Tom
What is the best way for me to get accepted into a very selective school, e.g. Stanford or Cal Berkeley, which is known for its success in computer science?
I am going into my junior year of high school and hoping to major in Computer Science in college. It has always been a dream of mine to go to Stanford or another, similarly selective school that has had success in its computer science department. I first got interested in computer science a few years ago whilst in middle school, and have since started developing my own website and apps, and would love to have the opportunity to further my knowledge in computer science and start my career at Stanford. #computer-science #college-advice #college-prep
3 answers
Loida Otero ➢ Social Media Marketer
Loida Otero ➢’s Answer
Hello Tom,
Amazing, you seem to be on the right track! First, lets talk about academics-you need to have a stellar GPA, excellent SAT scores (yes, they look at PSAT's too) and any/all extracurricular activities (i.e. clubs, student government, volunteer oppts etc..). Practice writing essay's as they ask you to write one for admission's purposes. Second, I would start a github account with any/all things you have done and create a nice portfolio on your website highlighting your work (i.e. apps, websites etc.). I would even improve someone's website for free, just to get some stars under your belt. As far as expanding your knowledge, you don't need to wait to get there to learn programming, in fact it would benefit you dearly if you learn some now-Coursera, EdX and Khan Academy are excellent places to begin learning about Computer Science (some of them have college credit courses too!) Best of all, you can add all the classes you take on your personal website and they would be impressed. This day in age, the competition is fierce, so playing sports, joining clubs and excellent grades, simply are not enough. You need to stand out and do something more than the ordinary, so think outside the box, because that's what Colleges and Universities are looking for.
https://www.edx.org/
https://www.khanacademy.org/
https://www.coursera.org/
Good luck Tom!
Navneet Kashyap
Navneet’s Answer
### **1. Maximize STEM Academic Rigor**
Before looking at your extracurricular activities, admissions offices will check if you have maxed out your high school's math and science options. You need to achieve top grades in the most advanced classes available to you. Prioritize **AP Calculus BC** (or linear algebra/multivariable calculus if your school offers dual enrollment) and **AP Physics** (specifically calculus-based Physics C, if available). For UC Berkeley’s Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS) track, demonstrating early mastery in advanced calculus and theoretical physics is a hard prerequisite for a competitive application.
### **2. Cultivate a Deep "Spike" Instead of Being Well-Rounded**
Ultra-selective schools do not want "well-rounded" students who do a little bit of everything; they want a well-rounded *class* made up of highly specialized, hyper-focused individuals. Instead of balancing sports, music, and student council, build a deep **"spike"** in computer science. Since you already develop websites and apps, take those to the next level:
* **Scale Your Creations:** An app with 5,000 active users or a website solving a concrete problem for a local non-profit holds infinitely more weight than a basic portfolio project done for a class.
* **Contribute Open-Source:** Write code and fix bugs for major open-source projects on GitHub to prove you can collaborate at an industry level.
### **3. Aim for National-Level Verification**
Admissions officers need to know your skills stand up against the best students in the country. Seek out external validation through competitive metrics:
* Participate in high-level coding competitions like the **USA Computing Olympiad (USACO)** and aim to advance to the Gold or Platinum divisions.
* Apply for highly selective, fully funded summer research programs or elite tech pipelines like the **MIT Research Science Institute (RSI)** or the **Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)** to gain formal academic research experience.
### **4. Write Authentic, Intellectual Essays**
Stanford specifically evaluates your application for **"Intellectual Vitality"**—the genuine love of learning for its own sake, rather than just earning an "A." In your application essays, don't just state that you love coding. Dive into the deep, specific details of a niche computer science problem that keeps you up at night, explain how you hacked your way around a frustrating structural bug, or share how your perspective on software design has evolved since middle school.
---
*What kinds of apps or websites have you built so far? I can help you figure out how to scale them into major application standouts!*
Rachel Resnick
Rachel’s Answer
<span style="background-color: transparent;">Collegeboard.org is a great resource for this! I poured through the pages of universities all over the U.S. when I was a senior in high school. Collegeboard was my go-to site! They put all of the information in one place and it is very easy to use. They even have various filters you can apply to see only colleges that have programs you are interested. To determine academic rigor, look at the admissions requirements, G.P.A. of past admitted applicants, SAT/ACT scores, class rank etc. This will give you an idea of what scores and grades you need to be accepted. However, don't be discouraged your application will be reviewed based on the full picture! College-board will help you get an idea of what is most important to the specific school you are applying to.</span>
This professional recommends the following next steps:
- <span style="background-color: transparent;">Chat with your Guidance Counselor</span>
- <span style="background-color: transparent;">Create a Collegeboard.org account</span>
- <span style="background-color: transparent;">Start using CollegeBoard as a resource to look up schools.</span>