New Course: How to Write a Standout Computer Science College Application
I’m thrilled to announce my online course How to Write a Standout Computer Science College Application.
Why Am I Launching This Course?
At Lantern, we are known for our high-touch, personalized college counseling and care of our families. Comprehensive individualized services have always been and will continue to be the cornerstone of our work.
Because the field of computer science (CS) is both wildly popular and exceedingly competitive, I am frequently approached for my CS expertise by CS-interested families and other college counselors guiding CS-interested students. They are not seeking comprehensive, personalized services but rather resources about the nuts and bolts of applying to college as a CS major, which they can use to guide their student(s).
In response, I’ve organized my CS-application expertise into a new course, “How to Write a Standout Computer Science College Application.” The course is a rich repository of resources that Lantern’s comprehensive families have regular access to within the context of our work. Taking the course can be thought of as your being in the driver’s seat of the process of applying to college as a CS major, with the course as your road map. For my comprehensive families, I am in the driver’s seat, customizing our route with their input and anticipating forks, turns, traffic signals, opportunities, and hazards.
The guidance in the course is not specific nor individualized to any one student, so the lessons can be greatly enhanced with tailored advice from an admissions expert, such as a high school or college counselor, or an independent educational consultant, such as myself. Lantern’s comprehensive families already have access to such personalized advice through our work and, of course, all the expertise and resources as well.
If you are a student, parent, or counselor who would find it helpful to have my expertise as a road map to guide you, read on to learn more about my course How to Write A Standout Computer Science College Application.
Expert Instruction
I am an independent educational consultant specializing in STEM and the founder and owner of Lantern College Counseling. In addition to my role as an IEC, I currently serve as the Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies for the School of Engineering at Tufts University. In this role, I guide approximately 700 students majoring in computer science (CS) in both the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences and oversee all undergraduate degree programs offered by the six departments in the School of Engineering, including the CS department. Before joining Tufts, I spent over two decades as a dean and a professor of computer science at Wellesley College, where I collaborated with colleagues at MIT and Olin College of Engineering to support students pursuing CS and engineering. While at Wellesley, I taught, advised, and mentored hundreds of computer science majors. I also served on the College’s Board of Admissions, reading and evaluating transfer student applications each year, including those seeking to major in CS. My leadership roles in higher education give me a unique appreciation for how institutional priorities are reflected in admissions decisions – in this case, how the saturated field of CS manifests in a student’s chances of admission. Through my decades supporting college students majoring in computer science, I know what students may expect on their college campus and what they should consider to identify good-fit CS schools. My students have been admitted to study computer science at a range of institutions, including MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Washington-Seattle, Cornell University, Northwestern University, Northeastern University, New York University, Olin College of Engineering, and Harvey Mudd College, among many others.
I’ve earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and an MS and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
The Competitive Computer Science Admissions Landscape
Since the economic downturn in 2008, computer science enrollments have exploded, more than tripling by 2015, and continue to skyrocket. As an example, the University of Wisconsin-Madison saw an 800% increase in computer science majors in one decade, growing from 200 to over 2,000 students from 2011 to 2021. The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington experienced an over 400% increase in interest in a similar time frame.
One reason for this explosion of interest in computer science is the strong return on investment of a computer science degree. College is expensive, and families want their children to be prepared to live independently in an uncertain world.
Because CS is a discipline overrepresented in the applicant pool, admission as a CS major can be far more competitive than for other majors. Admission to schools as a CS major is supported with clear direction in the field reflected in activities, resume, and coursework: I call this a strong CS “fingerprint.” Students who cannot show this strong CS “fingerprint” will likely experience poor application outcomes at schools.
Generally, a student applying to schools as a CS major should expect their schools’ admissions probability coding to be less hopeful than their peers applying to the same institutions with a different major. For example, in 2021 the admit rate to top-ranked Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science was 3% while the overall (general) admit rate was 15.4%. Likewise, in 2022 the top-ranked CS program at the Allen School at the University of Washington had an admit rate of 7% in contrast to 52% for the UW's College of Engineering, which houses the Allen School.
Computer science-focused students often target the most highly ranked, well-known computer science programs. Admission to these programs is unlikely for even exceptional students with clear CS “fingerprints.” Students will have more options if they are open-minded and look beyond obvious candidates, into programs that may be a great fit for their unique interests and preferences.
Course Overview
How to Write a Standout Computer Science College Application covers the academic and non-academic aspects of a CS college application. It provides the knowledge and tools students need to write a strong application and includes reflective exercises to enhance their learning. The course includes valuable takeaways for students throughout their time in high school. Parents and college counselors who take the course will find its rich lessons and resources position them to support their CS-interested students well.
The course includes 70 lessons delivered through a mix of media: videos, audio and screen recordings, documents, and fillable PDFs. The first module (0) and its five lessons are complimentary via preview at the course site.
At a high level, the course provides:
A clear sense of the competitive landscape in CS admissions so students are well-positioned to confidently navigate it.
Guidance for course planning and selections at and beyond a student’s high school.
Recommendations for selecting extra- and co-curricular activities, including a comprehensive and continuously updated catalog of activities for consideration.
Guidance for building a balanced college list beyond the rankings.
