College Plans - Garret Esparza
Introductory Paragraph:
I have always been interested in computers, and though I don't know what I want to major in at college right at this moment, I think that computer science is currently at the forefront. I am interested in Computer Science because t is an extremely versatile field, you can get a computer science job in almost any business. I have selected three schools that I would be happy attending, one safety that I could for sure get into, one fit which I could likely get into, and one reach which will be very challenging to get into. No matter what college I get into, a learning strategy that I will use is directly after a class, I will spend multiple hours writing about what I remember from the class. Writing about the information that you just learned after a class helps enforce the information and interrogate the info from your short term memory to your long term memory. When I graduate from HTHNC, I hope to find a route to take that makes sense financially and helps me achieve my future goals.
Safety: California State University San Marcos
Cal State San Marcos is fairly easy to get into with an admissions rate of 67%, an average GPA of 3.27, and an average SAT score of 1030. I well exceed the GPA requirement and I will likely exceed the SAT scores as my PSAT score is more than 1030. This school also offers many other majors I am interested in such as Education, Psychology, and Mathematics. The costs on CSUSM are less expensive than other schools, with an average cost of $18,000-$27,000. The location is also very close to home and familiar to me. Because the school is in San Marcos, I could live at home, cutting down on costs by around $4,000, which is a huge plus.
Fit: UCSD
UCSD is my fit because of the variety of majors that UCSD offers. If I feel like switching majors it can be done, because at UCSD you do not have to declare you major until your junior year. The average SAT score is 1350 and the average GPA is a 4.0, I already have more than a 4.0 and the SAT score shouldn't be to much of a problem. The acceptance rate is 34%, but goes up to 54% for transfers. I was drawn to this school by there price, in between $25,000 and $30,000. This is a good price and I could likely get some scholarships and some financial aid, so this school is for me in that respect. I have also been to this college many times (with HTHNC) and love the campus and it is quite large in comparison to HTHNC, which would be a nice change of pace after HTHNC.
Reach: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Caltech is my reach school because it is very hard to get into. The average SAT score is 1560 and the average GPA is 4.24. This is extremely high and I am close to the GPA requirement, but the SAT score will be very challenging for me to achieve. The admissions rate is 9%, which is extremely selective and I would more than likely not get into this school. However, I am interested in this school because it is a technology school. Because I am not sure what I would like to major in, if I decide that I want to major in something that relates to technology, I can major in it at Caltech. The school is very pricey though, with an estimated cost of $72,000. This means that if I do not get a scholarship or financial aid I will likely not be able to attend this school.
Interview Context and Essential Question:
I asked the person representing UCSD at the college fair the following question: "How will UCSD help me in finding what major I want to go into?"
She said that you do not have to declare your major until your junior year. This gives you plenty of time to try out different classes and different majors until you find out what you want to do. She also assured me that it is completely normal to not know what you would like to do with your life and that the majority of UCSD students figure it out soon after attending the school.
10 Year Plan:
2018:
Finish High School. Participate in a 1 month internship. Study for the SAT/ACT. Take a computer science Mira Costa course (this year or next year)
2019: Graduate High School. Participate in a 3 month internship (hopefully somewhere that relates to computer science more.)
2020: Take a gap year before college. I will try and get a job in the field I choose to go into, so I can get experience before I even go to college.
2021: Attend college. Do general education.
2022: 2nd year of college. Finish general education and take classes more centered on computer science.
2023: If in Community College, transfer out to another school. Take classes.
2024: Graduate college. Try and get a job with a good company.
2025 and on: Get a good job in the computer science field. I would like to stick to one company and try to climb my way up the company with hard work.
Introductory Paragraph:
I have always been interested in computers, and though I don't know what I want to major in at college right at this moment, I think that computer science is currently at the forefront. I am interested in Computer Science because t is an extremely versatile field, you can get a computer science job in almost any business. I have selected three schools that I would be happy attending, one safety that I could for sure get into, one fit which I could likely get into, and one reach which will be very challenging to get into. No matter what college I get into, a learning strategy that I will use is directly after a class, I will spend multiple hours writing about what I remember from the class. Writing about the information that you just learned after a class helps enforce the information and interrogate the info from your short term memory to your long term memory. When I graduate from HTHNC, I hope to find a route to take that makes sense financially and helps me achieve my future goals.
Safety: California State University San Marcos
Cal State San Marcos is fairly easy to get into with an admissions rate of 67%, an average GPA of 3.27, and an average SAT score of 1030. I well exceed the GPA requirement and I will likely exceed the SAT scores as my PSAT score is more than 1030. This school also offers many other majors I am interested in such as Education, Psychology, and Mathematics. The costs on CSUSM are less expensive than other schools, with an average cost of $18,000-$27,000. The location is also very close to home and familiar to me. Because the school is in San Marcos, I could live at home, cutting down on costs by around $4,000, which is a huge plus.
Fit: UCSD
UCSD is my fit because of the variety of majors that UCSD offers. If I feel like switching majors it can be done, because at UCSD you do not have to declare you major until your junior year. The average SAT score is 1350 and the average GPA is a 4.0, I already have more than a 4.0 and the SAT score shouldn't be to much of a problem. The acceptance rate is 34%, but goes up to 54% for transfers. I was drawn to this school by there price, in between $25,000 and $30,000. This is a good price and I could likely get some scholarships and some financial aid, so this school is for me in that respect. I have also been to this college many times (with HTHNC) and love the campus and it is quite large in comparison to HTHNC, which would be a nice change of pace after HTHNC.
Reach: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Caltech is my reach school because it is very hard to get into. The average SAT score is 1560 and the average GPA is 4.24. This is extremely high and I am close to the GPA requirement, but the SAT score will be very challenging for me to achieve. The admissions rate is 9%, which is extremely selective and I would more than likely not get into this school. However, I am interested in this school because it is a technology school. Because I am not sure what I would like to major in, if I decide that I want to major in something that relates to technology, I can major in it at Caltech. The school is very pricey though, with an estimated cost of $72,000. This means that if I do not get a scholarship or financial aid I will likely not be able to attend this school.
Interview Context and Essential Question:
I asked the person representing UCSD at the college fair the following question: "How will UCSD help me in finding what major I want to go into?"
She said that you do not have to declare your major until your junior year. This gives you plenty of time to try out different classes and different majors until you find out what you want to do. She also assured me that it is completely normal to not know what you would like to do with your life and that the majority of UCSD students figure it out soon after attending the school.
10 Year Plan:
2018:
Finish High School. Participate in a 1 month internship. Study for the SAT/ACT. Take a computer science Mira Costa course (this year or next year)
2019: Graduate High School. Participate in a 3 month internship (hopefully somewhere that relates to computer science more.)
2020: Take a gap year before college. I will try and get a job in the field I choose to go into, so I can get experience before I even go to college.
2021: Attend college. Do general education.
2022: 2nd year of college. Finish general education and take classes more centered on computer science.
2023: If in Community College, transfer out to another school. Take classes.
2024: Graduate college. Try and get a job with a good company.
2025 and on: Get a good job in the computer science field. I would like to stick to one company and try to climb my way up the company with hard work.