That statement is my mantra when students and families have their hearts set on the big bumper sticker names only.
I often tell my students who are not eligible for federal financial aid that they will be successful even if they are denied from the most selective colleges. They have already built the skills to do well in college and have the benefits of connections (and will make more in college) that advantage them after graduation. I’m talking about earning potential.
As the article Revisiting the Value of Elite Colleges discussed, it has been found that, "A student with a 1400 SAT score who went to Penn State but applied to Penn earned as much, on average, as a student with a 1400 who went to Penn.”
It’s the opposite for students who qualify for financial aid. Attending highly selective colleges can be life-changing for them.
"It’s important to note that a few major groups did not fit the pattern: black students, Latino students, low-income students, and students whose parents did not graduate from college. “For them, attending a more selective school increased earnings significantly.”
That’s why we hope that colleges continue, despite the Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action, to admit low income students so they have a chance to build income and work towards an equal footing with students of means.
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!
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.