For CS and Engineering Students: The Deep-Fit Admissions Advantage
For parents with children aiming for admission to the most fiercely competitive majors of CS and engineering, making a Deep-Fit™ application to a school can help them achieve their best application outcomes.
How Competitive is CS Admissions?
There has been a drastic shift over the past decade and a half in the popularity of the field of computer science. A 2017 publication by the Computing Research Association reports that the number of computer science majors was at its low point in 2006. In 2008, the economic downturn struck. Since then, computer science enrollments have exploded, more than tripling by 2015, and continue to skyrocket. For 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 CS in a similar time frame. One reason for this explosion of interest in computer science is a CS degree's strong return on investment (ROI). This high demand fuels the competitive CS admissions landscape.
Take Carnegie Mellon University, which houses a top-ranked CS program in its School of Computer Science. In 2015, the admit rate to CMU’s School of Computer Science was about 5%, while it was 19% for its seven other undergraduate programs. Likewise, consider the University of Washington (UW), home to another top-ranked CS program in its Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Currently, the UW’s 3-year average admit rate for non-Washington resident direct-to-major CS/computer engineering is 2%, while the overall admit rate is 46%. Additional recent data comes from the April 2024 University of California’s Counselor Bulletin, which shared that the fall 2024 overall first-year admit rate for Berkeley applicants was 11.4%, while the admit rate for applicants with a first-choice major of CS was 1.9%.
Admissions just don’t get any more competitive than for CS at this time.
What About Engineering Admissions?
As gaining admission to CS programs becomes increasingly challenging, many students are motivated to consider CS-related engineering majors such as computer engineering, electrical engineering, data science, robotics, and others. More broadly, as with CS, students flock to engineering, hoping to have solid job prospects post-graduation. Unsurprisingly, gaining admission to schools as an engineering major is also, like CS, highly competitive. For example, the overall admit rate at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) is 43.7%, while only 22% of students are admitted to UIUC’s Grainger College of Engineering, where aerospace engineering, bioengineering, computer science (CS and CS blended programs), computer engineering, mechanical engineering and neural engineering are the most highly competitive engineering disciplines. At the University of California Los Angeles, admission rates to the Samueli School of Engineering range from 3.1% (CS) to 17% (chemical engineering), with the most highly selective majors of computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and aerospace engineering admitting fewer than 5% of applicants. Revisiting the University of Washington data, in contrast to its overall 3-year average admit rate of 46% for non-Washington residents, the direct-to-college engineering admit rate was 43%. To reexamine the April 2024 University of California's Counselor Bulletin data, which shared that the overall first-year admit rate to Berkeley was 11.4%, the admit rate to Berkeley for applicants with a first-choice major of electrical and computer engineering was 7.6%, and mechanical engineering was 4.9%.
Generally, students applying to schools to study CS or engineering should expect their chances of admission to be less hopeful than their peers applying to the same institutions with a different major.
What Does it Take to Have Strong CS and Engineering Admissions Outcomes?
As I’ve written, presented, and spoken about widely, because computer science and engineering are disciplines overrepresented in the applicant pool, admission as a CS and engineering major can be far more competitive than admission to other majors. Admission to schools as a CS and engineering major is supported by clear direction in CS and engineering reflected in activities, resume, and coursework: a strong STEM “fingerprint.”
What comprises a strong STEM fingerprint?*
Rigorous STEM courses in high school with strong grades
Math, CS, and engineering courses that augment the high school offerings
Year-round and summer STEM camps, workshops, classes, and programs
Engagement in related high school clubs
Participation and placement in programming and STEM competitions
Participation and placement in mathematics competitions or hackathons
Activity on GitHub and independent research
Maker portfolios
Math and CS tutoring of other students
Numerous technical skills (i.e., 3-D printing) and programming languages
Publications of STEM research
STEM patents
STEM work experiences and internships
* This list is meant to be illustrative and is not exhaustive.
What Else Can Your Child Do To Improve Their Chances of Acceptance into a Competitive STEM program?
A strong STEM fingerprint does not guarantee admission to a top-ranked CS or engineering program. These and similar activities define a predictable and well-worn path leading to admittance to many colleges and universities as a computer science or engineering major. However, many students applying to the most highly selective institutions will have similar STEM fingerprints. Students who differentiate themselves within this competitive pool will have better outcomes. They may distinguish themselves by being the most STEM-accomplished within this group, for instance, by achieving national and international accomplishments. Another way a student may stand out is through other interesting and unusual parts of their application - things that most CS- and STEM-interested students can't or don't do and that make them "look" different amongst the sea of students who have done many of the more common activities. Additionally, outstanding references can set a student apart from the pack.
What About Demonstrated Interest?
Another important lever to strengthen a student’s application is demonstrated interest. Demonstrated interest can be understood narrowly, such as making college visits, opening emails from schools and following the embedded links, spending time on a school’s website, or writing personal emails to admissions officers. While these steps can make a difference at some schools (when I was on the Board of Admission at Wellesley College, I reviewed which of these steps an applicant had taken,) the most highly selective schools do not track such activities (for example, all Ivy League Institutions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Barnard, and others.)
