College list advice

Parents Forum
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<p>I've hesitated to ask for opinions from this board because I think I have a pretty good idea of how to do a college search but now that we are in the time zone for applications, here I go.</p>

<p>Son is a rising senior. B student. Eagle scout SAT's just about 1200, will take one more time in October to break that barrier. Has taken mostly honors classes and will have 3 AP's by graduation. Pretty normal at his HS. Not many EC's besides scouts, Marching and concert band (which is a graded class too), film club, Philosophy club. Mostly likes to play computer games way too much. Before he got hooked on them he was an avid reader, now just reads on vacation and for school.</p>

<p>Possible majors - Would love to be a video game designer. Has taken C++ and Basic and will take Java this year. Does not want to be a programmer. Does not love math which means he's not looking for a math heavy curriculum in whatever major. He visited RIT and loved the technology but is having second thoughts about applying (as IT major) because he thinks he would prefer a more well rounded rather then purely technical education. Since video game designer is only offered at a few colleges he's thinking more of an IT major or undeclared. Cost is an issue and while we are not eligible for financial aid from any state schools, I think he could get grants and merit aid at some private colleges. Here's what we've seen and where he is thinking of applying:</p>

<h1>1 Champlain College in VT - Interactive game designer</h1>

<h1>2 Principia College in IL - undeclared</h1>

<h1>3 Towson - IT or undeclared</h1>

<h1>4 Millersville University of PA - safety, both financially and academically,</h1>

<p>visited, not sure about applying
RIT - see above
Drexel- too mathy and wasn't sure about urban location
Juniata - likes the college, but IT didn't look as up to date as Champlain
York - no good reason to dislike, might do second visit
Kutztown - another safety but not as good computer wise as M'vile
Northern Arizona University - visited for the heck of it on vacation, no interest.</p>

<p>We will not be visiting colleges west of PA, or cost more then $30,000. Nor state schools that cost more then $20,000 outside of PA. There are many state colleges in PA, why pay out of state? Towson is an exception, just because I haven't been able to talk him or me out of it. We both liked it... Have we missed a good college?</p>

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<p>Please also look at Allegheny College - just squeaks in your geographic limits in Erie PA. One of our programmers was a recent graduate, and says that the people in his department were better 'cared for' (projects, research, conferences, etc.) than his compatriots at better-known schools. If you son nails the SAT this fall he may be in the running for merit aid. Allegheny was on my son's list since he was interested in CS and a host of other majors.</p>

<p>Allegheny has the feel of some of the wonderful NE LAC's - I think it would be a lot hotter if it were located in VT. I believe there is less of a gaming culture there than at, for instance, RIT (also a good school, of course, but different - my son's hs sal will be attending this fall).</p>

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<p>Hi Kathiep- we've been on similar threads as we're both looking at some Public U's in mid-Atlantic. Just got off MSNBC website- and lo & behold-there is an article today about Michigan State U offering a minor in Game Design & Development starting next month. It is a 15 credit/ four course sequence of classes on video game design etc. So I just thought I'd pass the info to you. It was on MSNBC- Tech/Science page so you might be able to find it too. Wish I could link it up for you, but I am just a Luddite at heart. Good luck</p>

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<p>ohio mom,
Allegheny has been on my radar screen for awhile. Logistically, I can't figure out how to go without taking off work (I work Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat) and son is working a 40 hour week job (summer) and already took off for family vacation,and/or taking him out of school during the fall. We may well do both for Allegheny and perhaps re-visit or to see another school out that-a-way. It really does look like a good school.</p>

<p>Marny, I found a link <a href="http://dmat.msu.edu/degrees/gamespecialization.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://dmat.msu.edu/degrees/gamespecialization.html&lt;/a> from Michigan State U itself. Looks interesting but he says he wants smaller. Wouldn't even look at PSU.</p>

<p>Here's another game design school that's interesting, but not to son :
<a href="http://guildhall.smu.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://guildhall.smu.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>It's been a long year, I will be so happy when everything is decided and I can think about what stuff he'll put in his dorm room instead of where he wants to go/where he can get in/ getting applications out, ....</p>

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<p>just a FYI that a cc-er, fendergirl, went to York. Sounds like you have a good list. Allegheny is a great idea. I think yulsie is an alum of Allegheny.</p>

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<p>I know nothing about game design and haven't played one since Donkey Kong but, Indiana University of Pennsylvania sounded interesting .Robert Cook (I think?) Honors College had a very impressive brochure. I don't know what it takes to qualify, but I'd check it out. Oh, and I thought the school in Williamsport looked good ,too. (but I can't dredge up the name. Sorry.)</p>

