Penn ED applicant (SEAS): is a BAS in CS with Wharton electives a good path?

[u/Outrageous_Jury7775]

Hey everyone! I’m applying to Penn ED soon, most likely to SEAS, and if I get in (please), I’m trying to figure out what path to take.

A little about me: I’m super curious and love learning new things, but I’m not really a hardcore technical studier. Penn has been my dream school since I was a kid. I’m into AI, startups, business, space, and all that cool tech stuff, and I’d love to become a tech entrepreneur someday, plus do misc. internships and try a bunch of things out.

On the skills side, I’ve built a couple of moderately SaaS businesses and won MANY competitions around a variety of my tech projects, but I wouldn’t call myself technical. I have a good sense of tech and AI and definitely have a builder's mindset, but I’m not really a coder (I’m more of an avid Claude user). I do learn fast, though. I know APs aren’t exactly rigorous these days, but I got 5s on the physics and math ones. I’d say I’m a decent student who can survive at Penn, but definitely not a prodigy by any means.

The reason I’m sharing all this is that I don't want to do a crazy hard BSE at SEAS. I want time for clubs, college life, electives, building my own stuff, and interning, and I worry a super rigorous engineering major would eat up all of that.

What I’m looking for is a degree that’s respected for jobs, looks good on a resume, and lets me explore paths while staying grounded in technical rigor. My plan at SEAS is a BAS in computer science with a mix of Wharton and other electives. That way I can figure out what I like, keep the workload flexible, and take advantage of Wharton.

My biggest fear is that CS is kind of dying (correct me if I'm wrong; I do not know the comp sci scene at Penn).

If you have advice on what to look out for at Penn or a path you’d recommend based on my background, I’d love to hear it.

Thanks for taking the time to read!

[u/47gwen]

You should care about things outside of class because I’ll be honest education is becoming more worthless everyday. That’s not to say going to college is worthless because at Penn you have a lot of opportunities and resources that I think is worth way more than coursework.

[u/uno-twice-tres]

Yes did that and it's great! I Recommend it. Spend as much time as you can outside of classes. As a recent alum who graduated cum laude I can assure you the most you will learn for the practical world is through the resources Penn provides and through your own projects and activities. Yes classes are helpful for one thing: giving you the problem solving mindset.

That also means don't be disheartened if Penn doesn't end up being the place you go to. Wherever you go, you are the prize not the college

[u/nian2326076]

Pursuing a BAS in CS at Penn with Wharton electives seems like a smart move for your interests. It offers a strong tech foundation while allowing you to take business courses. This setup also lets you balance internships and personal projects, which is important for a tech entrepreneur. If you're worried about the future of CS, it's still a versatile field with lots of opportunities. You can use LandOffer.ai to find job openings and see how they match with your resume.