What is a good Computer Science school for me?

College Search & Selection
1

I’m trying to sort out what schools I should apply to and I’m having a hard time figuring out what schools would be a safety, target, or reach for me.

Here are my stats:

UW GPA: 3.7 (Estimate)

SAT: 2020 (planning to retake)
Reading: 660
Math: 720
Writing: 640

8 AP’s:
World History (4)
Statistics (4)
Calculus AB (5)
English Language (4)
Physics 1 (4)
Calculus BC (enrolled)
Physics C (enrolled)
Computer Science A (enrolled)

Strong EC’s, including 3 sports, 3 technology clubs, National Honor Society, and a computer related internship.
I am also currently a (sort of nontraditional) captain of my school’s football team and president of a technology club.

I’m planning to take the SAT II Math Level 2 and Physics.

I currently live in the state of Virginia.

Cost of the college is not an issue, my parents have a large college fund set up for me.

I prefer to go to a college in an urban environment or suburban, but somewhat close to an urban environment.

2

As an example of just one school for the moment, you’d be a good match for the University of Rochester based on your academic interests and general preferences. Your extensive, varied AP classes and strong ECs will impress most admissions committees. You generally should not encounter much difficulty gaining admission to a school with a 25-30% or greater acceptance rate, especially if your SAT score increases. If you already have a few schools in mind, I’d imagine that most of them would be open to you as well.

3

Thanks, one school I had in mind was USC but now I feel like it will be a bit of a reach.

4

USC is a reach for you. USC is score-crazy, and routinely rejects sub 1400 M+CR students w/o hooks.

URoch is a good idea…but you may not like the cold.

Look at UDayton (will accept you and will give you some merit scholarship money).

Santa Clara in Calif will likely accept you…wonderful location for CS majors.

Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles will likely accept you.

GT could be a reach for you, but if you score high on your SAT, you could be admitted.

5

For several reasons, I think you would be a good candidate for admission at USC.

6

I am not really looking for scholarships since the college fund my parents have set up for me can only be used to pay schools and I would not be able to take any of the money for myself.

7

Check out these schools

http://www.computersciencedegreehub.com/50-innovative-computer-science-departments/

http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/graduate-schools/sciences/computer-science.aspx

8

Re # 6: Graduate department oriented rankings as a tool for the selection of an undergraduate college are highly problematic. These types of lists, which are commonly introduced with nebulous language, seem to be generated without an understanding of the distinction between homogeneous and heterogeneous comparisons. I don’t know what USNWR, in particular, is thinking at this point, but the word joke has gradually become less hyperbolic as a description for some of what they put online.