However, an often-overlooked yet more powerful form of demonstrated interest is a Deep-Fit application. A Deep-Fit application shows that a student knows themselves, deeply knows about the school, and knows what they will bring to that specific college community and how they will grow from it. A Deep-Fit application shows a school that a student is genuinely interested in it because the student has spent time learning about the school and thoughtfully demonstrating what they have learned in their application materials.
The Deep-Fit Advantage For CS and Engineering Students
Every college and university wants to admit students who will thrive on their campus. Beyond demonstrating interest, a Deep-Fit application is powerful at all institutions, even those that do not track traditional forms of demonstrated interest, because it shows a school that the student has the potential to thrive within their community.
Institutions are overwhelmed with talented CS and engineering applicants, so they have the liberty to pick and choose among them. A Deep-Fit application compellingly differentiates a student from others with similar grades, courses, test scores, and activities who have not deeply researched the institution and have not shown that they are a Deep-Fit. A Deep-Fit application helps an admissions officer see the student on their campus, contributing and thriving.
To ensure the best outcomes, we recommend that students apply to fewer schools rather than more. Families often think that if students apply to more schools, their chance of getting into one is better. While theoretically, it is statistically marginally true that more applications lead to a better chance of admission, such logic assumes the applications are all strong. In practice, we see the opposite. Each year, we see students who apply to too many schools and so are unable to write strong applications that distinguish them in the application pool - that is, demonstrate a Deep-Fit.
What is Deep-Fit?
Most college search guidance is about identifying a good-fit school that meets a student’s general criteria, such as location, size, and academic and social opportunities. These criteria are objective and concrete factors and independent of any given student. With Deep-Fit, choosing a school isn't about chasing prestige, US News and World Report rankings, or fit to expected obvious factors. Of course, these factors are important to consider, but Deep-Fit is more than this. After all, two schools with similar sizes, locations, and academic and social opportunities are not the same, and a student might have vastly different experiences at them. A Deep-Fit college is a good-fit college where a student will have the opportunity to have positive, impactful experiences, meet their specific academic and personal goals, thrive, and lay the foundation for a successful life—to create their future.
Beyond Good-Fit, What Are Your Deep-Fit Criteria?
At Lantern College Counseling, we build a customized college list of good-fit schools for each student based on our work and what we’ve learned about what they seek and value in their college experience. We then guide students to determine which of these good-fit schools are a Deep-Fit for them. What questions should they ask and answer to know if a school is a place where they will have the opportunity to have positive, impactful experiences, meet their specific academic and personal goals, thrive, and lay the foundation for a successful life—to create their future?
Case Study: What Should a Student Consider to Identify Deep-Fit CS Programs And Make Deep-Fit Applications?
Rankings do not determine fit.
Is the CS program at a college or a university? The type of institution will impact the student experience.
At a university:
In what school is the CS program? The School of Arts and Sciences? Engineering? Computer Science? Other?
Is it possible for students enrolled in different schools at the University to major in computer science?
How do students apply to a CS program at the University? Do students apply, and are they admitted directly to the CS major or program, like at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington? Or, may students apply to the University with all majors available to them, like MIT and Case Western University?
If not admitted directly to the computer science major, what is the process for a student to major in computer science? How difficult or easy is it? Is the number of computer science majors capped? Are there criteria for majoring in CS? If so, what are they?
What are the requirements for the major and the degree?
Case study: At Tufts University, students apply and are accepted to either the School of Arts and Sciences or Engineering. Students in both schools may major in CS. There are no caps on the number of CS majors. The major itself is virtually the same when pursued from either school. The one distinction in the major is that there is a year-long required senior capstone project in the School of Engineering. However, the degree requirements outside the major - beyond the major requirements - are significantly different in each school. Generally, students pursuing a BSCS in the School of Engineering must take more math and science courses, whereas students pursuing a BA/BS in Computer Science in the School of Arts and Sciences must take more humanities, arts, and social sciences courses, including foreign language. There is also a co-op program available to students majoring in CS in the School of Engineering but not the School of Arts and Sciences.
How many faculty members are in an institution's CS department? What type of research and labs do they support?
How many CS courses are offered? What are they? Your child should examine the course catalog at schools, identifying those of interest.
Are there specialization tracks available? What are they? Again, your child should examine the course catalog at schools, identifying those of interest.
Ask a current CS major how large their classes are and if they’ve had trouble getting a seat in a CS class. At some schools, getting a seat in a CS class is highly challenging. Do not underestimate this concern.
What can you learn about the diversity of the Computer Science Department’s faculty and student body? Female students and students of color may be particularly interested in community members who share their identities. However, all students benefit from a diverse community.
Remember the big six college experiences linked to life preparedness and look for the potential for your child to have these experiences:
Do students report having close relationships with faculty and mentors within the CS department?
How easy is it to do research with a CS professor?
What is the advising system for CS students?
Is there a CS co-op program?
What information does the Career Services Office provide about internships and job placement for CS majors?
Is there a required senior capstone project or thesis for the CS major?
What types of CS student organizations are available?
The Deep-Fit Advantage
Answering these types of questions will position students to make Deep-Fit applications so they stand out in the overcrowded CS and engineering application pool, shining above other talented students with similar grades, courses, test scores, and activities who have not shown that they are a Deep-Fit.
Where Is Your Child On Their Journey To Find Deep-Fit?
Access Lantern’s Deep-Fit Assessment tool.
