Computer Science has become an increasingly popular major. We work with students every year who dream of getting into top-ranked computer science programs. Many of these programs can be really competitive. If you are dreaming of getting into a top-tier computer science program, we suggest starting to explore the field while still in high school. A great way to start is by taking the right classes. Let’s break them down.
Computer classes- all of them
Ok, this is kind of a no-brainer, but if your school offers computer classes you should take them. AP Computer Science is an especially good class to take, but if your school offers other computer classes, those also work great. We tend to recommend taking as many as you can if your school has specialty electives. If not, just AP Computer Science is great.
Get serious about Math
You should take 4 years of math and take these classes at the highest level possible. For many, this will mean taking AP, IB, or BC Calculus in their junior or senior year. Take whichever Calculus is available, but Calculus is a must. We also love AP Statistics. Statistics are important to research and Universities love to see a strong grasp of Stat.
Engineering
Most high schools don’t have a class simply called Engineering. More likely they have some electives that are connected to engineering principles. This could be something like 3D printing, Robotics, or Technology. If your school doesn’t offer these types of classes, they might have them as clubs or extracurriculars. This might be a robotics team or a hackathon. These are also great opportunities to learn more about engineering.
Learn to code
This is an important one. Yes, you will have opportunities to learn coding in college, but you should come in with good fundamentals and background knowledge. You don’t need to learn them all, but you should be familiar with Python, Java, JavaScript, Ruby, SQL, C++, HTML, and/or CSS. Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to learn them all, but knowing (at least the fundamentals of) 2-4 will be a huge asset. Your high school may offer coding classes, but if they don’t there are a ton of resources online to learn to code. We especially love up.Codeacademy.com, FREECODECAMP, and Code.org. Code.org is especially helpful for beginners.
Take an Online Course
You like computers, so take an online class! But seriously, there are a ton of great online classes that you can take to supplement your in-school curriculum. These classes are often cheap or free and let you work on your own schedule. There are a lot of great classes out there, but we often recommend:
Princeton’s Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose or Computer Science: Algorithms, Theory, and Machines
Fundamentals of Computing at Rice
Stanford’s Machine Learning Specialization
Do a summer intensive
Many colleges offer summer programs and intensives for high school students. NYU has a particularly popular one, but many colleges offer pre-college programs in Computer Science. These programs can be pricy, however, so make sure you check the price tag.
There are a lot of ways to prepare for applying to college as a computer science major. This is just the surface. If you are nervous about applying or want to make sure you are doing all you can to be a competitive candidate, we can help.
Reach out here.