CS -> Pre-med major switch = possible?

College Majors
41

“There’s a lot of bad presumptions there. It sounds like you’re REALLY hung-up on prestige, and that’s not a healthy attitude to have when choosing a college.”

Well the OP went from a list that included Stanford to UCLA and even UCLA alums will tell you that they’re not as prestigious as Stanford. So I think OP has taken some of the good advice on this thread.

It is not totally unhealthy for students to select based on prestige if they admit that’s what they’re doing. Sure they’ll be disappointed but it’s better than applying to prestigious colleges and denying that’s one of the reasons.

If a kid tells me they picked Stanford or Berkeley for CS because they’re prestigious, I wouldn’t say, holy moly that’s the worst decision you just made. Or they’re going to Yale or Brown because they have prestigious humanities programs, I wouldn’t say, no! transfer the first opportunity you get.

To most kids, prestige is fit and vice versa, if you want to convince them differently, you can, but not by yourself, you’d have to get their peers to convince them.

42

But most kids are wrong if they think prestige is fit. Or that fit is about prestige.

“Most kids” isnt what defines it accurately. And again, “most kids” aren’t getting an admit.

The trick is to understand better.

OP is working with a number of misunderstandings. Calling them typical won’t help him.

OP states, “CS extracurriculars will help my admission chances more than medicine extracurriculars.” Where’s he get this idea, if he’s got a future interest in med school, as well? Adcoms will see it.

And it’s still not just a choice between stem and stem ECs. Still not, for tippy tops.

43

Sorry I guess I have been a bit caught up in prestige. When I said “schools like UCLA”, I didn’t mean only UCLA specifically, just schools that have strong premed and CS courses in general with similar stats and acceptance rates like UCLA. Sorry that was my bad.

@lookingforward
When I said: CS extracurriculars will help my admission chances more than medicine extracurriculars

Isn’t this true though? I am applying as a CS major so wouldn’t focusing on CS be more helpful to me in terms of admission chances than medical ECs? Getting the experience is also important, and I am still figuring out ways to get just that, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make.

@theloniusmonk
If you don’t mind me asking, could you give an estimate of my admission chances for UW CS?

44

As a junior, you have much more time than, say, a senior, in August. But realize, we have no idea how you’ll eventually apply, what assets (more than which major or stats.) And we only know what you’ve told us. Eg, have you taken AP physics? You show a S2 score, don’t mention the class. It’s important for CS.

If you present as a CS
hopeful, with possible med interests (not uncommon,) a top UG college can look at your choices/thinking, experiences, stretch, patient contact, all that @Mwfan1921 mentions. Plus personal traits. (Even if you dont mention premed, they look for this range of different engagements, not just in your major.)

It’s not just about what college ECs the med schools want to see. First you need the undergrad admit. They expect evidence of their own.

And please think about rounding. This is holistic. Not just stem studies.

45

"And it’s still not just a choice between stem and stem ECs. Still not, for tippy tops. "

Can you clarify what you mean by this?

OP - I’ll try to help but a lot of the info is out there, which you should be able to google and use when doing your app.

The UW direct to CS admit rate was around 28% for in-state students, the gpa for direct to CS was 3.93-4.00 and ACT was 34-36, so you’re fine there. Looks like you took a lot of challenging classes and did well, that will really help. For DA engineering, they clearly say that the greatest emphasis will be placed on academic preparation. No recommendations so it’ll come down to academics, ECs, and essays.

As lookingforward mentions though your CS ECs are light, so you have to play up your programming projects and Olympiad award and really nail the essays. I can’t see you chances being lower than 28% since your academic preparation is excellent, but without of course knowing the other applicants, it’s tough these days on giving estimates, but since you asked, I’ll say 40-ish. Talk to your GC about getting Naviance info for your hs to uw and uw cs, if they have that detail.

Take a look at the CS DA website:

https://www.cs.washington.edu/academics/ugrad/admissions/direct

and note this - “Computer Science DA is designed primarily for Washington State resident students.”

So that’s encouraging, good luck!

46

But it will hang on OP’s own app package. That’s the concern, when there’s misunderstanding.

TM, I’ve said over and over that OP needs more than some choice between one sort of stem EC and another.

