CSin3 COHORT PROGRAM

Earn a bachelor’s degree in 3 years within a supportive learning community

CSin3, offered by Hartnell College and CSUMB, provides students with supports and structures to help them earn a BS in computer science in three years and to land a meaningful internship before they graduate. Students complete coursework and have access to resources at both institutions for all three years.

CSin3 Facts

CSin3 students outpace the national averages for graduation and employment rates.

First Cohort Launched

Number of graduates

%

of students graduate in 3 years

%

of students to do an internship

%

of graduates employed in industry

Since 2016, one hundred sixty-seven students have graduated.

Of those:

%

graduates identify as underrepresented minorities

%

graduates are female

%

graduates are first generation college students

Program Details

Benefits and Student Expectations
If you become part of the CSin3 learning community, you…

Commit to: Benefit from:
  • Year-round participation – fall, winter, spring, and summer
  • Following the prescribed course pathway
  • Participating in enrichment activities averaging 3-5 hours/week
  • Being a proactive, supportive member of the cohort community
  • Maintaining a minimum 2.5 GPA with a ‘C’ or better in all courses
  • Graduating and starting your career one year earlier
  • Spending half of the average 4-year public university tuition
  • Priority course registration and guaranteed transfer to CSUMB
  • A need-based scholarship totaling up to $10K over 4 years
  • Career and internship preparation assistance through workshops, industry networking opportunities, and even internship placements
Eligibility
To be eligible for the CSin3, you must:

1. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in high school

    • Exceptions can be made for a GPA of 2.6-2.99
    • Students with less than a 2.6, but who do meet the eligibility requirements for ENG 1A and MAT 3A, may be considered by submitting a one-page written explanation for the lower GPA and a plan for maintaining a higher GPA in the program

2. Place into MAT 3A and ENG 1A the first semester in the program/college

You can determine your placement using Hartnell’s Math & English Placement Web Tool

    • To place in ENG 1A you must have an overall high school GPA of at least 2.6
    • There are two ways to place into MAT 3A:
      • Have an overall high school GPA of at least 2.6 and earn a ‘C’ or better in one of these high school math courses – Math Analysis, Pre-Calculus, Calculus
        OR
      • Earn a ‘C’ or better in MAT 24 & MAT 25 or in MAT 27 at Hartnell (at a minimum you must be able to take these courses the summer before the program begins)

Additional Notes

    • Strong preference will be given to graduating seniors from Monterey County high schools
    • Current community college students with less than 30 units completed will be considered on a case-by-case basis
    • Applicants who already have a bachelor’s degree or more than 30 college general education credits completed will not be considered (students must be able to follow the prescribed cohort course pathway required by the program)
    • Prior knowledge of computer science (programming, coding, etc.) is not required
Application/Admissions Process
1. Enroll as a student at Hartnell College

Follow all of the steps to apply and be admitted to Hartnell

    • You do not have to apply for Fall 2023, any term is okay
    • Select “Computer Science & Info Systems-Computer Science Option” as your major
    • Select “obtain an associate degree and transfer to a 4-year institution” as your educational goal

2. Complete the CSin3 application form

Be sure to have these materials available to assist you in completing your application:

    • AP test credits
    • Hartnell student ID#
    • Most recent unofficial transcripts
      • High school transcripts required for all applicants
      • Current college students should also provide their college transcripts (Students who have attended an institution other than Hartnell should arrange to have their official transcripts sent to Hartnell)
    • A letter of recommendation
    • Personal statement – In 1000 words or less, please answer one of the following writing prompts:
      • Prompt 1: What is your interest in computer science and why do you feel you will succeed in the CSin3 program?
      • Prompt 2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that has made a profound impact in your life. How has that helped shape you into the person you are today?

3. Participate in a group interview for admission with CSin3 staff and faculty. Students who meet eligibility requirements and have successfully completed steps 1 and 2 will be invited to attend a mandatory group interview session where they will meet with CSin3 staff and other prospective cohort-mates. During this session students will learn more about the program and have an opportunity to ask questions about the program. Students will be invited to interview in the order that completed applications are received.

Application Deadline: The application will close on May 1, 2023 or when the cohort is full, whichever comes first. Late applicants who are eligible to take MAT 3A in the fall may be considered if space permits. We cannot admit students into the program once the semester has started.
Our admission capacity is 35 and our waitlist capacity is 5. We begin conducting interviews in late fall and continue through the spring. Students will be invited to interview in the order that their application is received. Interviews are held on a monthly basis until the cohort is full or the deadline is reached.

Admissions Decisions: Admissions decisions are sent to students shortly after the interview.

Key Dates
September 1 CSin 3 online application opens
November – May Group video interview for CSin3
May 1, 2023 Final date to apply to CSin3
May 19, 2023 Final notifications of acceptance to CSin3
June – August Bridge Experience for Computer Science (BECS)
Pre-College Preparation

Math Placement and Preparation

Students who do not place into MAT 3A must complete MAT 27 during the summer before the start the program. The course will be in person and run during Hartnell College’s regular summer session. The purpose of this course is to meet the MAT 3A prerequisite.

All students are required to participate in and successfully complete online math preparation modules during the summer before the program begins.

Bridge Experience for Computer Science (BECS)

CSin3 kicks off with a hybrid summer bridge experience aimed at building a strong cohort community, introducing you to computer science, and laying the foundation for habits and strategies that will ensure your success in the first year of college. During summer bridge, you will have the opportunity to interact with engineers and our alums at some of our industry partners, which may include Amazon, Apple, DoorDash, Google, Lyft, Quizlet, Slack, Salesforce, Uber, VMWare, etc.

More details about the BECS workshop and dates will be communicated during and after the interview.

Scholarship

Because of the increased time commitment and expectation that CSin3 students will go above and beyond in their academic pursuits, students accepted into CSin3 are eligible for a scholarship. This is a need-based scholarship (available to students who have unmet financial need according to FAFSA) of up to $10K total divided over the first four semesters (spring and fall) in the program. As long as students maintain good standing with CSin3, the scholarship is distributed as follows:

1ST FALL TERM: $3,000
1ST SPRING TERM: $2,000
2ND FALL TERM: $2,000
2ND SPRING TERM: $3,000

Contact Us
If you are not yet ready to apply, but would like to be added to our contact list, please complete this interest form. This is the best way to get you on our radar so that we can reach out with information about upcoming info sessions, application deadlines, etc.

If you have any questions, please write to CS@csumb.edu.

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