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Advice for Prospective CSE Majors from Current Students |
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Student advice on preparing for CSEThe competitive admissions process for Computer Science and Engineering can be stressful, and it requires careful planning and preparation. We encourage prospective students to discuss their plans with advisers, and talk to other students about their experiences. Below, current students give their advice on preparing for the program and Transferring to the UW from a community college.
How did you prepare for the CSE application, and for success in the program? "Besides making sure to have a strong academic record, I made sure to get to know the advisors and some of the professors, started on my personal statement early (and revised it many times), and also applied to other programs just in case""After [a couple unsuccessful applications], I spoke with the advisors. They went through my transcripts extremely carefully and let me know exactly what my situation was. I was given a clear plan to work towards and the goal became to achieve these objectives, rather than working aimlessly and trying to improve an already solid application essay." "Really focus on getting in the department, and let that focus shine through in your application -- don't squander those years of work on a mediocre application." "Don't be discouraged by the competitive nature of CSE, especially when applying. Make sure to have back-up plans, and just see where life takes you. Above all, try not to stress too much!" "Early on I found people in the program to talk to. I made friends with the advisors as well as faculty of the department. It is important to know many different people and get as much information about what the department is looking for in an application." "Take the prerequisite courses early and really try to do well in them. If you are in your first year of college, you don't really have that much to show, so the department will really pay attention to how well you did in those courses."
If you transferred to the UW from a community college, what helped your transfer process? "I was a Running Start student my senior year in high school, which allowed me to get a lot of prereq courses out of the way. In the end, it also saved me a year's worth of college expenses, which my parents were particularly happy about. I made sure to take classes that applied to the degree that I eventually wanted to pursue at UW and ensured that those credits would transfer. That made all the difference." "It is really important to know which classes will transfer over and which will not. If there is a class you will have to take over again once you get to the university, your time could be better spent on classes that meet other requirements (like getting those darn W credits out of the way). ... Two years is really not much time to complete a CSE major, so try to get started right away, and don't think you have failed if you need to take a fifth year." "Make sure to consult the tables on the UW page that give you this info." |
