<p>My S is interested in game design and ended up applying to MIT, CMU, RIT, RPI, WPI, Drexel, Northeastern and Cornell. He will be entering Cornell this fall (Engineering, though you can also do CS through Arts & Sciences which might be a better fit for someone who wants to also do a lot of creative writing). (Was rejected by MIT and waitlisted by CMU SCS which he did not pursue.) Even though they do not have the strongest game program of the bunch, they do have a minor, and they have an excellent CS program, great variety of offerings overall, and what I really like about it is that at least in engineering they don’t major until 2nd semester of sophomore year, and that flexibility is pretty rare among CS programs. </p>
<p>After being admitted and looking more closely at Northeastern’s games program, he decided that he was a bit underwhelmed by it (including the fact that its co-op options were limited and would put him on a different schedule than most students in his year). But we were quite impressed by the opportunities everywhere else he applied.</p>
<p>I’m of the impression that game developers put in a lot of hours and that they better be prepared for projects to fold up and find a new one asap.</p>
<p>Too bad your son didn’t like Johns Hopkins’ brick buildings, because JHU has first-rate English/creative writing as well as topnotch CS. It is not a school for the lazy, however; it’s full of very smart, striving kids with remarkable work ethics.</p>
<p>In my experience, one of two things happens to smart, disorganized/lazy kids when they get into an elite college. 1) They figure out, quickly or not so quickly, that they are no longer going to be able to skate by and so they clean up their act. 2) They flunk out. Fortunately 1) is by far more common. In some ways, though it might seem counterintuitive, I think it’s better for such a kid to go to an excellent school than to shoot for something “easier.” Being surrounded by ambitious, highly competent peers has a way of stimulating one’s own ambition and competence. Going to a school where most of the people are either slower on the uptake or have more to cope with elsewhere in their lives (work, kids, part-time enrollment, etc.) only feeds habits of slothfulness and, often, condescension.</p>
<p>I think that’s pretty true, @Deborah. But for a young kid with a passion, this is not the end of the world. However, it’s also why I want S to get a strong general CS degree that he can use for other pursuits if he decides that’s not really the life for him.</p>
<p>Mathmomvt, I posted because it didn’t sound like the OP’s son would necessarily find long hours attractive. Sometimes it’s nice to know what you’re getting into up front.</p>
It’s about a ten minute walk to Davis Square which is a lot like what Harvard Square was like thirty years ago. Trendy and inexpensive restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques. You can also hop on the T there and get to Harvard Square as your next stop.</p>
<p>I don’t think he has trouble with long hours, as long as he’s enjoying what he’s doing. He can spend hours and hours on the computer and working on his writing, and spent many hours on chem homework, as I said. He just doesn’t have to study more than 10 minutes, which is a gift, I guess, even if it makes me crazy. However, with everything else, I would have to classify him as a little less than ambitious, which is probably because everything academic comes so easy to him.</p>
<p>I took another look at MIT and WPI, but I wasn’t totally sold on what I saw. WPI’s humanities and arts all seem to be geared towards science and technology. For instance, he doesn’t want to take philosophy classes that are only about how the world is effected by technology. And MIT seemed to be a little limiting too for someone who wants to explore a liberal arts curriculum. </p>
<p>When asked, he will tell you that although he loves computers and game design, he would rather have a well-rounded education and learn about anything and everything than focus on just the tech side of things, which is why we were looking at LACs. This is a kid who enjoys watching the Discovery and History channels and even taught himself to read hieroglyphics because he was fascinated by ancient Egypt.</p>
<p>It’s hard to find the right school for someone odd like him! And then when you do find it, you have to cross your fingers that he gets in.</p>
<p>megan - “MIT seemed to be a little limiting too for someone who wants to explore a liberal arts curriculum.” MIT students can cross register to take classes at Harvard. He can take anything there that MIT does not have. Only 10-15 minutes bus or train to go back and forth between MIT and Harvard.</p>
<p>Anyway, like Doborah said, it’s up to your son to decide what he is going to do. Furthermore, your son’s interest may change quickly when he starts college or even in the middle of the HS senior year. There are lots of stories that students reverse interests after one or two years in college.</p>
