- lesscollegestress
- Jul 9, 2023
I attended a webinar that focused on applying to the highly-selective computer science programs many students dream about. My advice? Develop a balanced list! CS is often the most selective major at a college.
Take the highest levels of math and science courses, even if they are not offered at your high school. Take AP Calc BC at the minimum, and consider Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. Get A’s in the most rigorous courses…and not just in math and science:
Surprise: while it’s important to focus on math science and coding languages, top programs look for students who are strong readers and writers as well. A computer science student who creates a blog definitely attracts attention. Start developing your application as early as 8th grade!
Reach for admission to competitive summer programs:
USACO http://www.usaco.org//
Kaggle Data Science https://www.kaggle.com/
Apply to summer programs like these and others:
University of Chicago: https://datascience.uchicago.edu/education/summerlab/
Carleton College: https://www.carleton.edu/summer/pre-college/programs/cs/
Upon reflection, students may find that their interests are more interdisciplinary than “pure” computer science. Computer Science combines with any subject–interdisciplinary crossover. Create something to show your broader range. A CS/Psychology student created an app that addressed mental health, a CS/Biology student developed one to trace women’s health-related symptoms.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign now offers “CS-X” degree combined programs:
https://cs.illinois.edu/academics/undergraduate/degree-program-options/cs-x-degree-programs
Options for during the school year?
Create your own Hack-a-thon at your school or library.
Look for Hack-a-thons in your area.
Contribute to an open source project. Just Google “open source.”
Create a mobile or web app.
Good luck!
- lesscollegestress
- Jul 2, 2023
I’ve been sharing information about research programs for high school students for the past two years. In an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Yale, Columbia, and Brown were cited as specifically recommending academic or scholarly research–shorthand for meaning that all very top tier colleges look for it. Why?
Research shows sharp critical reasoning skills and love for knowledge. Many students have high rigor, GPA’s, and test scores, but don’t express the intellectual curiousity highly selective colleges seek in interviews, essays, and extracurricular activities. The most selective colleges want students who are eager to broaden their knowledge and perspective by asking questions and seeking answers in the areas that interest them most–areas they have already explored before they get to college.
Last week I attended a webinar hosted by Dr. Robert Malkin, PhD, who runs a remote research laboratory program called IRI-NC (https://iri-nc.org/ ) at UNC Chapel Hill. He stressed how difficult it is for high school students to find in-person research opportunities, which is no surprise. Remote research is fine for students at this point because the exercise is really about learning to do research. The research can be in any discipline, not just the sciences (although Malkin’s program is). Here’s what he shared:
It uses primary sources.
It has a specific method that would allow reproduction from reading it.
It must have a formal, specific and traceable write-up, not a general one.
Mentors should be full professors, not associate or assistant professors, or PhDs
Dr. Malkin went on to discuss how students must state their interest through literature review and seek publication in one or two years, generally with a second or third author. I can obtain a video of the webinar for anyone interested.
Who should choose this? I believe students should be authentic and honest. While being academically curious and achieving high grades certainly go together, one is often true without the other–in both directions. That’s why college “fit” is the most important consideration. Next week, I’ll share the flip side of this topic.
- lesscollegestress
- Jun 25, 2023
While many students apply to more colleges in hopes of more admissions offers (see photo*), one fact doesn’t change: highly selective colleges have their pick of top-performing, full-pay students with exceptional extracurricular activities. Most students should not assume that they will get significant merit aid offers from these schools.
However, “full pay” can now mean spending upwards of $85,000 per year at some of these colleges. Several of my families followed the national trend, thinking more strategically:
Choosing an Honors College at a public institution
Understanding major trumps prestige when a student pursues a high-demand field
Opting for the community, connections, and mentorship of a small liberal arts college
Choosing large, less expensive public research institutions in general
What is the benefit of these options? Offers of merit aid for students who do not qualify for need-based aid. Three of my students were offered full-tuition rides and others were awarded anywhere from $5,000 to $41,000 per year. Most families who do not qualify for federal and/or institutional aid still prefer to spend less. If the goal is to save money on college, the key is building a smart list of schools that want your student and are willing to be generous.
Merit aid totals for 2023 were $903,000 for freshman year. Assuming that students do well and maintain a GPA that’s usually anywhere from a 3.0 to a 3.5, that totals to $3,612,000 over four years. (The real total is higher: not all students share this information with me.)
*Photo showing where 2023 students were admitted does not include American University and Cornell University. Total students admitted to each college is under-reported by the asterisks.
