<p>Hi. My S is interested in majoring in game design. I have reviewed the list from Princeton Review and Game Pro and cross-referenced it with the Tuition Exchange program my university belongs to. Leaving aside any potential concerns that he might not be accepted at any given school (since this is a preliminary list), how would you rank the overall quality of these schools. We won't be able to visit all of them and I would like to rank order them in an effort to better concentrate our efforts. So these are the ones available to him:</p>
<p>In addition, he stands a good chance (I think, if practice tests are any indication of PSAT scores) for NMF scholarships. So, if anyone knows of other good schools for game design that offer full-scholarships for NMF, please let me know.</p>
<p>What aspect of game design is your son intersted in? Programming? Art? Design? Development? There are some other options to consider that are not on your list or may not be on the lists you are working with. The ones that come immediately to mind are RPI and Northeastern. Also USC, and NYU has a Game Center though you need to create an interdisciplinary major or do a minor.</p>
<p>Of your list, there has to be the concern of what other academic interests he has and what happens if he changes his mind. Of those you list, probably Drexel, WPI and RIT. But RPI could be considered better, if it can be added to your list.</p>
<p>Absolutely look at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It’s stronger academically than all eight of those schools and in some cases much stonger. </p>
<p>* he stands a good chance (I think, if practice tests are any indication of PSAT scores) for NMF scholarships. So, if anyone knows of other good schools for game design that offer full-scholarships for NMF, please let me know.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Can you clarify? NMSF/NMF is based on PSAT scores which is taken junior year. What year is your son?</p>
<p>Are you saying that your son’s PSAT score is high enough in your state to be named a NMSF? And that he’ll likely get a SAT score above the minimum…which is a bit under 2000</p>
<p>If he wants to go into computer game design, probably the best choice would be to major in computer science, but include the computer graphics and user interface design courses in his course list along with the usual useful-for-industry-jobs courses like operating systems, software engineering, networks, security, and databases. Then use breadth and free elective space for courses like art, animation, creative writing, etc… Going to a school with a game design major may allow for additional electives of that nature, even if one is a regular computer science major, but not restricting school choice to such schools allows a broader range of schools to choose from in terms of academic and financial fit.</p>
<p>That would help for a job or career in computer game design, but also allow for a job or career in other types of computer software development, which is a much larger range of jobs and careers. If the desired computer game jobs are not available at graduation, then a computer science graduate can work in some other computer software job for a while until a desired computer game job becomes available. On the other hand, someone with an overly specialized game design degree may not find it easy to be hired in other areas.</p>
<p>Thanks folks for the feedback. I think my S can review the gaming programs and I just want to ensure that he goes to a good one. OTOH - most of these are schools that we are relatively unfamiliar with. So, in addition to going to reputable gaming program, I would like for my S to get a decent overall education, too.</p>
<p>So, if you have any feedback about the respective schools, I would appreciate hearing that. I also understand that RPI is an exceptional school, but unless they have a NMF full scholarship, I cannot afford to send him there. USC is also on my exchange list, but only for partial tuition, so we cannot afford it, either.</p>
<p>S has been scoring between 2160 and 2360 or so on the BB SAT practice test. He is a rising jr. and will take the PSAT in the fall. </p>
<p>So, in addition to going to reputable gaming program, I would like for my S to get a decent overall education, too.</p>
<p>Very good thinking. Frankly, since sooo many young people are pursuing that major, I fear a glut of graduates with few job offers. My niece graduated with that degree 3 years ago and still hasn’t secured a job within the field. My SIL wishes that her D had done a double major so that she would have had something else to fall back on.</p>
<p>Good luck on the PSAT…a success there will open some good scholarship opportunities. </p>
<p>You might have him use the Collegeboard SAT practice book, too.</p>
<p>You have a long way to go but with high scores, there may be additional ways to finance. RPI is very interested in its growing national prestige and like many private schools offers merit aid. I really urge you not to settle until you have to, and to explore options such as RPI. USC too. WPI is considered a very good school in some programs by people in the know, and also has merit options. Northeastern, which has a national reputation too, has the co-op program that may help. I think the “decent education overall” aspect is rightly what you should consider in additio to the game design, and some of the schools on your list may not meet that criteria.</p>