Pursuing Computer Science at a UC

College Search & Selection
1

Hey Im a junior in northern California and I had a question about what college would best fit me given my current situation.

GPA----
UW: 3.75
W: 4.03
UC: 3.81

SAT: 1740 (just took another one and I think I did better)

Course load----
I have taken the most rigorous path I could have taken throughout high school. I overwhelmed myself junior year and gotten my first C’s ever. My AP Physics course was extremely difficult this year for me because the college board changed the curriculum. Also my teacher was pregnant and has been out the past 2 months. Should I mention that in a college application? or is that not a valid excuse?

Soph(1/2 semester)
Adv Algebra II: B / B+
Adv LA com II: B / B
Honors Chem: A / A-
AP World History: A / A
Spanish II: B+ / A
PE: A / A
Broadcasting II: A / A
Am Life/ Health: A / A

Junior
Honors LA III: A / A
Pre Calculus: B / C
AP Physics 1: C+ / C+
AP US History: A- / A
AP Government: B / A-
Spanish III: B+ / A
PE: A / A
Graph Comm: A / A

EC----
Eagle Scout
CSF member
Broadcasting reporter for my school
200+ hours of community service

Ethnicity (I hope this doesn’t matter/ darn affirmative action)
White, Male

I would like to stay in California to pursue a degree in Computer Science preferably at a UC like UCD, UCSB, or UCSC. Are these schools achievable for me? Also, are there any other schools that anybody could recommend? Thanks a lot and sorry for the lengthy profile, just wanted to give a full picture.
Thanks again!
:slight_smile:

2

Apply very widely as CS admissions in CA publics is really fierce. CA does not have affirmative action.

Do not use excuses like a teacher situation to explain your grades.

3

You can compare your stats with the frosh profiles at http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/profiles/ , but essays are important as well. In addition, at some campuses, CS may have higher selectivity due to its popularity, or it may be within an engineering division which has higher selectivity. If it is in an engineering division, your lowest grades being in math and physics may be more of a problem.

So you should look at applying more widely than those three UCs.

4

Based on your posted Stats, you should consider UCSC/UCM/UCR. UCD/UCSD/UCI would be low reaches especially for CS. I would also include some Cal States such as SJSU, CSULB, SDSU, CPP and/or CSUF. My younger son had a 3.73 UC GPA and 31 ACT. Only UC he was accepted was UCR (did not apply to UCM/UCSC) but got into all the Cal States listed above and currently is attending SDSU. This was last year and the competition for CS in the UC’s is even higher, so make sure you have some good backups. Good Luck.

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