<p>My friend is away this summer as a camp counselor. He is having trouble finding schools he likes and was wondering if I could help.</p>
<p>What he is looking for:
-Location: New England (some colleges outside this region will be considered)
-Small or medium sized school
-Strong in computer science/information systems</p>
<p>SAT scores:
550 CR
490 M
520 W</p>
<p>GPA improved over high school. All CP classes except AP US history (year grade of 91 unweighted). All grades above 85 junior year. </p>
<p>Of what state is your friend a resident? What can your friend’s family afford to contribute to his education each year? This is not likely something you’re going to know, so best get your friend to call home and see if his parents will tell him. Then get back to us.</p>
<p>Ask him for a more precise GPA. We need to know whether the SAT score is a good measure of his potential. </p>
<p>Does your friend have any hooks like a sport for which s/he might be recruited or a URM or a first-time gen college student?</p>
<p>It is likely that his state public schools are going to head the list. </p>
<p>@jkeil911 He is from Maine, and his parents basically gave him $250,000 to decide what to do. (They got this money a long time ago and saved it for his college education) He is planning on applying to UMO (our state school), and then possibly using the extra money to help him get started. However, he wanted more options for colleges. </p>
<p>He was the captain of the track team as a junior, and will be a captain for the XC team this fall. He will definitely receive great letters of recommendation from teachers. Maybe SAT optional schools? He was just an average B student his freshman and sophomore year. </p>
<p>I would try to convince your friend of the benefits of taking the SAT again or the ACT. </p>
<p>Thomas College is a possibility; I’ve heard good things about their CS. University of Hartford, Norwich, Wentworth, Rhode Island C, and Suffolk U come to mind.</p>
<p>SlackerMomMD great advice.excellent guide to help students find schools they would not otherwise think of.
I would recommend hendrix college ( but a lot of people get scared off because of the location…which is silly)</p>
<p>this kid’s math score does not bode well for the math req’s for computer science. </p>
<p>I dont know how much math is needed for Management Information Systems. The idea of him going to a school that is “strong in CS” would be a death sentence for this kid, he would likely be weeded out quickly. </p>
<p>I think he should look more to MIS as long as there isnt too much math req’d. What level of math has he completed so far? what grades has he gotten in math? </p>
<p>MIS is typically a business-based major, so the math requirements are typically a semester or year of calculus and a semester of statistics.</p>
<p>CS typically requires a year of calculus, linear algebra, discrete math, and CS theory courses that are like math courses. Other CS courses require the type of logical thinking that is similar to thinking about math.</p>
<p>MIS is more about managing computers and their software. CS is more about designing computers and their software.</p>
<p>@zobroward - I keep putting Hendrix on my daughter’s list. She keeps hemming and hawing. I think we need to visit this fall. It sounds like a supportive environment with smart students - what’s not to like? </p>
<p>slackermomMD , I agree! people are so conditioned to hear Arkansas and they think what is said in the movies and by comedians is actually true. I bet if she goes to visit she will fall in love with it. hendrix seems like a super amazing unique supportive place.
tell her let’s visit and if you still say no fair enough…but I would not let her pass up seeing what maybe the perfect school just because of some unfair stereotypes. </p>
<p>I would certainly recommend looking at some test-optional schools. Stonehill is possible: it’s a Catholic college, about 25 miles south of Boston. Champlain, in Burlington, VT, has fairly good business programs for someone who isn’t afraid of winters. Burlington is a nice town. Franklin Pierce and Roger Williams are other options. Green Mountain is in a beautiful part of southern Vermont. It’s tiny. It used to be a women’s junior college, but it’s a four-year, co-ed college now. </p>
<p>He should retake the SAT or try the ACT (next test date is September 13, registration by August 8, he can study over the next month).
Essentially, he’ll be full pay, which can be a hook.
I agree that someone with a 490 on the math portion of the SAT needs to seriously shape up if he wants to do CS - it’s math-intensive and even at a college where classes are slower-paced, he’ll soon run into trouble. He should aim for a 650 even for a not-very-selective college. MIS is a better pick but even for that major a higher score (demonstrating better mastery of basics) is required.
If he’s a poor test-taker, what grades did he get in his math/science classes?
In any case, he should look at SAT-optional colleges indeed, and look for colleges that accept B/B+ students.</p>
<p>1) definitely worth retaking the SAT/ACT if he has time to study and improve on the math section in particular (even getting into the 500’s would help I think) 2) Siena College might be a good option as well as some of the less selective SUNY schools. 3) Consider some test optional schools as well. <a href=“ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest”>http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional</a></p>