<p>
[quote]
but we just didn't think he had the stats to even make an attempt worthwhile
[/quote]
But you'll never know unless he tries. Assuming he's interested in CMU, it's only the cost of the app which is nothing compared to what'll be paid over the next 4-5 years. The 34 ACT and the 4.5 weighted Jr year grades are pretty good.</p>
<p>you could look at Rose-Hulman too, small school in middle of nowhere Indiana, offers some merit aid, good at engineering including computer science. of course, location and vast majority male student body does not help.</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement, CountingDown; I like that: "apply widely and think strategically." </p>
<p>ucsd<em>ucla</em>dad: thanks a lot for the gpa encouragement, too. Actually, according to our HS's scale (in highest level one courses, A=6, B=5, C=4) son has something like a 5.6 this past jr year; overall gpa is like a 4.3 (performed poorly soph year, but took 5 honors courses a year 9th/10th grade). But, that weight is a really 'off the charts' system, I'd imagine, as compared to most HSs (few turn an AP course A into a '6'...I'd guess? Most consider it a 5.0 at most?).</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion, Piterbizon--we did look over Rose-Hulman, but son is not a fan of (as you mentioned) the gender ratio...also, seems turned off by 'the mid-west' lately (a glimpse of the CA possibility makes midwest seem dull, I think...).</p>
<p>Don't automatically discount the bigger schools. Oftentimes the engineering schools within large universities are very tight groups that really shrink down the big university.</p>
<p>Thanks, my-3-sons, that's a good tip. We're definitely having a few big schools in the mix (VaTech, Rutgers, maybe Penn State)....just thinking a few smaller ones would be a good balance. Encouraging to know that if $/admissions dictate a large school...there'll be some chance at 'small school feel.'</p>
<p>Agree with CountingDown and ucla<em>ucsd</em>dad re his stats quite possibly being in the ball park for highly selective schools. Does he rank in the top10% of the class? That might put the GPA in perspective.</p>
<p>jmmom--thanks. Just got off the phone w/the guidance counselor...wish I'd seen your post first. We're going to HS tomorrow to drop off some 'additional materials' (e.g., NatL Merit High Scorer sheet, stamped, addressed evelopes to make it easier for GC to send letters). I'll ask anyone in guidance who's available about an approximation of class rank. Not thinking it's 10% -- would be happy if top 20%---but then again, most of son's friends in AP classes (whom I'm comparing him to) all did super well...they might not be a large % of the whole school, though...</p>
<p>Appreciate the encouragement!</p>
<p>PS Wish I knew if our HS's valuation of APs/honors is totally off the mark (level 1 "A" = 6) or not. Like you said, though, maybe rank clarifies...</p>
<p>^^ No such thing as "totally off the mark", imho. Because every school does it differently, so there's no point in comparing. Colleges will look at it in their own way. Relative rank will give you some idea. But, at a lot of schools, that ACT score plus strong courseload will go a long way.</p>
<p>Anyway, you and he seem to be rightly focused: Lots of schools on his list where he will surely gain acceptance. He is excited about those schools and not on some "do or die" mission to gain acceptance to some uber-reach "dream" school. This is a recipe for success. If he's admitted to a highly selective, wonderful. If he's not, there will be great options. Even if he is, he may end up preferring a different school which fits him and/or merit $$'s him and/or shows him the love by courting him.</p>
<p>Relax! (easy for me to say 4 years further down the road than you ;).</p>
<p>I just saw an email for a recruiter in my son's email box. $90K salary for an associates degree, a year or two of experience in system administration and experience with a few admin packages. It looks like a project lead job but I was floored by the salary with only IT qualifications.</p>
<p>Thanks, jmmom...appreciate that encouragement! Son really liked VaTech (it's 79th in comp sci acc to US News & World report, but seems to have more liberal admiss gpa req's) and seems open to consider other schools too.
