We have two kids, one we know can excel in any hard environment, the other is equally intelligent but takes a bit relaxed approach. For first one we are thinking of CS at a very hard school (GTech, CMU or UT etc - he has great stats & EC’s).
For the other, we can have him go to UA or UGA or U.of FL for CS as we know he can handle with ease or Business in Hardschool (GTech, UT, Emory etc.) with focus on Strategy/Information systems with minor in CS. He is the kind of kid that can read the entire US History book in 2 days and can ace AP test to 5 the next day but will struggle with Calculus even after tutoring.
He (and we) can’t actually decide which one is better - long term and fit wise. Any advice?
Yes he has interest in CS but not in the traditional sense of learning tech, more of how can I use tech to social causes or how can I apply to real-world scenarios. He could be a good business systems consultant but not a pure CS technologist.
I don’t want to lose your thought, on history - I am an immigrant which means I think medicine/engineering only and the business itself is a leap of faith. Would you suggest a different approach who has an interest in History/Politics/Social causes? I used to dream about working in dept. of state when I was fresh off the boat, but after seeing politics on TV and how career diplomats are disrespected we are scared of government/policy etc.
There is a whole world of possibilities beyond engineering and medicine (and business). My cousin is a career diplomat now; her next post may well be an ambassador-ship. She has had an exciting and varied life and I do not think she feels “disrespected,” at least not to a point of not being able to wait out “this too shall pass.” Many people interested in politics and history end up in law (and law doesn’t necessarily mean arguing in court or working for a white shoe law firm; I know people representing the current set of separated families). Maybe some free-association with your son about his dreams is in order.
You should look into Data Science. It’s closely related to computer science and mathematics but a good part of the courses is devoted to social issues and domain knowledge.
Check out UC Berkeley’s beginning course in Data Science at data8.org. Should give you a good idea.
I need help with 2nd kid who is good with general aspects but not too specific math (don’t take me wrong he got 4 on Calculus BC AP test) and managed 80% A’s and 20% B’s on math, but I don’t see that quick math skills that are required in GATech (graph theory, AI etc.).
As a parent I would be careful about pushing your kids into a career that they have not discovered on their own and is their life passion. For example, D’s close friend would like to pursue the arts/humanities in college but her Dr. dad is really pushing her to become a doctor just like him. The problem is it isn’t her passion and what she wants to do. I have a feeling that this will not be a happy ending as she will be forced into college and grad school studying a subject and pursuing a career only to satisfy her parents’ expectations.
Remember, most HS students do not know what they want to do as a career and many will change majors/careers several times before they figure it all out. Have you asked your sons what THEY want to study in college?
I’m not one that buys into the follow your passion thing (or 90% of people would be fighting for jobs as a ballerina or astronaut), but I do think people do best if they have significant autonomy in their career choice.
Are your kids really that comfortable with you choosing not just their college but their career as well?
I’m assuming that the plan for a rigorous CS major for son #1 has been made with his interests taken into account. But I would add that even business majors at a place like Georgia Tech might be pretty rigorous and demanding for the relaxed son #2.
Your kids should be picking their own majors, not you.
Most colleges don’t require kids to pick majors until they are at least college sophomores. Some schools have general core requirements in multiple disciplines...which help kids get an idea of what they might or might not like.
You might choose CS or business...but do realize that most college students switch majors...at least one time after acceptance.
4.it sounds like these kids aren’t even out of high school yet. It’s a lot premature to be picking their life’s careers with colleges in mind right now.
Let your KIDS choose their majors. Really…let them do it. Pidgeon holing them into some major YOUR think is important is not really the way to go.
Too many parents I know of who have firm ideas on careers are themselves the products of very limited experiences: engineers that can’t see past engineering careers; business types who spent life in a corporate hierarchy; etc. These parents giving “career advice” is a dubious proposition if you take a step back and evaluate what they actually know about careers in general.
That being said, it is a good idea to have a conversation with the kid(s) about the need to find employment after college, about the real-world cost of living as an adult (I always think of the Cosby Show sketch between dad and Theo), and the interactions of choice of major, employment options, and work experience. That is not the same thing as trying to pick your child’s major and career for them—it is about educating them on their future needs and how to choose wisely.
