Highschool Plan

🟢 Year 1 – 9th Grade (Freshman Year)

Courses:

• Math: Honors Geometry (or Honors Algebra II if already taken Geometry in 8th)
• Science: Honors Biology
• English: Honors English 9
• History: AP Human Geography or Honors World History
• Foreign Language: Spanish/French/Chinese 1
• Elective: Introduction to Computer Science (if available)
• Visual & Performing Arts: Digital Arts, Music Production, or Design

Extracurriculars:

• Join Robotics Club (FIRST Robotics, VEX)
• Participate in USACO Bronze Division
• Attend Hackathons for Beginners
• Learn Python/Java and start projects on GitHub

Summer Plan:

• CS/AI Summer Camp (Stanford AI4ALL, Berkeley AI4ALL, Google Code Next)
• STEM Workshops or Job Shadowing

🟡 Year 2 – 10th Grade (Sophomore Year)

Courses:

• Math: Honors Algebra II (or Honors Pre-Calculus if ahead)
• Science: Honors Chemistry
• English: Honors English 10
• History: AP World History
• Foreign Language: Spanish/French/Chinese 2
• Elective: AP Computer Science Principles
• Visual & Performing Arts: Digital Arts (if not taken in 9th grade)

Extracurriculars:

• Compete in USACO Silver Division
• Join AMC 10 Math Competition
• Hackathons (Hack the Bay, CodeDay SF)
• Develop personal coding projects

Summer Plan:

• Internship or Coding Bootcamp (Google CS Summer Institute, Berkeley Coding Academy)
• Attend UC Berkeley Pre-College Programs
• Take Online AI or Data Science Courses

🔵 Year 3 – 11th Grade (Junior Year)

Courses:

• Math: AP Calculus AB (or AP Calculus BC if ahead)
• Science: AP Physics 1 (or AP Physics C if strong in math)
• English: AP English Language
• History: AP U.S. History
• Foreign Language: Spanish/French/Chinese 3
• Elective: AP Computer Science A (Java – Crucial for CS applicants)
• Additional Elective: Engineering Design, Cybersecurity, AI

Extracurriculars:

• Apply for UC Berkeley’s AI Research Program
• Compete in USACO Gold Division
• Enter Major Hackathons (Hack the Bay, LA Hacks, MLH Events)
• Take part in Google’s Code-In or MIT’s PRIMES
• Join Math Olympiad, Cybersecurity Competitions

Summer Plan:

• Intern at a Bay Area Tech Company (Google STEP, LinkedIn, CodePath)
• Online Advanced CS Courses (MIT OpenCourseWare, Coursera AI, Harvard CS50)
• Open-Source AI/ML Project on GitHub

🔴 Year 4 – 12th Grade (Senior Year)

Courses:

• Math: AP Statistics (or Multivariable Calculus if available)
• Science: AP Physics C (or AP Chemistry if stronger in chemistry)
• English: AP English Literature
• History: AP Government & Politics (or AP Macroeconomics)
• Elective: Machine Learning, Data Science, or Advanced Programming
• Additional Elective: Engineering Capstone, Web Development

Extracurriculars:

• Develop a Capstone CS Project (e.g., AI App, Cybersecurity Tool, Robotics Prototype)
• Lead a Hackathon or Coding Club
• Apply for Google Science Fair, Regeneron Science Talent Search
• Publish CS Research or contribute to AI journals

Summer Plan:

• Final UC Berkeley Application Prep (Personal Statements, CS Scholarships)
• Take UC Berkeley Online CS 61A (if available)
• Intern or Work at a Startup

💡 Key Takeaways for UC Berkeley CS/CE Admissions

• ✅ Take AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus BC, and AP Physics C
• ✅ Join Hackathons, CS Research, and Internships
• ✅ Score high on USACO, AMC, or Math/CS Competitions
• ✅ Showcase CS Projects (GitHub, Kaggle, AI/ML Apps, Robotics, Open Source)
• ✅ Demonstrate Leadership in Coding Clubs or STEM Initiatives