Guess we'll 'apply broadly' and see where the chips fall re: $$ and admission. </p>
<p>BCEagle91--it does seem like comp sci has some high salaries out of the gate. At RPI, they listed the starting salaries for all majors (at the career center)---comp sci was #1, w/an average of $60k approx. That would seem like a disincentive to do grad school (why bother when you are making lots of $$ w/a 4 year -- or in the case you mentioned---a 2 year?). I wonder what the salary differential is for those who do a 5 yr masters/BS in comp sci or 4+2 vs those who just do a 4....although I guess more than salary is involved in the decision whether to do add'l schooling.</p>
<p>Hi Jolynne, don't be too concerned about list price at this juncture of the search process. Our son attended "pricey" Rensselaer which ended up costing us the same as our flagship university. He got $25k/yr which did include the $15k/yr medalist award.</p>
<p>Re the lack of liberal arts at tech colleges, that is of some concern. However most of these colleges have more than adequate arts/humanities/social science offerings to fill up any undergrad program. Our son, a compsci major also had a psych major and a philosophy minor to go along with a computer gaming/simulation arts minor.</p>
<p>Re grad school, our son began his computer game development minor classwork jr year and really loved it, pulling down an internship with a game developer in Pasadena that summer. He has been accepted into the USC grad program scheduled to start in 3 weeks and is already in LA working in another internship program. He enjoys it so much and was evidently so prepared by his coursework at RPI that he is now seriously considering declining his grad school admissions and working full time. His rational is that the industry is changing so fast that grad school eduacation will be obsolete in a few years and that high level employment in the field will keep him on the cutting edge of the profession and serve as his continuing education program. The $72,800 salary they have offered makes the choice even more compelling.</p>
<p>Thanks, originaloog, appreciate that perspective from your son's experience. I think my son would really enjoy the exper your son had! (challenging school, internship in gaming in CA!).</p>
<p>What you said about industry changing so fast/high starting salaries for 4-years is exactly what the comp sci dept advisor told us at U of MD. Interesting.</p>
<p>Re: college prices...I don't think son is qualifying for any medals, etc. w/his UW gpa. However, because he could probably benefit from a challenge in college from peers & coursework (rather than being 'at the top') it means that for the reach schools, he's less likely to qualify for merit scholarship money. Kind of a conundrum. Oh well. Think I'd err on the side of debt for him; esp if there's less chance of grad school debt being added on later on--w/a high starting salary after 4 years.</p>
<p>Son's friend went to Berkeley undergrad for CS, then Stanford for grad school. He loved it.
I second Rice as well. It was the #2 school for both of mine. They were offered great merit money there and Ga Tech. Note that for Ga Tech the app has to be in by October 31 for the Presidential Scholarship.
My oldest did not win the Renssellaer Medal, but was offered more than that amount from them.
Good luck!</p>
<p>over30--thank you! This encouragement is really helping. And, it's motivating, as we spend hours, bleary-eyed, on the websites and applications.</p>
<p>"That would seem like a disincentive to do grad school (why bother when you are making lots of $$ w/a 4 year -- or in the case you mentioned---a 2 year?)."</p>
<ul>
<li>Some large employers will pay for part-time grad school for engineer and information systems employees.</li>
<li>CS degrees typically don't allow time for the breadth of CS subjects and a CS grad may want to go to grad school to get more breadth - just to have the knowledge and theory or to become more marketable in the future. There's a lot of stuff in CS that is interesting in its own right outside of adding to earnings generation.</li>
</ul>
<p>After doing battle with some nasty bugs/viruses/trojans on my computer last weekend, I'm trying to convince my son to go into cryptovirology instead of game design.</p>
<p>BCEagle is correct about the breadth of CS - it's like engineering with all its specialties.</p>
<p>A couple of people have mentioned "rankings." Is there somewhere that undergraduate schools are ranked for Computer Science?</p>
<p>This is from an old thread -- have no way to verify who put together the data, but it does seem to follow the general consensus. Would assume these are for grad programs, but UG often follows the grad in general terms as to quality.</p>
<p>University</a> Rankings - Computer Science And Electrical Engineering Rankings
This a CC thread...
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/333557-good-computer-science-school.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/333557-good-computer-science-school.html</a></p>
<p>UMD does emphasize the hands-on marketability of their programs. When we went to their admitted freshman presentation for incoming CS folks, they talked a lot about how UMD students are designing and implementing systems for local employers and gov't agencies. As you can imagine, there are some pretty cool projects available these days in DC. They also included the flyers and high-quality recruiting materials from Google (Sergei Brin is a UMD alum), Microsoft, etc. -- just so you "know." One prof was telling us that many CS majors have after-graduation jobs lined up by midway through junior year.</p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
<p>originaloog,
Your S is one smart cookie. It's just hard to get back to a FT grad program when one has a family, etc., if decides he wants that degree at some future point. On the other hand, <em>does</em> one need a MS in CS?</p>
<p>
[quote]
On the other hand, <em>does</em> one need a MS in CS?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think so. It's fine to have but not necessary since a BS grad typically has the skills an employer is looking for. A BSCS grad can obtain a decent paying job upon graduation and can start to gain work experience immediately. This work experience is valuable IMO. It's also valuable in the eyes of employers. A CS grad with an MS degree may sometimes get a higher initial offer (maybe 10-15%) from an employer than a grad with a BS degree but that BS grad might be able to get about that amount of increase just through the extra work experience they have. </p>
<p>OTOH - if one wants a masters degree there's no better time than right away before they start collecting the commitments we all end up with in life.</p>
<p>OTOOH - getting a BSCS at a lot of these colleges is tough. It requires a lot of effort (compared to a humanities degree for example) and a lot of students are just tired of that level of work by then and are ready to just head out and get a job.</p>
<p>Also, it's true that a number of companies will pay for one to obtain the MS degree so that's another route to consider.</p>