Distinguish Yourself

Scholarships, many forms of financial aid, teaching assistantships, sponsored undergraduate summer research programs, internships, graduate school admissions and jobs are all competitive. To increase your chances you need to distinguish yourself in some of the following categories:

• Depth of computer-related knowledge
• Breadth of computer-related knowledge
• Interdisciplinary knowledge
• Excellence
• Problem solving skills
• Communication skills
• Service
• Leadership

In May 2010, twenty-one of our CS or IT majors were placed on the Dean's List, five graduated Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude, one graduated with the Honors Medallion, at least three were accepted in graduate programs at top universities:  Cornell,  University of Copenhagen and SUNY Albany -- with merit scholarships or assistantships, and several of our juniors and seniors participated last summer in undergraduate research programs around the country.

Set high goals for yourself when you are a freshman -- when there is still time to accomplish them before graduation. Consider the following -- any of these items would be worth mentioning on your job or graduate school application. Talk to your academic adviser -- all Computer Science faculty will be happy to assist you in achieving excellence and professional success.

• Declare a minor or a second major;
• Take CSC courses beyond the requirements of your major (what counts most in your career is the actual knowledge and skills);
• If you have a cummulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, apply to the Honors Program,
• complete General or Advanced Honors to graduate with an Honors Medallion;
  
• do an Advanced Honors Project -- write an undergraduate thesis;
• Prepare for and take part in intercollegiate programming contests;
• Choose topics and lead discussions at the Video and Discussion hour;
• Become a CS&IT teaching assistant (TA);
• Become a tutor at the Learning Center helping others with CSC courses;
• Become an Orientation Leader or a Student Ambassador,
• Apply to summer programs of Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU);
• While in your junior or senior year ask faculty members about possibilities of independent study(CSC399/499) or undergraduate research (CSC495); work on a conference presentation or a publication;
• Take graduate CSC courses when you are within 15 credits of your undergraduate degree;
• Apply for internships with major government agencies, leading academic institutions and international corporations using resources of Career Development Center;
• Aspire to awards given by the Computer Science Department. All CS&IT majors at the junior and senior level are considered for these awards without an application. GPA in the CS or IT major and leadership among CS&IT students are the main criteria:
• Hudson Scholarship (for juniors),
• CS&IT Academic Excellence and Outstanding Achievement Award, (also to recognize undergraduate research and  achievement in programming contests),
• CS&IT Leadership Award --  to recognize activities in support of the computer science and information technology community, such as leadership in student activities related to computing,
• CS&IT Outstanding Graduate Award;
• Apply for SUNY Plattsburgh Presidential Scholarship and SUNY Chancellor Awards;
• Apply for CAS Student Academic Travel Grants to travel to professional conferences where you present a poster and to programming contests;
  
• Keep your GPA up
  • to be placed on Dean's List every semester (semester GPA of 3.5 or higher required),
  • to become invited to Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, SUNY Plattsburgh's Chapter that recognizes academic excellence (for juniors and seniors with a GPA in the top 5-10%),
  • to graduate Cum Laude (GPA 3.4), Magna Cum Laude (GPA 3.7), or Summa Cum Laude (GPA 3.9).
• Join the Student Association;
• Aspire to be the commencement student speaker at your graduation;
• Engage in undergraduate research and prepare poster presentations for the Student Research Symposium (held every April at our college). Participate in other activities of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, SUNY Plattsburgh Chapter. (Contacts: Dr. Chris Martine, Biology, Beaumont Hall 0401A, (518)564-5277 and Dr. Ken Podolak, Physics, Beaumont Hall 0412 (518)564-3193).