Hi!
I am currently a high school junior and I want to major in Computer Science! I know CM university has really great CS program. So here are my stats:
Weighted GPA: 93
SAT: Haven’t taken yet (what score is required)
I am in National Honor Society
I’m taking 3 AP classes next year (AP Physics, AP Stats, AP Macroeconomics)
I take other Advanced Classes too.
Rank: 77 out of 275
Do i have to take SAT subject test?
What are the required courses?
What are my chances?
Thanks!
Your chances aren’t so hot.The recommended courses can be found on CMU’s common data set. CMU is highly competitive to begin with, and its CS program is even more competitive. Your class rank is not so great; I’m looking at the 2016 factsheet and the average class rank for a SCS admit is top 2%. You will also need an almost perfect SAT I and probably a very, very high Math II subject test score. CMU also rates ECs as ‘most important’ and just being a part of NHS is probably going to get overlooked.
@beepybeetle What do you consider an almost perfect SAT 1 score?
Anyways, beepybeetle is right. It doesn’t look like you have a great chance. Your weighted GPA is okay, but what is your unweighted? If your class rank isn’t the top 10%, admission into schools like CMU becomes much, much harder.
As beepybeetle pointed out, another major concern is your EC’s. If you are a sophomore, you still have time – if you are junior, not so much. You are applying for computer science, but you have demonstrated no interest in this area through your EC’s. You haven’t done anything related to math, science, or even computer science itself, and when applying for this major, you are competing with people who have won awards in such areas and who have spent a lot of time cultivating their interests in them.
I’d suggest lowering your expectations. You don’t seem to have much interest in CMU except for the fact that you know they have a great CS program. You should begin looking for schools that also have great CS programs (there are many outside of the top schools) and then find a few schools that match up with your stats (for now GPA but also ACT/SAT when you take it). To help your chances at these schools, finish up this year by giving all of your effort, start studying for standardized testing, and do as much as you can to build up a few EC’s. You still have a great chance at many other schools, so don’t feel like your stats aren’t good. I wish you the best of luck.
We recently attended an admitted students session for CMU SCS, and they said the average SAT Math (SAT 1) score for admitted students was 791. SAT II Math II was similarly high.
There are lots of colleges with good CS programs. CS is especially difficult to get into now, since CS is very popular. Make sure you apply to a range of colleges and don’t get your heart set on one.
Have you already taken AP Calc BC?
Subject test requirements for CMU listed by college are here: http://adm-w2w-02.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/standardized-test-requirements So, yes, you would need Math II and one of the sciences.
@cc8912 Around 1520+
What if I explain why my grades do not reflect my ability in my essay, does that help? Basically I am an immigrant and I migrated to US in 2014 just 3 years ago (when I was 14, now I am 17) with no English and learned english in just half a year and started or tried my best to do good in school. If I were to come to US little earlier maybe 5 years ago when I was 11 or something I would have been able to take all the advanced and AP and get my gpa to 3.9+ and my rank to top 10 because from my 3 years of experience in US high school I can tell US school system is way easy! I just WISH i came to US little earlier! Is there any way to get into CMU or other top schools, maybe University of Washington, University of California - Berkeley, University of Maryland, Boston University, New York University or what about at least Stony Brook University? Please help me out with my questions! Thanks!
Yes, of course, you should apply to all of the schools you would love to go to while doing your best to maintain a balanced list. You should feel confident, I would say, about U of Washington, U of Maryland, and Stony Brook. I’d call these schools match schools, depending slightly on how you do on the SAT/ACT (if you do really well, then I’d say these schools are more like safeties). Keep other schools like the UC’s (as there is a wide range of schools, and I think they all share an application; also keep in mind that California schools are generally tough to get into for computer science and cost a lot), NYU, and BU on your list.
In addition, continue to improve your GPA if possible, study for SAT/ACT, and, most importantly, do something significant in the summer and the rest of the remaining months! DO NOT complain about how you could’ve done better in the schools here if you had come earlier; instead, highlight in your essays how the transition of culture and schools has had an impact on you (ie., you learned about different ways of living and have maybe struggled with the combination of your home country’s values and America’s), how you have a spark in you that has allowed you to find the wonders of education in the US and are excited to pursue these wonders at [name of college you are applying to], and how you feel you will be able to flourish with more time to learn here after initially struggling to adjust. Sound optimistic and passionate about your new life here, rather than pessimistic and regretful about what you’ve done thus far, and your application as a whole will be much stronger. Also, have teachers who can support you on this write your letters of recommendation.
Try not to get caught up with the notion that you “have to get into a good, selective school.” There are many great schools you can attend, and since it seems your interest is to simply learn CS at a well-regarded school, be excited about the opportunity to study it at any school you like.
Thank you for answering and what SAT score do you think would be solid for U of Washington, U of Maryland and Stony Brook? I also want to minor in Business which school is best for this option U of Maryland?
According to PrepScholar, a 1300 and a 1310 are the average admitted scores for U of Washington and Stony Brook, respectively, and a 1370 is the average for Maryland. Because of this, I’d suggest aiming for a 1400, which would make you competitive at all three and above the average.
As for which schools are best for business, I don’t know too much about this, but I’d say Maryland or Washington would both be good choices.
@cc8912 Don’t rely on PrepScholar… Not only do they hold official data, but they do not have accurate information at all. You will see how inaccurate their data are when you use their “acceptance calculator.”
@cc8912 Also, acceptance varies by the college and department of the university, especially if that college has something like LEP (Limited Enrollment Program). For example, UW’s computer science average SAT score is FAR higher than that because it limits the number of admittance and has solid computer science program.
@HardOREasy I stated that I used PrepScholar to tell OP where I got the information from as I don’t personally know the accurate SAT scores for the schools mentioned. I was unaware that UW’s Computer Science program is that much more difficult to get into – I thought by giving OP the average scores from PrepScholar, which could only be off by at most 30 points, he or she would have a better sense of what score to shoot for.