|
|
|
|
|
General Process
The CSE Undergraduate Admissions Committee is made up of faculty and advisors. Each application is read by at least three individual committee members prior to an all-day admissions committee meeting, where we discuss all applicants.
There are always more qualified applicants than space available in our programs, so our process is competitive, and we have to deny admission to some students with good records. We typically have space for approximately half the students who apply.
We use an evaluative, rather than quantitative, process in our admissions review. This means our decisions are based on more than simply which applicants have the highest grades. We do not tally up points, but form an overall evaluation based on academic background, as well as other factors such as outside interests and activities, evidence of leadership and a sense of direction, and life experience. We do not expect all students to excel across the board, but achievement in relevant academic areas or evidence of overcoming hardships can strengthen an application. When taking all of these factors into consideration, it is sometimes difficult to provide specific feedback on why a student has been denied admission.
Factors included in CSE Admissions Decisions:
Here are a few points to keep in mind about the process:
- Our goal is to have as complete of a picture as we can of an applicant’s activities, experiences, coursework, and academic performance.
- In evaluating transcripts, we look not only at an applicant's grades, but at how many courses are taken each quarter, circumstances, such as employment or activities, that may limit the number and types of courses taken, and the difficulty of each quarter as a whole (insofar as we have access to that information). For example, does the student take balanced yet challenging course loads? Is the student pursuing honors courses? Negative elements we might see include a pattern of repeating classes or selecting schedules with overlapping content. Because repeating a course can sometimes be beneficial, you may want to contact a CSE advisor to talk specifically about your options.”
- We look for breadth in coursework -- not only the prerequisites, but general education classes too. For instance, courses in English and Speech Communications can be important to our majors. Many of our upper-division courses rely on presentations, as well as an ability to communicate among team members. Also, an applicant's choice of courses gives us a glimpse of what interests him/her.
- The personal statement is an opportunity for the committee to learn more about what is important to an applicant and why computer science/engineering is of interest.
Because evaluations of the personal statements are subjective, and since each application is read by at least three committee members before the admissions meeting, we are rarely able to give specific feedback on the applicant's personal statement. What we can do is give an overview of the things we look for and leave it to the applicants to judge how well they addressed these points.
Personal statement
Personal Statement Guidelines (some of these topics may not apply to every applicant):
- We are most interested in hearing why you have chosen CSE, what most interests you about this field, and what your long-term goals are at this point. Please discuss how you think a CS or CE degree will help you reach your goals.
- We'd also like to find out what interests you have outside of CSE. Although a strong academic background is important, we are also committed to maintaining a rich, diverse student population. We would like to hear about your activities both in and outside of school. This may include involvement in student organizations, volunteer work, hobbies, employment, etc.
- If you had to overcome significant obstacles, difficulties, or challenges to reach where you are now, please discuss them and how they have affected the person you are today. Keep in mind that hardship itself is not a positive factor; overcoming hardship to demonstrate academic success can be.
- If there are circumstances that have impacted your performance in a particular course or academic quarter that you would like the admissions committee to know about, feel free to include a brief explanation. However, you should choose to only disclose information which feels relevant and comfortable to you. A simple mention of difficult personal circumstances or a brief account of what happened can sometimes shed light on a particular course grade or academic term that seems uncharacteristic of your overall record.
- If you wish to transfer from another four-year institution before graduating, then please let us know your reasons for transferring to our department. Postbaccalaureate applicants should discuss why they would like to earn a second undergraduate degree and why they feel this is a necessary part of their plans.
- If you have applied previously to our department, please point out what has improved in your application since the last time you applied.
We are looking for students that can write effectively and creatively, and whose essays are thorough yet concise. You should expect that writing the personal statement will take some time, and you may wish to start thinking about and writing it before the deadline to apply approaches.
What to do if you were not admitted.
Many students who are denied admission the first time apply again, and are admitted the second time around. Here are some things to think about as you try to improve your application:
- If your grades in key areas show trends that you need to correct, try taking more math, science, or English courses to show improvement in those subjects. If stability across multiple quarters is an issue, you should evaluate the options you have to create stability and work hard at maintaining strong grades. If you tend to only pay attention to the courses that interest you at the expense of everything else, focus on taking a more balanced approach to your coursework.
- You should continue to take challenging courses in math, physics or computer science. Keep in mind that although it may help your overall record to take a non-major CSE course, you may still be required to take the majors' version of the course if you are later accepted.
- If you feel like you are running out of courses to take, start looking at other requirements needed to graduate instead of just those needed to apply, i.e. finish the math and physics courses, or work towards a minor or another major. CS or CE degree requirements.
- Ask people to give you feedback on your personal statement. In particular, see if they feel it captures who you are as a person, or if they feel the focus is too narrow. Be open to making changes, as it’s not in your best interest to submit the same exact essay the next time you apply. Also, address what has changed since your last application. Spend time proof-reading your writing to make sure it is solid. As always, remember that it is more important for us to hear what you are doing presently and hope to accomplish in the future, rather than the details on the first time you sat in front of a computer or played your first video game.
- If you have trouble taking tests, or organizing your time, look into a workshop run by the Student Counseling Center on test-anxiety, test-taking tips, or time management.
- If you would like to speak with an advisor, there are two pre-major advising centers available to you: the Gateway Center in Mary Gates Hall, or pre-engineering in Loew 301. You may also attend drop-in advising hours for the CSE department.
|
CSE Home 
