<p>Mathmom, congrats to your son! As I'm sure you know, CMU is also the home of the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and development center. <a href="http://www.sei.cmu.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.sei.cmu.edu/</a></p>
<p>What a great opportunity for him!</p>
<p>I know that Caltech is a top notch school and certainly Harvard's equal, but in my opinion Princeton, Yale and Stanford, at a minimum, are equals as well. Nevertheless, most kids I know don't turn down Harvard, even when they prefer another school, because of what I call "public opinion" that Harvard stands above all other schools. So I personally respect kids who have the inner strength to make another choice. This is just my my opinion based on what I have observed in the overly competitive area in which I live.</p>
<p>S wanted to go to USC since admit day. They put on the most welcoming day and show compared to the UCs he went to. We were pulling for UCSD or U of Washington. All for Computer Science. He had no desire to go to the east coast although did not get in to CMU (he's relieved after talking to some of the present students on CC). USC was his best fit. Luckily he took a course there last summer in CS so knows the campus and feel of the area. He wanted a normal college experience but can't really say the 24/7 put in by CS majors is normal.
Anyway, we were the ones who had to be talked in to it because he got accepted in to the new CS gaming major and we think he should do regular CS first. Plus we would rather visit him in San Diego or Seattle. </p>
<p>Still wish he didn't accept there but it is his best fit not ours.</p>
<p>BINGO, futureholds!!</p>
<p>I had to deal with my dreams vs my son's. He surely was better able to pick his "best fit" than I was, but I still had a bit of trouble with it.</p>
<p>bethievt, your son is going to Grinnell, correct? Grinnell holds a special place in my father's heart since he and his colleagues did the science center there a few years ago. It's definitely not a school for everyone--my father suggested it to me, since I am interested in math (and he knows the facilities are nice! :)) and since they have such a relatively large endowment, but the smallness and Iowa-ness were way too much for me to consider it. Still, I would think that when it is a good fit, it is a GREAT fit...seems very idyllic for the right kind of person.</p>
<p>mathmom </p>
<p>just wanted to offer my congrats on mathson's decision. For my S who's a recent grad, CMU/SCS was computer heaven...intense, and the work load at times can be insane...but the kids love it and wouldn't have it any other way.</p>
<p>(btw a class is about 130 or so. Nearly all make it through the program).</p>
<p>Congratulations Mathmom and Mathson! </p>
<p>CMU's SCS program is really top-notch. My son is planning on majoring in CS as well (and will attend JHU, which turned out to be the perfect fit for him). He was priority WL at CMU but decided not to pursue it. While we were researching programs, I sent my neighbor an e-mail asking about the reputation of various colleges which she kindly circulated among her engineering colleagues at an internet company she works for. These guys make recruiting and hiring decisions. About five of her colleagues responded with their opinions (some east coast, some west coast). Their consistent and strongly voiced view was that the CMU degree will get the applicant an interview and opens doors. The level of respect they expressed for CMU's CS program was remarkable.</p>
<p>2331clk, I knew how big the program was once upon a time. :) An insane workload will be good for him - he's coasted through high school. I'm not sure why we never looked at JHU. Dh almost did a post-doc there.</p>