<p>Megan, I think your son would do great at any of the schools suggested. It sounds like he’s not challenged by HS, but he’s willing to work at what he loves and seeks out some new challenges for himself (hieroglyphics??!!). So I’m not sure he’s actually not ambitious. Jingle expressed what I think better than I could have. </p>
<p>It sounds like you’ve already started visiting colleges. FWIW, one thing that helped both my kids (esp D), was to take advantage of the campus “meet a student” programs, either formally (through the college admissions office) or informally (friends’ kids, HS alums). Especially if they get a chance to sit in on a class they might take. It really helped them to see the level of engagement of the students and profs.</p>
<p>That’s a myth. An average MIT student have taken more Humanities courses (Min. 8) than an average STEM graduate of any other top schools (including Ivies).</p>
<p>Also as ‘coolweather’ indicated MIT students are allowed for cross-registration with Harvard and both have synced their semester so that it’s seamless to take any courses across the campuses.</p>
<p>If the above two statements are true then you will do a dis-service to your DS by not suggesting MIT. Take a tour of the college, for a genius like your DS MIT will be the perfect institute. He will not only find challenge enough to do hard work but also will be able to find a strong group of similarly genius mind that will encourage him to achieve greatness.</p>
<p>MIT approach to being collaborative instead of cut throat competitive will help a genius child like your DS.</p>
<p>OP: Just to put things in perspective, in the latest QS world ranking of colleges subject wise, MIT is placed as the top in almost all area of engineering including computer science, EE, etc. but also placed 2nd in Economics, Math, and Biological sciences.</p>
<p>POIH, I just knew you would take the opportunity to brag (again) about MIT. It’s a great school…but it’s NOT the only act in town. I wish, just for once, that you could acknowledge the many other WONDERFUL colleges out there that provide excellent opportunities for STEM studies. You know…there are others besides MIT.</p>
<p>^^^: There are 5 posters who provided information about CMU but only ‘coolweather’ provided information about MIT. What’s the problem if I seconded MIT with more information since OP was not sold on it.</p>
<p>You guys are too funny! I’m guessing ParentOfIvyHope is a big fan of MIT. I actually appreciate the input, even if POIH brags a lot. I admit, I don’t really know much about MIT other than it’s the top school in the country for the sciences. As for taking classes at Harvard, I doubt that DS will do that. He really didn’t like Harvard. Maybe he thinks they’ll make him wear preppy shorts and crocodile sweaters! LOL</p>
<p>I assumed that everyone at MIT did nothing but study. So is that not true? DS is not a partier, but he certainly doesn’t want to spend his entire college life working on homework. He’s a serious student, but he’s more interested in learning for the sake of learning than to find a job and make lots of money.</p>
<p>I added Colgate to our list of colleges to check out in upstate NY. We’re already seeing U of Roch., probably RIT since we’ll be up there anyway, and Cornell. Any feedback on any of those?</p>
<p>I have a friend who just graduated from MIT and while she did spend a lot of time studying (she was doing either course 2 or 2-A, mechanical engineering, and did exceedingly well in it), she certainly found plenty of time to do things that she enjoyed on campus, such as gaming and having a spontaneous tea party with passers-by in Cambridge. It certainly wasn’t an entirely perfect school (what school is?), but she seemed to have a good balance of work and play.</p>
<p>megan12: Thanks for appreciating the value of information. Knowledge is power. How you use it is up to you. </p>
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<p>I would just like to clarify that not everyone at MIT studying 24 hours. There are some who like to do that but such students will do that at any campus. </p>
<p>The motto of MIT is ‘Mens et Manus’ or ‘Mind and Hand’ which in turn shows it’s believe in learning for the sake of learning and it’s application to the practical life. MIT environment is not at all competitive. Working in small groups is encouraged. MIT Student community is very supportive.</p>
<p>It is true that on an average MIT students have to spend more time studying by virtue of the curriculumn and with in the MIT community there are major that require more effort than other majors and with in majors there are courses that require more efforts than other courses.</p>
<p>The increase load at MIT comes from it’s stress on original problems as part of PSET (Problem Set). A great deal of effort is spent on doing the PSET which is part of the after class work due every week. I’ve seen the problems and they are really challenging.</p>
<p>So my recommendation is that for a genius child, like your DS as comes out from your posts, MIT will be great fit. So do take a tour, MIT has an overnight visit program for the students and if possible you can send DS for that.</p>