<p>So I was really into acting in high school and didn't try very hard at getting good grades (or even take the SAT's) and moved to NYC and wasn't very successful (whats this "luck" thing?), and got an administrative position in a 9 to 5 job for a non profit. But I found out that for fun in my spare time I liked to do electrical experiments with radio shack solar panels and stuff. And then I built a computer from scratch. and that I love code, and I'm currently learning c++ and I love finding out how things work. I also found out I love home automation, and bought a $900 Phillips pronto universal remote just to learn how to use it (its awesome). I also am really interested in Arduinos, and I'm currently designing my own Arcade Machine from scratch just for the learning experience (ok and to play it all the time...). Also, school wise I actually wasn't a bad kid, was way more into socializing and was well liked, and I didn't hate math and wasn't bad at it, but I just didn't want to do it if i didn't need to for an acting career that didn't require a college education or a good college. I figure because my dad was a math teacher and my twin brother did very well in school and math that I could probably handle it if I wanted to do it. Plus i have to do functions and stuff for coding all the time, and its not so scary and i think math problems are pretty fun. </p>
<p>So my question is, now at 29 years old, I think I want to be a Computer Engineer, do these traits read to you like traits of a typical Computer Engineer as opposed to some other computer type major?</p>
<p>Also, what should I do to get into a good engineering school now that I never took my SAT's, got bad grades in high school, but consider myself smart enough to mix it up with others who get into those good schools? </p>
<p>Is community college (City College/CUNY in NYC) my only option and then hope to transfer out?</p>
<p>Help me College Confidential, you're my only hope...TZz-</p>
<p>I’d suggest taking a few courses at community college to see where you are. You will probably have to take a placement test to assess your reading, writing and math skills. Get some good grades under your belt and take the SAT and then see what your scores tell you as far as where you would get in.</p>
<p>Consider reading a discrete mathematics book in your spare time. Maybe watch some MIT Open Courseware books too.</p>
<p>It’s great that you’re considering a computer engineering degree, but I’ll have to echo BCEagle’s advice.</p>
<p>Computer engineering is basically electrical engineering with (mandatory) computer science electives. </p>
<p>Thus your biggest difficulty will come from physics and math content. I wouldn’t be very worried about the discrete math part, at the undergrad level it’s not particularly difficult nor does it really have any prerequisites (other than algebra and an ability to do homework).</p>
<p>Try taking multivariable Calculus and some Electricity & Magnetism physics class, maybe a some programming classes would be good too before you sign up. </p>
<p>Engineering math for the most part is not insanely abstract (like a pure math major would study). It’s mostly calculus, some linear algebra and differential equations. As a computer engineer you may also have to do complex analysis. Depends on the school.</p>
<p>Hey, congrats on going back to school. I was 32 when I went back, so just a little older than you are now.</p>
<p>Yes, your best bet is to go to a community college first and then transfer. You shouldn’t look at it as a negative, though. Community college is a great place to get back into the habit of studying in a less judgmental environment while saving money. If you were to go straight to a university right now you would be re-learning your study habits while adjusting to being the “old guy” in all your classes. You would also end up spending at least twice as much for your first year or two.</p>
<p>When you enroll at the community college you will take a placement exam that will suggest which math and writing classes you should start in. If you don’t do as well as you feel you should have, study and take it again, but be careful not to get in over your head. </p>
<p>You should start thinking about where you want to transfer as soon as possible. Like now. If you have a target school going in your can work with your counselor to take the best classes. You want to take classes similar to the curriculum at your target school that will likely fit into the curriculum at other schools, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>This was a great response. Saved me from pretty much typing the same thing. I think computer engineering is exactly what you should be going for. On the down side, I think when you take the placement exams at CC, the highest you can place for math is college algebra. If this is true, then you obvioulsy will have to work your way into the standard classes needed to be accepted to an engineering program. This would probably be: algebra, trig, precal, calc I, and calc II.</p>
<p>I think at a minimum, assuming you place out of any remedial classes, it will take you two years to transfer. What you really need to transfer, besides enough hours, is Eng I & II, Calc I & II, Chem I w/lab, and calc based Physics I w/ lab. The problem is building up to the prereqs so you can even take those classes. Someone mentioned taking the SATs, this is completely pointless at this stage of the game (transfer programs don’t ask for them or care about them, same goes for your high school work unless you took AP stuff). If you’re serious about doing computer engineering, like ThatPoshGirl said, you need to find out asap where you want to go and figure out exactly what that school needs to admit you. Keep in mind while your overall gpa will be important, you must also (and probably more importantly) keep a high math/science gpa. Find out what these numbers are from the school you want to transfer into. Don’t waste your time talking with CC advisers about transfering, if you have any questions you need to be on the phone with admissions/counslers at your *potential school. Also, some community colleges have an engineering transfer program set up with some universities (probably only in the same state though). If you enter this program you automatically gain admission to the transfering school provided you take all the classes and have a decent gpa. This route is longer than just taking the bare minimum to transfer but it does guarentee admissions once you complete the program.</p>
<p>Good luck, it’s not an easy path and leaves virtually no room for error but it is possible. Also, once you do transfer, don’t expect all of your CC credits to come with you. Only ones that are coming are the ones that apply to the Cmpe degree at your new school. So this whole process from start to finish will probably take you 4.5 -5 yrs if you start now.</p>
<p>I think that you should take the SAT after taking a few courses at CC. There is some possibility that this could help financially, if that’s an issue. You would also have some idea as to where you stand in relationship to other students and it could be useful in picking schools to transfer to or apply as a first year.</p>
<p>The CC that our kids attended both went up to Calc III with the placement tests going up to Calc I. I’ve seen CCs that don’t offer Calc too. Some CCs are more tech-vocational and some are academic-tech-vocational. You’ll want the latter.</p>
<p>I think that your best bet is completing 30 hours at CC and then transfering to an instate college. Transfering instate will be easier and cheaper. I dont think that you need to take the SAT. Thats usually only needed if you have less than 30 hours. A CC also have more introductory classes to help students catch up with math and english (if they need to). Depending on how big it is, it may even offer all the classes that you need at night, which means that you could work while you complete your first 30 hours.</p>
<p>Good for you that you want to go back to college.</p>
<p>Find a community college that has an articulation agreement with four year schools. There is then a guarantee that your courses will transfer AND you will be accepted to the four year program upon completion of your CC courses.</p>
<p>I’ve been through a lot of scholarship descriptions and did see quite a number based on SAT. He also might benefit from applying as a Freshman. Even with a bunch of credits.</p>
<p>^^^ A lot of school wont accept SAT scores taken after high school. Probably any SAT based scholarships have an age limit. </p>
<p>You can’t apply as a freshman if you have already attended another college.</p>
<p>To the OP, you are lucky that you are in NY. You have an excellent selection of state colleges you can transfer to when you are ready. But don’t hesitate to apply to private universities as well, they can end up costing the same or less than a state college sometimes.</p>
<p>This isn’t true. Schools typically have a cutoff based on the number of credits accumulated.</p>
<p>The OP could take a semester of courses and find that he finds them easy with As all around and then consider applying as a freshman.</p>
<p>As far as SAT scores go, I recall reading about a school paying students to retake the SAT while attending their college to get their SAT statistics higher.</p>
<p>I find that the “old” guys in my classes are often the best students all around to work with. I have a classmate who is older and married and I love working with him because he is so driven and dedicated and not a pompous b**** like some of my other classmates. </p>