And that it’s affordable.
If you thought OSU was better, would you prefer it ? There are many schools that give aid. Not just Case.
Why not define the kind of school you prefer - not rank - but urban or rural, large or small - or in between on those. Sports. Weather etc and build a proper list vs I want high ranked. Many high ranked s hooks struggle with placing CS grads - so don’t equate perceived greatness with outcomes. I showed you show many Ga Tech kids couldn’t find jobs. Other top schools report struggles.
Get to a school you’d enjoy - and go from there. That’s most important this early vs having what you want in mind bcuz you know it locally. It may end up its Case but you have time to explore and learn about others.
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That’s better than my grades, but I was bored and disengaged.
Bottom line is you have done well enough to get into a decent school - probably not the top 20, but in reality, they are a reach for anybody.
I certainly didn’t go to a T20 school - I could have gone to a school with a world ranking in the world top 30, but instead went to one with a world ranking of 226. Why? They were just down the road from where I worked at the time, and I contacted them. I actually ended up having a chat with the head of the math department (I wanted to do an all-math degree), and he assured me I could get in and could do an all-math degree. The top 30 school at the time did not have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and while I could major in math, I could not do a 100% math degree - I had to take other subjects like physics, economics, etc. It clicked with me.
Anyway, I got very good grades (much, much better than my HS grades). I was actually headhunted for a job I had waiting for me even before I graduated. Doing well at whatever school you do go to is the most important thing, plus how well the graduates are thought of in what you studied. It turned out that the applied math degree I earned was well-regarded by the industry.
Instead of worrying about T20 schools, where they look at all sorts of things to determine who is on the list, have a look at the list based on employability:
It has all the usual highly selective suspects, but notice that ASU is at 14. 90% acceptance rate.
Do a bit of research on schools that employers like for CS or economics. Give them a ring, visit the campus, have a chat with a counsellor (you may even get the department head, like I did).
Of course, it’s not over for you. It’s just that the highly selective schools are a reach for anyone. You need to be smarter in your choices- thats all.
Don’t stress yourself out, enjoy your youth, have fun, and work smarter, not harder.
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It is better to make a more informed placement decision by trying the college’s old final exams for calculus courses, assuming that you earn an AP score that allows advanced placement.
Discrete math is typically one of the more important math courses for CS majors. Linear algebra and statistics (often calculus-based) are also typical CS major requirements. Calculus 3 may or may not be required (usually depending on if the CS major is engineering-based).
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This doc lists colleges that offer merit scholarships for nmf’s. The scholarships vary so you’d need to look at each schools website to see exactly what the scholarships consist of and what are the qualifications (other than NMSF - I suspect the more selective schools on the list have a hurdle of getting accepted before any scholarship is offered, whereas NMF guarantees acceptance at most less selective colleges. There are full rides available and also full tuition. Also most likely some with relatively small scholarships.
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If you do become a NMSF, then I would check out this thread, especially the schools listed below. UT-Dallas is one I would give a strong look to. I’ve heard some very good things about their computer science program.
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If you become an NMF, I’d focus on those schools that give a full ride or at least full tuition. They are great and you will have alternatives to CS too if you don’t click with the math requirements. Tulsa, Dallas, sometimes Fordham (I don’t remember where it stands now, used to be a large scholarship for all).
I think you’ll do great at a school where you fit in academically and socially, so just make sure your list includes lots of safeties for YOUR stats. Do think of things you’d like at a school - close to home/far from home, warm climate or cold, big or small campus, big sports or small (in Ohio, this could be a big deal). Lots of schools to choose from.
Is it realistic to suggest someone with a 3.5 and consistent Bs in math will get an NMF? Plus, wasn’t the PSAT a year ago.
Guessing it won’t be in play here.
I believe the test was taken about 6 months ago and that the cutoffs by state for NMSF will be announced late summer/early fall, I believe.
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Yes
Marginal difference between 15k/yr and 0 is not a game changer for me. If that pushes me down into worse CS programs. I’ve ran NPC so many times, most private schools are around 15 so that would be ideal (and that’s why I’m thinking ED CWRU)
OP said the scores would have been good for NMF based on history for qualifying in that state.
