New GWC season in progress! Contact us for details on how to sign up.
Continue learning outside of our regular GWC seasons, or supplement your learning during an ongoing season with these selected resources!
Check out some official resources from the Girls Who Code organization!
Our focus in GWC is on helping our girls to build a strong foundation in computer science skills and knowledge. Use these resources to learn more about how you can translate those skills into a career, and what you else you can do to prepare for your desired career path.
10 Jobs for Computer Science Majors: From the College Board, this article gives you some insight into possible careers that a computer science major can open for you.
2023 Guide to the Top 12 Coding Languages: There's lots of programming languages out there to learn, but this list gives a brief overview of some of the more popular and in-demand languages, including some of the most popular companies and applications that use each language.
Top Careers in Computer Science: A good list of many of the different types of computer science careers. Each career description includes an overview of the duties and skillsets for that career path, as well as salary outlooks.
Careers in Computer Science and Game Dev: Recommended Classes and Activities: A slideshow presentation about different career paths in computer science and game development, and how to prepare for them.
Game Dev Career Paths: A brief slideshow presentation about different career paths and outlooks specifically for game development.
One of the most valuable steps you can take towards a successful computer career is a solid education. As most of our girls are in high school or younger, we emphasize the importance of college prep, including choosing strong activities, preparing for the SAT and AP exams, and planning for and selecting which classes to take.
Start preparing for the SAT exam with these resources. Don't be afraid to start early, rather than waiting for sophomore or junior year. You can take the PSAT (Preliminary SAT) as early as freshmen year in some schools, and if you get a high score, you might even qualify for scholarships, special programs, and recognition as a National Merit Scholar!
College Board Official SAT Site: The College Board administers the SAT, and should be your first stop for the latest information on test content, registration, test dates, and more.
Digital SAT: Starting in spring 2024, the SAT will move from paper to a digital format (international students have already been taking the digital exam starting in 2023). The question types and content will change drastically, so if you are registering for a digital exam, you should be careful to make sure that your study materials are geared towards that new format.
When Will the SAT Go Digital? Here's an article that goes into more detail about the transition from the paper SAT to the digital format.
Khan Academy SAT Prep: A great, free site that provides extensive SAT prep and practice. Using this link, you'll be directed to the appropriate prep material (whether digital or paper), based on the location and date for your test. Sign up for free to get personalized practice and to track your improvement!
What's a Good SAT Score? An article from U.S. News & World Report, an organization that releases a popular list of college rankings annually, discusses what a good score might be for your target schools.
These resources are focused more specifically on the PSAT (see the SAT Prep and Resources section for a brief introduction to what this test is).
College Board Official PSAT Site: As with the SAT, the official College Board site is the best place to get more information on the PSAT.
PSAT/NMSQT Scholarships and Recognition: Information about scholarships and programs that use PSAT scores as qualifying criteria.
Khan Academy PSAT Prep: Similarly to the regular SAT, Khan Academy has great preparation resources for the PSAT.
12 Proven & Free PSAT Practice Tests: An article from a test prep site that links to some sample PSAT practice tests and provides some insight on preparation for both the SAT and the PSAT.
You should consider taking the most challenging classes you can handle, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes offered through the College Board, as part of your college preparation. Here are some resources to help you learn more about AP classes and plan accordingly.
College Board Official AP Students Site: As with the SAT, the College Board is the first stop to learning more about the AP programs and classes offered.
College Board Official Pre-AP Site: Some schools offer classes that prepare students for AP classes; these are called Pre-AP classes. This sight give more insight about the classes.
Everything You Need to Know About Pre-AP Classes: Even more info about pre-AP classes.
Connect AP to Majors and Careers: Interested in how the AP classes you take relate to a career path? Or, do you have a career path in mind, but want to know what classes you should be taking to prepare for that career? This tool will help you to make the connections between AP classes and college majors and careers.
Study Guides for Every Unit: Like Khan Academy, another great site that offers very comprehensive lessons and study guides for all the AP classes.
Resources for Self-Studying AP Classes: If you're studying AP classes on your own (and for many of the classes, you can actually take the AP exam even if your school does not offer the class), this page gives you some resources for your study plan.
Khan Academy Courses: As with the SAT, Khan Academy offers a wealth of study resources and practice for AP classes.
One of the most important parts of the college application process is researching different schools and identifying which ones you want to apply to.
Big Future: An all-purpose college research and planning tool, brought to you by the College Board.
How to Do College Research Right: Step-By-Step Guide: A nice article by a college prep site about how to do your college research.
How to Research Colleges Without Visiting a Campus: If you can't visit all the schools you're interested in, or still early in your college research process, this article has tips for learning more about the school without having to visit in person.
10 Ways to Learn About Colleges Online: Another article with tips on how to gather more information about colleges without actually visiting them.
All the College Ranking List You Should Read: There's lots of college ranking lists out there, and this article provides some insight into which ones to read, and some tips for using them.
Peterson's College Search Tool: Peterson's is a popular resource for college research. Check this tool to help you craft your list of ideal schools.
Peterson's Scholarship Search Tool: Use this tool as a starting point to find funding options for your college career.
Princeton Review College Search: Another popular resource that helps students research colleges. The site also has lots of advice on other aspects of the college prep process, such as test prep and tips for suggested high school classes.
College Navigator: A free consumer information tool, presented by the U.S. Department of Education.
Extracurricular activities serve several important functions. They can be fun, they can provide great opportunities for learning and connecting with new people, and they are a vital part of a strong college application. Here are some resources that can help you get started with finding some great activities. And don't forget, GWC counts as an extracurricular activity, too!
8 Overlooked STEM Extracurricular Activities to Promote Student Success: Some general ideas about STEM activities that you can pursue.
CS Journeys: Extracurricular Opportunities: Code.org's list of extracurricular opportunities in computer science. Notice that Girls Who Code is on the list!
Extracurriculars Matter – To You and To Colleges: The College Board's Big Future article on the importance of extracurricular activities and some suggestions about finding good activities.
Do Colleges Want Well-Rounded Students? Many students feel like they have to participate in a wide range of diverse activities to make their college applications look good. This article sheds some light on what colleges are really looking for.
Breaking Down the 4 Tiers of Extracurricular Activities: A year-by-year breakdown of what kinds of activities students should be considering throughout their high school careers.
Admissions Advice from Students Who Have Overcome the Odds: A nice collection of stories and tips from students who got into some great schools. Discusses extracurricular activities, but also provides holistic advice about other aspects of the admissions process as well.
Coolest Projects: An annual online showcase that allows kids and teens to submit their STEM projects. Submissions are not open year-round, so check back regularly to see when submissions for the next year open.
Democracy Lab: A site that matches up volunteer coders (and people with other skillsets) with tech-for-good projects. A great resource if you want to add a project or activity to your college application that combines technical work with giving back to a community.
Volunteer Match: A resource that helps prospective volunteers find projects and activities that benefit a community. You can filter by age, location (including virtual) and skillsets, among other things. Rather than just doing random generic volunteer work, check out the articles above about the best types of extracurricular activities (especially the articles about well-rounded students and the tiers of activities), and then use this site to find volunteer activities that support the kind of student profile that you'd like to portray to admissions officers.
Institute of Competition Sciences: A searchable database of competitive activities in various academic fields. If you're interested in activities such as science fairs, essay competitions, coding contests, and so on, this site is a great resource to find something you might like.