If a kid is not interested in a pre-professional major, but in the liberal arts, strongly encourage them to pursue a minor in something more practical, or to pursue internships and summer work that will build a resume. A philosophy major with a minor in computer science who has three or so solid more-professional work experiences by graduation is in a far different boat than an anthropology major who merely went to summer school and worked as a waiter. Personally, from what I have seen and read, in the long run the former graduate will be better off than the straight marketing business major anyway. I have seen FAR too many business majors who couldn’t read, research, or write their way out of a paper bag, and in the long run that will hold them back, whereas the Philosophy majors I have known impress with their skills.
My kid is a decent, although not stellar math student. He entered college as an accounting major because he thought that’s where the jobs are. He hated it, so moved over to business with a minor in political science, because he loves that. By accident and through a very cool internship, he came to see how data analytics would benefit him at the intersection of business and politics, and started on a data analytics certificate program. This was all his choice and all organic. He seems happy and it seems (this early) a good choice, but we’ll see if employment follows graduation. He is an absolutely stellar writer, so I think that will benefit him.
Probably because business is often seen as a default major, and is more common at less selective colleges, while philosophy is generally considered a “hard” major (since students it is a humanities major that also requires logical thinking) and therefore tends to attract stronger students, and the humanities-and-logic nature of the major also practices more ways of thinking than many other majors.
“the Philosophy majors I have known impress with their skills.”
So much of this type of impression is based on chance and circumstances, though. I had a bit of the opposite example when one of my jobs in college was waitressing; I was shocked at how many of the wait staff I worked with had degrees in Philosophy. And yes, they were interesting, well spoken, wonderful people, but I remember at that time thinking a Philosophy degree was a one way ticket to a job that I was getting a degree to avoid doing for the rest of my life…
We just ran into different people at different stages I suspect. But I’d still be a little worried if one of my kids wanted a Philosophy degree.
Big OUCH. Parents- you do not choose your kids’ colleges nor their majors. THEY do. Your role as parents of HS students is to guide them in making their own choices. As stated by others.
Teens, no matter how smart, are still in formative years. College is a great time to explore and firm up one’s path. Now is the time to have parent-child talks about family finances as they impact where a child can afford to go to school. Do not count on scholarships. Help them make lists of colleges that fit the child-several factors including interests, budget and ability.
Do NOT attempt to control the major. I know my gifted son started with STEM choices, ended with math and added computer science. Zero interest in business, doing well with chosen field. IF he (can’t imagine it) wanted to go into a business field he would have or will with a master’s. Keep in mind that there are many paths to being in business, and many excellent majors outside that field for eventual jobs.
Short answer- back off.
Tell them family finances (do your own homework on the realities of college costs/payment options). Offer suggestions for colleges. Period.
Thank you for the feedback I will let him explore and decide. At least he told me he is clear on the type of career - which does not bind him to an office chair or an office and want to have the freedom to move around across the world.
Letting a child explore and decide can be scary for a parent. But ultimately it will make for a person who is passionate about his/her career – or more so. For a funny example of how scary it can be, my neighbor’s kid, extraordinarily bright academically, decided to stop attending college for awhile. He came home and declared that he wanted to be a professional gambler. The parents didn’t yell or scream at the child. The instantly packed him up in the car and took him to a casino and let him play for a few days. That got that out of his system very quickly once the glamor disappeared. While that’s a rare choice of career goals for most kids, often they will choose something unrealistic like astronaut or dancer or artist. It’s important to remember that what we as parents may know a very limited amount about a profession. All professions have the “stars” of the profession that we all see – the prima ballerina, the astronaut, the painter with gallery shows in NYC. They also have a large range of careers that support those “stars”. Should your daughter want to be a Broadway dancer, it’s important to remember that she could also get into theater management, costuming, marketing and sales, administration, all for Broadway. Artists too have myriad things they can do besides paint and put up works in cafes and galleries. They become designers of furniture, book illustrators and designers, medical illustrators, administrative positions in galleries and museums, art historians, etc. What I try to remind myself is that my child needs a direction, and he or she will figure out a career within that area of interest. Even the professional gambler – who knows? That may have turned into management of casinos or something else that’s quite lucrative.
I will let him explore and decide. At least he told me he is clear on the type of career - which does not bind him to an office chair or an office and want to have the freedom to move around across the world.