Chance me: Junior interested in CS + graphic design for T20s

You definitely stand a shot at T20 schools, but instead of focusing on schools by ranking, focus on finding places that feel like the right fit. Every year there are students who matriculated at the highest ranked schools and then realized that it wasn’t the right place for them. I’d recommend creating a balanced list of schools where you are extremely likely to get in (90+%), likely to get in (60-90%), possible to get in (25-55%), and then less likely to get in (less than 25%). Some people even suggest adding a very unlikely category (like 10% or less chance of admission). The key thing though is making sure that you’d be happy to attend every single school on your list.

As T20 schools (and most schools with acceptance rates less than 20%) have far more qualified applicants than there are spots, I’m going to focus more on schools that are likelier acceptances for you. That is not to say that you don’t stand a shot at the most selective universities; it is just that students usually have an easier time choosing schools that are less likely for admission and have a harder time finding schools that are likelier.

Seconding the suggestion of Rochester Institute of Technology. As mentioned in this article on 20 best graphic design schools, “RIT is a good option for students who are interested in the intersection between tech and design.” And although it sounds as though you might need to dig a little deeper into the ease of doing what you want, Carnegie Mellon gets a lot of recommendations for your fields of interest.

This article on the top 50 graphic design programs also offers more description about each of the programs and their particular benefits.

Yale’s gotten several mentions. UT-Dallas might be another option to consider as it has a strong CS department and is strong in digital arts. NC State is in another area booming with technology and has strength in CS and graphic design. U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is very selective for CS, but also has a good graphic design department. U. of Michigan and U. of Minnesota are two other colleges strong in both CS and graphic design.

Another key factor which hasn’t been mentioned yet is cost. What is the budget?

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