Information about CS-related fields to consider, including newly emerging ones.
Insights about what makes a compelling personal statement for CS applications, including example topics and essays from past students with successful outcomes.
Guidance for writing common supplemental essays for CS applications, including example essays from past students with successful outcomes.
Brainstorming exercises to generate possible essay topics and content.
Insights about other important application components such as standardized testing, references, interviews, and demonstrated interest.
What students need to know about using AI for their college applications.
Course Content
Module 0*: Course Overview and Fundamentals (free)
Overview of the competitive CS admissions landscape
Colleges vs. universities for CS
CS degree requirements
*(all counting in CS starts at zero!)
Module 1: Academics
Academics at your high school
Academics beyond your high school
Using the additional information section
Module 2: Extra- and co-curricular activities
Catalog of extra- and co-curricular activities
Inventory of extra- and co-curricular activities
Example short and expanded activity description
Module 3: The College List
Types of schools to study CS
Building, organizing, trimming, and balancing the list
useful tools & techniques
Criteria to identify good CS-fit schools
Identifying good CS-fit schools worksheet
Questions for a current CS student worksheet
Determining the final list
Understanding established & newly emerging CS-related fields
Beyond the CS major
Module 4: The Personal Statement
Introduction to writing the personal statement as a CS major
Example essay 1 - Speed Rubik’s Cubing
Why does essay 1 work well?
Example essay 2 - Homebuilt American Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course
Why does essay 2 work well?
Example essay 3 - Maintenance of a Whole Foods Self-Checkout Machine
Why does essay 3 work well?
Example essay 4 - Sewing
Why does essay 4 work well?
Personal statement brainstorming exercises
Module 5: The Supplemental Essays
How to write the ‘Elaborate on an interest or activity’ essay
Example essay prompts
Example essays
Brainstorming exercises
How to write the ‘Why your major? (CS)’ essay
Example essays
Brainstorming exercises
How to write the ‘Why this school? (to study CS)’ essay
Example essays
Content building exercises
Other supplemental essays
Module 6: Application Components Beyond Academics, Activities, and Essays
Application components beyond academics, activities, and essays and introduction to the common data set
Standardized testing
the ACT and the SAT
AP exams
References
Interviews
Demonstrated interest
Module 7: AI for Applications
AI for college applications
AI limitations & opportunities
AI and essays
Module 8: Finalizing and Submitting the Application
Before pressing the submit button
Early and regular decision application methods
After pressing the submit button
How to Get the Most Out of the Course
In the course, I guide students to build a strong CS fingerprint, represent themselves powerfully through their writing and other application components, and build a realistic and balanced college list. I arm students to apply to college with confidence knowing that they have made their strongest application and that they will have good options.
Fully Engage in the Course Content
Students, make a commitment to yourself to deeply engage with and complete the entire course. Watch all the videos and do all the exercises. Depending on when you start the course, you will find it helpful to repeat parts of it at different stages in your application process. For instance, it will be helpful to revisit the sections on course selections, extra- and co-curricular activities, and list-building over time as you progress through high school and as your thinking evolves through the application process. The lessons will be routinely updated to remain current, another reason to revisit them. For instance, as I become aware of new extra- or co-curricular activities, I will add them to the comprehensive activities catalog included in the course. Likewise, I will update other lessons as the CS admissions landscape shifts.
Understand your Odds in the Context of High Competition
Secondly, it is common to underestimate just how competitive CS admission is. Take the information in the course seriously. It may be tempting to dismiss my warnings and think they do not apply to YOU, believing that you are different from others who have struggled to gain admission to schools as a CS major. Yes, you are different and, yes, you are special. However, many other talented students are working hard towards the same goal as you are. Embrace my advice about building a balanced list; otherwise, you could have no options.
Supplement this Course with College Application Best Practices
This course does not provide comprehensive advice on how to apply to college in general. It provides expertise specific to applying to college as a CS major. For instance, I provide detailed guidance about selecting extra- and co-curricular activities in order to draft a robust CS fingerprint and how to position these activities in the personal statement and supplemental essays. However, I do not provide comprehensive guidance of the mechanics of writing a strong essay nor how to best use 150 characters to write about each activity – although I do provide general guidance on these topics and examples. Some students who take this course will find my direction sufficient. However, many will find it helpful to augment this course with additional resources, such as other experts (for example, a school-based counselor or an independent educational counselor, such as myself) and free online resources. Again, the focus of this course is CS-specific expertise.
Seek Additional Personalized Support
Further, be aware that all the advice in this course is not specific nor individualized to any one student. I strongly recommend enhancing the lessons in the course with personalized guidance from an admissions expert. Your high school counselor is a valuable resource, as would be an independent educational consultant, such as myself. Note that the course is not a substitute for personalized advising.
Lastly, keep in mind that completing the course and following its lessons does not guarantee acceptance into specific programs or schools.
How to View Module 0 (Complimentary)
View the course outline and Module 0. If you’d then like to sign up for the course, click on the button labeled “Unlock the course to get started on your path to studying CS in college!” and you’ll be directed to set up an account and enroll. Or, simply click on the Get the Course button below.
How to Enroll
Click on the Get the Course button below to enroll in the course.
