Exactly how prestigious is Georgia Tech?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm a junior at UTK and I've all but been accepted for transfer to Ga Tech's Computational Media program. My application is just on hold until I complete Calculus II in the spring. </p>

<p>Now, I've come to realize that I really dislike the computer science portion of the program, but I'm wondering if it would be worth it to go there anyway for reasons such as placement/recruiting, internships, and backing for grad school placement. (MBA or Masters in Technology)</p>

<p>Background:
In fall 07 I transfered from a cc into UTK (university of tennessee knoxville). After this semester I'll have about 72 credit hours and a 3.25, but at least a semester's worth don't count towards the gen-ed because of school politics. Yet, they would count at most other tn schools and at Ga Tech.</p>

<p>I'm extremely good with computers, art, and business, but HATE programming / software development. (Although I have too many good business ideas.) I've made A's in all my science classes, but I just hate them.</p>

<p>GaTech's curriculum would call for C/C++ data structures II, organization/assembly language, software design, and proofs. All of which I can't stand and don't plan on using.</p>

<p>The rest of the curriculum would involve 3d animation, photography, visual studio, game design as a practice, moving image/ motion capture, and then film, film, and more film. All of which I excel at beyond my peers and find very fulfilling.</p>

<p>Tech curriculum
--GT</a> Catalog : COC : BS Computational Media : Degree Requirements
--Computational</a> Media</p>

<p>continued next post...</p>

2

<p>The alternative is a small state school in Nashvhille with a strong media program. Middle Tennessee state university caters to the recording industry and has multi-million dollar production facilities. The digital media communication or production majors aren't nearly as well known, but have access to the same equipment and good teachers.
-- Department</a> of Electronic Media Communication -Curriculum</p>

<p>The difference is that computer science is not required as part of the curriculum, although it is an option. A minor is also a required part of the program and I assume general business would be good to go along with my entrepreneurial spirit. The school is cheaper to the point that I would make (and save) about 5k a year by going there, but I'm worried about the real value of my degree.</p>

<p>So given this comparison, is the Georgia Institute of Technology prestigious enough, (contacts and quality-wise) to pay 20k a year for and basically stomach a minor in CS that I know I'll hate? If accepted, would I be a fool to turn it down? </p>

<p>I know the strength of their engineering programs, but I heard the others were lacking a bit. How does the non-eng degree take away from the strength of having graduated from there?</p>

3

<p>My Interests:
This is the part people always ask me about and say do what you love. That's difficult because I love a lot of things and I'm a jack of all trades. Thus it's difficult to refine. </p>

<p>One option is my childhood plan of going into movies. I have habit of making good contacts and feel that with a degree in something like either of the two above, I could work my way into a Cinematographer/DOP position. School would give me the training in camera work, animation, and post production necessary to learn more quickly. I would make a beeline for LA after I graduate and if all goes well even eventually pursue an MFA from one of the local schools.</p>

<p>Option two is similar. Ga Tech would put me in a good position to intern with game companies or tv companies such as time warner (adult swim :D ) I wouldn't have as much hands on camera work at Tech, but instead be on the bleeding edge of digital media. A fair trade I guess. I'm also afraid my distaste for programming would slow me down. Although if I can steer clear, storyboarding, animation, and design are all possible options. The next logical step for me would be to work towards a position of creative control. That's where I feel getting an MBA might help me rise to the top and start my own company or at least be in the decision making room of one.</p>

<p>The third and semi-final prospect is the entrepreneurship track. I already sustain myself purely from my own financial endeavors. I love the business of technology as much as I love the arts. I know a good thing when I see it and I already know some of the best ways to get money. I think getting an MBA from the silicone valley area and working to help bring new technologies to the market would be a dream job as well. </p>

<p>Other jobs I would consider as acceptable include sportbike racer, psychologist, politician, public speaker for tech company or other, special effects crew, network administrator, military tactician, cia or fbi agent, industrial design, actor, and comedian.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

4

<p>bump. I know it's long winded. :(</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
GaTech's curriculum would call for C/C++ data structures II, organization/assembly language, software design, and proofs. All of which I can't stand and don't plan on using.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I would not recommend going to a famously challenging school filled with kids who LOVE programming, and taking a bunch of demanding courses like that. You will be miserably trying to force yourself to do the work while your classmates are having a ball. It will be torture. </p>

<p>I don't know enough about the options to give other advice except "try to find a program that does not require you to invest thousands of hours on very hard work that you do not want to do, on subjects you do not care about, with huge numbers of outstanding students who love that stuff"</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
You will be miserably trying to force yourself to do the work while your classmates are having a ball. It will be torture.

[/quote]
I agree. It's been a tough semester forcing myself to do physics and data structures I and it's been extremely difficult to face the fact that maybe I should be in another field. My sat and act's even show flip flopped scores compared to students around me. (HIGH reading/English and OK math)</p>

<p>
[quote]
try to find a program that does not require you to invest thousands of hours on very hard work that you do not want to do

[/quote]
The reason I'm so torn is because, out of ~20 classes, only 4 would be programming. The rest would be LCC classes in media (literature, communication, and culture), and 4 free classes in CS. (all of which I would pick as media classes)</p>

<p>Besides decent grades I'm just mediocre on paper, and after last year's plethora of rejections I'm worried that Tech might be the best shot I have at a top notch school. So would it be worth it to do this program? Or maybe even to step sideways into a purely Media related degree? Will those degrees hold the weight of Tech behind them with internships, job placement, and grad school? Or are those perks reserved for the science & engineering majors?</p>

7

<p>DS has undergrad degree in mechanical engineering and HCI (Human-Computer Interaction, aka CHI, Computer-Human Interaction) at Carnegie Mellon. CMU also has a major in Multimedia Game Design. He is graduating MS-Cs from University of Toronto in this same field. Both programs deal in the utilization of human attributes (various arts verbal, sensual, audio, sciences, business, and technology) interfacing with computers (digital.) </p>

<p>He has yet to take a programming class and he self teaches himself the necessary programming skills. He considers himself a fair programmer (which he rather not do) and acknowledges that those who major in CS are much more skilled than he is. </p>

<p>From your description, you are similar to DS. The HCI and Game programs at CMU are very selective, upper level, and utilize different disciplines including visual artists, writers, musicians, and engineering, inorder to create something new. CMU and Toronto programs are project orientated.</p>

<p>I have zero knowledge of GT other than it is a newer looking campus, urban, hot in the summer.</p>