<p>Hi, sorry if this is posted in the wrong place.. I'm new here so I can get away with it for now! :P.
I just kind of want to get some peoples' opinions/ personal experience with several of the schools I'm looking at. I'm planning on majoring in computer science/ electrical engineering and have looked at RIT, RPI, WPI, North Eastern, and MIT (MIT is probably slightly less realistic due to its tough admissions). I was wondering what you guys would say would be the best to go to (other than MIT), and what are some other schools that are good for that major?
Also, since I'd probably enjoy any one of these, which sort of major (CS, EE, computer engineering, other computer/ IT majors) would be best (if any) job wise, etc.
Thanks a bunch in advanced for your help.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech?
Case Western?
Cal-tech?</p>
<p>What is your GPA, test scores, EC’s…?</p>
<p>My GPA (on a scale of 100) I believe is around 103 (factored) or so… I actually don’t know what it is right now, after the end of my junior year… but it should’ve gone up. The last time my guidance counselor calculated my class rank i was in the top 20 of about 900. My NYS Regents grades are mostly high 90’s with a few 100s.
SAT and ACT (first and only times, so far): 2000 and 31.
Bio SATII: 750
Plan on taking Math 2 SATII
ECs:
-Safety Patrol (basically help run almost all events at the school), it gets us community service- 200 hours last year, and I’m president of it next year.
-AV club for all 4 years
-Marching Band (one of the top in State) all 4 years.
-Hired by the school district to help set up new computers at some of the schools(if that counts)
-World Class DCA drum corps</p>
<p>Regarding your major… you have to decide whether you are more interested in hardware or software. Which would you rather do - build an electronic device or prove a math theorem? Answering that question will help you decide. Also, do you want to work for a major computer company like Apple, or do you just want to work with computers (in any company). IT will put you toward the latter. The schools you have listed are all fine. Also consider Case Western, CMU, Bucknell, Lehigh.</p>
<p>Well at the moment I’d really like to work with computers/cyber crime etc. with the FBI. Any idea what would be the best choice for something like that?
Thanks again for the help guys, I’ll definitely look into those schools.</p>
<p>Also look at Carnegie-Mellon. Its undergraduate computer engineering and electrical engineering programs are both ranked in the top 10 for their fields:
[Welcome</a> to the College of Engineering](<a href=“http://www.cit.cmu.edu/index.html]Welcome”>College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University)</p>
<p>CMU also has a well-respected computer science major:
[SCHOOL</a> OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, Carnegie Mellon](<a href=“http://www.cs.cmu.edu/]SCHOOL”>http://www.cs.cmu.edu/)</p>
<p>Do you guys know if these schools have good co-op programs? I know RIT does.</p>
<p>I’d also put Purdue on the list…</p>
<p>I think Drexel has a co op program. Michigan, Maryland, Penn State and Illinois are also strong in these areas. Best of luck!</p>
<p>I think at this point RIT might be my first choice. If any one is familiar with admissions there, what would you say my chances of getting in are given my stats on my second post. I’m also taking several APs next year (Physics C, Calculus BC, English, Computer Science). I have also taken spanish from 7-11 grade. And if anything else is relevant just ask.</p>
<p>I would say you are definitely in at RIT and maybe with some merit money.</p>
<p>We were considering RIT for one of my kids, but didn’t pursue it as the quarter system might have been tough for this student, plus it was further from home than they wanted to be. But we were impressed with their programs.</p>
<p>Yeah I’ve heard RIT is switching from the quarter system to a two semester system in 2013… so I’d have a couple years with the quarter system and then switch over to the semester one… would be interesting. But yeah RIT is in state for me, about 5 hours north. I also like that it’s close to Syracuse University, which is where my high school’s marching band competes in finals every year… so it would allow me to easily go and watch.</p>
<p>Alright so what would you(anybody) say, would RIT be a good coice for me?</p>
<p>For cybercrime in the FBI your best major is probably straight computer science. Top ranked school is MIT. Second ranked school is CMU. RIT is fine, though.</p>
<p>Take a look at University of MD. Great engineering and you can take the metro to FBI headquarters for internships, summer study, etc…Faculty are also likely to have useful contacts.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for you replies. I’m starting to look at RPI now as a top choice… would you say I have just as good of a chance at going there?
Also, my math score on my SAT was a bit lower than expected (680… not quite sure what happened there), but instead of taking the SAT again, would a 35 math score on the ACT and/or a good score on the Math 2 SAT II test (plan on taking in the fall) sort of offset that?</p>