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I reread. Couldn’t find. ThX
Then there can be some safety valve schools - like Tulsa - assuming acceptance - that could meet budget. Or if they have a 3.5, an Alabama or UAH type as a safety valve if the in state publics don’t work for them. And some more.
Do GPAs impact NMSF status ? I don’t know the answer.
they affect semifinalist → finalist but not before that afaik
also i’m assuming the extenuating circumstances don’t help much?
(for general apps and justifying the grade)
Your school counselor can mention the OCD and that you were learning to manage it, as shown with the upward trend in grades. Might it impact any college’s perceptions? Maybe. But if you’re talking about your T20 (whether CS rankings or other), they’re rejecting most applicants regardless, and you’ll never necessarily know why.
But you’re stating a desire for CS and the most competitive schools for CS in the country. Having a B every year in your math class, including your best year yet, does not bode well for admission to those schools for that major. Getting a B in your AP CS class (along with a 4 on the AP) does not bode well for the most competitve CS programs in the country.
So sure, feel free to try, but I would not anticipate a major shift in how your application is perceived.
I would advise against taking linear algebra and discrete math at a community college, or at least getting some more informed opinions on the subject (I am not a math expert but am familiar with many educational policies). Why? Because those will be on your official college transcript. What’s the potential problem with that?
Many colleges require calculus classes as a prereq for linear algebra and discrete math. Thus, the degree of depth in discrete math/linear algebra at those colleges may be deeper than what you get at the community college. But if those classes are already on your postsecondary transcript, you’re not supposed to take them again (unless you fail the first time).
Additionally, if you’ve already taken those classes at a postsecondary level then some schools (particularly those that require calculus to take those classes) may give assumed credit for calculus (like if you place into third semester French on a test, they will give you credit for the first two semesters of French). That will also impede your ability to retake calculus in college.
Since you don’t know what college you’ll be attending, you won’t know their policies, and there’s a lot of risk of making things harder for yourself in the future by taking the DE classes which will always follow you (as they’re postsecondary classes…and those transcripts will be required for every college and grad school in the future).
the frustrating part is i’m so insanely close to an A in Calc BC, but 3rd quarter just messed me up. i have an A in every other quarter
my teacher seems confident I will get a 5, and I’m close to it in practice tests… but I don’t know how much it helps
would it be completely unreasonable to ask for a deal where if I get a 5 he rounds my grade up to an A?
and/or if I get a rec letter from him specifically?
and if I get a near-perfect SAT Math does it balance it out (well of course it can’t balance it completely, but will it let them know i actually can do math?)
Alll you mention are positives - nobody here can assure you anything.
You take your shots - and ensure you have a safety that’s affordable - and then others where the NPC looks good.
That’s all - and you’ll find out after schools decide.
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I agree with @tsbna44.
You need to think about what is within your locus of control and what is not. You have no control over how admission readers are going to react to your application or its components. You do, however, have control over many of those components.
You don’t know if you will get a 5 on the Calc BC test. But you can pay attention in class, ask your teacher for assistance in identifying areas of weakness, develop a plan to improve on those areas in the time before the AP, and then study and practice in accordance with that plan, making any adjustments necessary based on your success.
You can’t guarantee what your score will be on the AP test, but you can make sure you go to sleep early the night before, eat a well-balanced breakfast the morning of, and make sure to allot plenty of time to get to school so that you don’t have any last-minute stress rushing to get there in time.
Those are all things within your locus of control. How the admissions officers will interpret your score (whatever it ends up being) is not within your locus of control, so I would try not to think about it at all.
You can do the same type of thing for your Calc BC class. In addition to making sure you study the material appropriately, you can make sure you are using a planner with all assignments included for the class and break down larger projects into earlier “due dates” for yourself to make sure that everything that is supposed to be done is completed successfully rather than potentially forgetting about an assignment or getting overwhelmed with a project started at the last minute and getting a lower grade than you may have been able to get if you had done more planning ahead of time to sequence out your work. Will that be sufficient to get an A in the class? Nobody knows, but you’ll be learning the material, practicing habits that will lead to success in college (and in life), and focusing on things that you actually have control over.
Once the semester ends, you can develop a well-balanced college list. You can’t control which schools will definitely end up accepting you, but you can make sure to craft your search in such a way that you will have at least one (and preferably more than one) school that will suit your needs and be affordable.
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