Hi I am going to be a Junior next year. I’m taking
AP Psychology
AP Language and Composition
AP US History
AP Computer Science
AP Physics
Cross Country / Track
I haven’t taken the SAT yet.
I plan to major in Computer Science
I want to be accepted to UCLA or Berkeley
What is the best tip you can give me for my Junior year? Thank you.
Is AP Java available at your school?
Do all you testing this year! The last thing you want is to enter senior year and still need to take and study for the SAT, while writing college essays and completing applications
Become more involved with extracurriculars, especially anything involving computer programming. Maybe start a programming club or start programming websites for local businesses. Try to find things that you can put on your application that will prove you are truly invested in programming. Also, take the ACT. I didn’t really prepare for the ACT but I ended up doing better on the ACT than I did on the SAT. You never know which one you will do better on. Don’t forget to take SAT subject tests at the end of junior year when the information is most fresh in your mind, otherwise you will have to take them at the start of senior year after you have already forgot everything.
Thank you so much for the help!
whoa whoa whoa. I would say getting your grades up and taking the current SAT (not the new one, which is to be instituted in March 2016) is enough (aim for 2150/2200+ is usually good enough), but you want to apply for CS. CS for those UCs is near impossible. For CS at Berkeley, you can have over a 4.0 UC GPA and a 2300+ on the SAT and you can still get rejected. In addition to getting good grades and test scores, you need to break away from the pack. Find something outside of class or school to do related to compsci.
I’m aware that only Grades and SAT scores can’t get me into that field, since computer science is extremely competitive. On top of that, I’m Korean-American, making it even more competitive. My grades are decent right now, but I plan and predict to make my unweighted GPA a 4.4-4.6 by the time I graduate, maybe even higher if I don’t struggle with the English subjects. Im going for a 2200 for the SAT. I’m also aware that I need extra curricular involving computer science, but any ideas on WHAT that would be? I know it’s my problem to find whatever I want to spend my time on, but I just want a few great ideas to boost personal ideas. For example, what small companies should I be involved in? My schedule over the summer is currently full of studying for the SAT, and a bunch of summer classes and AP summer work. Next summer Im planning to work hard on the ECs, so any recommendations or thoughts on those ECs?