Im currently a senior and want to major in Computer Science. However my GPA is only 3.3 Weighted with 1430 New SAT (700 reading 730 math). What are some schools that have good CS programs that I have a chance at getting into?
My extracurriculars are decent and I’ve done a lot of web design the past 4 years.
I’ve been looking at Virginia tech, Purdue, and Penn State. If I can’t get into any, I’ll probably go to CC for 2 years and then transfer.
I’ve gotten 5’s on the following AP Exams: Calc AB, US History, World History, Computer Science Principles
Im currently taking 5 APs in senior year and am doing pretty well (I mainly fked up sophomore year). I live in California and attend a very rigorous high school (large class size of 700)
Money is NOT an issue, and location doesn’t matter that much but I’d prefer a western school if possible.
Please give me some suggested colleges I have a chance of getting into (only one I’m not considering is Santa Clara University as it’s a 20 minute drive from home and they force you to live on campus 1st year). Thanks
With a 3.3 weighted GPA (presumably means 3.0 unweighted or lower, depending on the weighting system), all of Purdue, Penn State, and Virginia Tech would be high reaches.
Note also that all three of them require enrolled students to earn a college GPA substantially higher than 2.0 to get into the CS major.
If UCM, UCR, CSUs less selective than SJSU, and similarly or less selective colleges are unappealing to you, but you feel that you can turn around your academic performance in college, starting at a community college may be your best chance at getting admitted later (as a transfer) to a more desirable UC or CSU than the choices you are likely to have now.
@AspiringCS12 There is something important in @ucbalumnus’s post #3. Specifically the phrase “but you feel that you can turn around your academic performance in college”.
You have a very strong SAT. Your GPA does not currently reflect this.
Why is your GPA this low? If it is for a reason that you can fix and that you WILL fix the moment that you get to college, then you might be better off going to community college and then transferring after two years. However, expect community college to be more difficult than high school, and you are going to need a higher GPA in community college than you got in high school.
If your GPA is not going to get any better in college, then you probably should go to a 4 year university where you can be accepted into the computer science program straight out of high school. This will most likely be a school with a relatively high acceptance rate since computer science is typically a difficult major to get into.
I do know some people who have turned around their academic life quite dramatically when they arrive at university. This is possible and your SAT is arguing that you can do it. Good luck with this.
Given you live in California, for CS, I would go to any decent California college over spending money on public schools out of state. From San Jose State to Stanford do very well when it comes to Computer Science. If money is not an issue, and want to go out of California, go to a private school. You get much better support and recruiting help. For example, look at Lehigh University, Stevens Institute of Technology, RPI, WPI and RIT.
I’ve taken community college courses at my local CC before and i know I can get minimum 3.5. If i do go that route i’d try to TAG into UCSD and apply for Berkeley for CS. TBH i don’t think high school is that hard I would attribute my low GPA to a lack of motivation. I do really well in all the classes I enjoy and I know I can do well in CC.
My main question is what are some schools that might be reaches but I still have a chance, albeit low, to get into. I’m not really in need of “safety” schools as I’m 100% ok with 2 years CC and know I can do well as long as I try.
Remember that colleges typically have general education requirements (and you should expect to fulfill many of them in your first two years of college even if you start at a community college). So you need to be motivated enough to do well in all of your courses, not just your CS courses. It may be helpful that general education requirements in college do offer more subject choices for each requirement than the high school course selections.
San Jose State would be a reach for the CS major for an applicant with a 3.3 UC/CSU weighted GPA and 700R/730M SAT score. CSU EI would be 4070 (4085 for the modified one with heavier SAT M versus SAT R weighting). But San Jose State CS required a 4500 for the fall 2017 frosh, according to http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/impactionresultsfreshmen/index.html . The similar software engineering major would be more likely, with a threshold of 3900 for fall 2017 frosh.
With your GPA, the schools in fivesages’ list are likely still reaches. I agree with the rest of fivesages post in that any decent college in California will get you where you want to go just as well as an out of state college. Your GPA just won’t cut it for more prestigious schools.
Are you URM or female? If so, your chances are better for schools outside of California.
Use the side door to get into The Ohio State University, apply early admission to main campus and list an alternate branch on the application. If your application for main is denied and you have listed an alternate you will be granted admission there. Review the different branches, they offer different things; Newark, Lima and Mansfield have dorms while Marion has private off campus student housing options. The closest branch to main is in Marion. Kids commute up from main to take classes here because the classes are smaller and the professors run the recitations, so no TAs. After a certain number of credit hours and a minimum gpa you can transfer down to main.
If you are local to SJSU, you are guaranteed admission if you meet the minimum Eligibility index but not guaranteed your major. You still have to meet the minimum EI for CS which was 4500 SAT last year. Your EI is 4085. Even if SJSU is on your radar, it will be a Reach for CS. Software Engineering would be a better option.
http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/impactionresultsfreshmen/index.html indicates that being in the local area for SJSU gives you a 0.2 GPA increase for calculating eligibility index (meaning 160 points, so your eligibility index would be 4230 or modified 4245, still short of the fall 2017 CS threshold, but with more margin over the fall 2017 software engineering threshold).
This (and a similar arrangement with Penn State branch campuses in that state) just seem like a more expensive version of the California community college → UC or CSU path.
@BuckeyeMWDSG I won’t be considering going to an alternate campus as imo that’s the same thing as going to CC and transferring while being 10x more expensive
Ok guys I don’t think I really stated my question well. I was asking for some reach / match schools that I have a chance of getting into (even if low). No point for me to be applying to schools like Stanford where I have 0 chance.
SJSU CS: reach (compare your EI to F2017 EI threshold)
SJSU SE: probably match (compare your EI to F2017 EI threshold)
UCR: reach (F2016 admit rate for 3.00-3.39 GPA was 38%, but CS may be more competitive)
UCM: high match (F2016 admit rate for 3.00-3.39 GPA was 67%, but CS may be more competitive)
Your EC’s are great, your standardized test scores are very good to great, but that GPA… It’s really difficult to predict how you will do in admissions.
Your best bang for the buck, especially for CS, will be a California public school +/- transfer to a more prestigious California public school after 2 years.
Santa Clara is a very good school, well placed for CS, and they might take you. A lot of private schools require freshmen to live on campus, so don’t use that as a criteria. The more prestigious private schools in California (and elsewhere) probably won’t take you, unless you have a hook.
CSU Long Beach, Chico State, Fullerton and Northridge are all worth a look. They have reputable programs. Based on your stats, CPP and SDSU could go either way but, are worth an ap. Since budget isn’t a concern, USD and Loyola Marymount are privates that may let you in but, probably won’t offer much $$$. OOS, UNR, Boise State, Oregon State, ASU, Oregon IT, Colo School of Mines are all worth a web tour.