I do agree with mwfan that the ECs are light, overall and in comparison to other applicants. But more solo programming isn’t the answer. Not for one missing broader engagements and with peers, in the first place.

Nor can anyone assume any kid can figure what’s a great essay, before they know what a school looks for. Holistic means the app is more than a simple survey, not just writing whatever comes to mind. Every piece matters.

47

You can get into medical school regardless of what school you go to. Your grades and MCAT scores will do the talking. That being the case, if you want to major in Computer Science, UW is hyper-competitive. You probably want to consider a less competitive school like WSU. You stand a better chance of getting into the major you want if you decide against medical school. Technology is ridiculously employable, and college prestige is meaningless, because it’s driven by practical work experience.

48

@lookingforward
I appreciate your input but I strongly doubt the accuracy of your response. While being good at every subject is important, going for a rounded application is not a reliable way to get into a good school, hence the saying “pointy students” >> rounded students. If I am majoring in CS, I don’t need E.C.s in literature or the humanities – they have nothing to do with what I’m passionate about or what I want to pursue in my future. Stem is what I am good at and passionate about, so undoubtedly my application should focus on that. Just because the process is holistic doesn’t mean that a CS major should have an award in the debate team. If I am misunderstanding what you are saying then please correct me and be clear instead of giving me these vague answers.

Regarding your questions:
My school doesn’t offer AP physics, only honors physics

I do not plan to mention my interest in pre-med in my application as I am not majoring in that.

I am planning on doing some internships at my father’s friend’s company this summer if that helps at all.

Thanks.

49

@lookingforward
alright looks like you are right. my bad.

can you please give me ideas on how I can be “more rounded” as you say then?
How should I get these “broader engagements” that you speak of? I do not have any ideas of things I can do with my given time-frame.
Thanks.

50

It doesn’t have to be ECs specifically in Lit or humanities. But something more than unilateral. I make these comments based on experiences with the process. Nor is it “passion.” Having some relevant and focused interests you pursue to some depth is good. But far from all it takes.

You’re a junior, have time to consider this. Imo, it would be a shame to use these 11 months to just percolate on your pre-set ideas, just to dig in your heels. That’s not even the sort of mindset these colleges look for. Nor the sort of curiosity/intellectual breadth.

Beware making your app too much about your future, (which seems to be the primary point of your posts.) Top colleges see themselves as more than career prep institutions. Community service also matters, which is different than simply doing something for no pay. (And certainly not just more stem.)

“Pointy” is not a tip. It can be a critique. I know CC tells kids to just do what they love, to win awards, be pointy, take any leadership titles you can, found something, start a business, write some very unique essay, etc. But it’s up to the applicant to dig in and see what the colleges say and show. Again, because you’re talking about uber competitive colleges, with plenty of applicants who will be taking this further.

The question about future interests is on the Common App. Sure, you can pretend there’s no med interest or may change your mind, but be cautious about the risks. And yes, involvement with something like debate (whatever it is) can make a sweet impression. You don’t want to be seen as stuck in a box, all stem/all the time, except for tennis.

In the end, you will make the choices you decide to make. But don’t make the mistake of assuming that what you think today is how it is/all it takes. You get to choose the colleges you apply to. But the colleges choose the kids they want in their class. Why not learn more about what that is?

Frankly, at this point, I can’t decide if you’re serious or pulling legs.

51

You would be a great candidate for this program at UDub
https://ischool.uw.edu/programs/informatics/degree-options#bhi

A major like this would give you excellent employment options, if you decided against med school or if you decided to work for a few years before med school. The latter option can be excellent, because you can postpone MCAT prep until after you graduate and also gain valuable life and work experience that can make you a stronger med school applicant. Plus, medical education is a long haul; a break from being a student can be a very healthy thing.

There are bioinformatics, computational biology, data analytics, and similar majors at many colleges, but UW’s Informatics school is particularly robust and well-regarded.

52

I live in Washington and work at a very large, well-known tech company in the state. UW is great and we hire lots of graduates there.

Western Washington also has a good CS program, and a lot of the Seattle-area tech companies are investing money and resources into Western Washington’s program. They need top talent; it’s much easier and cheaper to get top talent in your own backyard, hence the investment. So I’d consider Western Washington as a safety.

Same thing with Washington State - good solid university that you should consider as a safety.