLO and a private or two - Santa Clara and USD or LMU.
I don’t know the nuts and bolts of the program but, i do know it is very well respected and just over the hill from the Silicon valley.
Have him apply broadly and see where he gets in… worry about narrowing it down after that.
@patertrium: This is what I know about UCSC admissions and declaring a major in the Baskin School of Engineering. As a prospective applicant you can apply to the Computer Science Game Design major however, you are basically admitted into the University first as a “proposed major” and then you will need to take the required courses outlined below in the link and meet the required GPA to declare the major to continue in the Game Design major.
https://ua.soe.ucsc.edu/sites/default/files/2017-18%20major%20qual.pdf
https://ua.soe.ucsc.edu/declare-your-major
Perfect. S3 really liked the forested campus. He was a little puzzled by the SJW tour guides who were suggesting he use any computer coding skills toward social justice. He loves games computer or not and he very good at math.