CS Scholars Program
The CS Scholars Program at UC Berkeley is a community in which students can learn and grow together. The EECS Center for Student Affairs (CSA) recognizes the unique challenges that students from under-resourced and low opportunity communities face at the university and in computer science therefore our goal is to provide a supportive network in which students can thrive.
Applications and Deadlines
The Spring 2024 application is now closed
The Fall 2024 application period will open in June.
CS Scholars is a first-year student support program intended to serve those from under-represented communities with little or no Computer Science exposure. A learning community, CS Scholars integrates several components of support to meet the academic, social, and developmental needs of students intending to study Computer Science. Those components include:
- Cohort-style course discussions
- CS Scholars only seminars for personal and professional development
- Solidarity and community-building activities
- Dedicated CS Scholars Advising
Program Impact
Collaborative problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders, the CS Scholars Program at Cal is making waves. The CS Scholars Program has:
- Served more than 800 students over 21 cohorts
- Featured guest speakers from noteworthy industry, research, and education organizations
- Facilitated field visits to local CS-based sites
- Supported student travel to professional conferences
- Partnered with companies like EA, Microsoft, and Google to place student interns
Our Students
CS Scholars purposes to provide equitable access to computer science education and support to a diverse student body. Our goal is to close the gaps in preparation and provide opportunities for success.
Success
In the face of adversity, our scholars represent some of the most outstanding talent. We aim to attract and retain the brightest and diverse students with tools to help them succeed.
How we stand out:
- CS Scholars outperform students in the general population in CS 61A by 19%
- CS Scholars outperform students in the general population in CS 61B by 11%
- CS Scholars maintain a higher GPA overall than general class
Who we serve:
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 59.30% | 59.00% | 62.40% | 57.10% | 50.60% | 70.40% | 56.10% | 52.00% | 58.10% | 49.20% |
| Men | 40.70% | 41.00% | 37.60% | 42.90% | 49.40% | 29.60% | 43.90% | 47.50% | 40.70% | 49.20% |
| URMs | 9.30% | 21.80% | 8.90% | 31.20% | 31.30% | 17.30% | 21.95% | 30.00% | 38.40% | 28.50% |
Donate
Support CS Scholars
Your donation to CS Scholars supports our members by providing funding for academic opportunities such as tutoring and advising, community-building opportunities such as peer mentoring, and professional development, and funding for students to travel to attend national research conferences.
How to Donate
- Make out a check:
- to the “UC Berkeley Foundation”
- put “CS Scholars” in the memo field
- and mail it to: ATTN: CS Scholars
EECS External Relations
231 Cory Hall MC #1770
Berkeley, CA 94720
Thank you, CS Scholars Supporters!
Celebrating Diversity in Computer Science!
Diving into Blue Waters
Wen-Rui Liao came from an area of the world that did not offer the computer science background he needed to face the challenge of CS 61A alone. This made him eligible to become a member of the CS Scholars program. He was recently selected to receive undergraduate research funding from the Blue Waters Institute and encourages others to look around and take the initiative to do something new and challenging.
Meet Our Staff
Faculty Advisor: Armando Fox
Director of Student Diversity: Audrey Sillers
Program Director: Charlene Duncan