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<p>No interest in Flagship U's College of Information Systems Technology? <a href="http://ist.psu.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ist.psu.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Kathiep your son sounds like a clone of where mine will be in 3 years, he will be a high school freshman this fall. I sent him the link to SMU. He shows no interest yet in the programming side - did your son do Basic and C++ at school or "on the side"? He has written a number of game scenarios, just hasn't gotten into any of the technical side, maybe if is truly his thing, some of these links will convince him of the need for that part too.</p>

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<p>Allegheny alum here, as is Shennie. I believe that it remains to this day a very nuturing school - mostly small classes, close and caring faculty, opportunities for projects and interships, great capstone project, beautiful campus. They do have the fall visit days and in the past have arranged for bus transportation from certain larger area cities - it may you could get your son to one of those central cities and let him bus to campus. Here is info off the website regarding the fall visit dates for prospective students:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.allegheny.edu/admissions/visit/openhouse.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.allegheny.edu/admissions/visit/openhouse.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Lycoming is the school I was trying to think of earlier in Williamsport.</p>

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<p>whoops, I must've meant Shennie!</p>

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<p>Kathiep, Your son sounds so much like mine. He has computer interest, but has decided not to make it a career. Instead he is interested in business. We loved Towson. We visited, it was perfect in size, liked the surrounding area, not too far from home, good advising and support system. I think it is a good choice. Food for thought: I met somebody who's son went to Champlain. He loved it and did a lot of skiing. They did not help him with jobs upon graduation (he moved back to NJ). He was a business major. One year after graduation he is in the same position as when he graduated as a bank teller.
While in Vermont did you look at St. Michael's? I know nothing about it, but hear that it is small. I think Champlain students may take some classes there and vice versa.</p>

<p>Isn't Juniata more for the science major/premed?</p>

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<p>You liked Elon, so what about it, or even Susquehanna? I remember you telling me about both re: when you visited w your daughter.</p>

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<p>Kathiep,
I did send DS off to visit a uni via plane when we absolutely had no time left - it wasn't that expensive, and he returned more confident and none the worse for wear. The airport in Erie is not far from Allegheny - something might be managable staging from Erie. I only mention this because I think visiting probably matters at Allegheny. Your son should have a good shot there, and visiting would make the application stronger - and just as important, tell him if he wanted to spend for years there.</p>

<p>As it turned out, my son did not apply to the uni he visisted on his own, but it helped him clarify what he did want.</p>

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<p>Furthermore, Allegheny has EA admissions, never a bad thing.</p>

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<p>Thanks guys. Northeastmom - son's stats aren't quite as strong as daughters, I don't know about merit aid for him. I don't think Elon has as good a computer program either as ones that are up here. We were looking for education for daughter and she was much more into study abroad and volunteering then son is. </p>

<p>We looked at Juniata first because a friend of both my kids goes there and then they invited son for an IT day in early Spring. I think they are trying to beef up the program. Merit aid is a concern with looking at Allegheny as well. </p>

<p>1moremom, nope, psu is huge. He's not into partying (unless it's a lan party) and would prefer smaller classes. Looks interesting though. </p>

<p>Lycoming, I'll look again. It was in the first round, but I can't remember why it was knocked out. </p>

<p>Back to Allegheny. Son actually drove by himself to RIT (5 hours) and has flown by himself before so that's not a big concern. Expense of small plane travel is more so. I did look at their website again and see they have senior overnights that look interesting. Like the EA too.</p>

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<p>Have you r/o Susquehanna?</p>

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<p>It was on the list at the beginning and I had to go back to their website because I couldn't remember why we didn't look further (like Lycoming) but think it's coming back to me now. Honest two kids, visiting over a dozen schools, it's hard to remember which was which. ANYWAY, Susquehanna does not have a very deep computer majors program - it's computer science or the department of accounting and information systems which is in the business department <a href="http://www.susqu.edu/accounting/major.cfm?Code=08%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.susqu.edu/accounting/major.cfm?Code=08&lt;/a>. He ruled out CS because of the heavy math requirement at most schools and he is not looking for information systems, but information technology. Somehow he said there is a difference.</p>

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<p>Would this be a major offered through the business dept. of a university? Isn't RIT going to be heavy on the math? I understand about how you can confuse schools esp. if you saw more than 1 in a day.</p>

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<p>No, Computer majors are often under math or science or just computer dept. The IT at RIT is not as math heavy as a CS major but son (today) thinks that RIT would not be a good fit since he's not really sure what he wants to do, maybe computers, maybe not but at that college there aren't alot of humanities classes that you could switch to after starting in at IT and at $30,000 a year, we would like just 4 years. <a href="http://www.it.rit.edu/ITBS.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.it.rit.edu/ITBS.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>