My 10th grader is interested in both Animation and Comp Sci. However I am concerned about the level of math required to get in and successfully complete a Comp Sci degree. Her grades in math have been B+s (with a lot of work), each year, always 1 or 2 points in keeping her from straight A’s. She’s going into IB next year, and I’m encouraging her to take Math Studies, since it’s not her strongest subject. Will that hinder her in the application process?
Is she planning to apply to a university program or art college? All are going to require computer skills for animation but some are going to be a lot more programming-oriented than draw/design-oriented. What aspect of animation does she enjoy?
Is she’s looking at a traditional computer science program culminating in the BS degree and wants to apply to a competitive college, then she would need to finish pre-calculus at a minimum and many would prefer calculus. And she would need to be an A student in those subjects. She would also need to score fairly high on the math portion of the ACT/SAT. If she is accepted into a BA program offering computer science (such as a liberal arts college) then those math requirements may not be quite as stringent.
On the other hand, if she’s more interested in using the computer for high level 3D animation, then advanced math skills are not as important. She’d need a lot of figure drawing experience in case the application process requires a portfolio so can go easier on the math for junior and senior year and focus more on her technical drawing skills.
Regardless of the path she chooses, she should expect to graduate with four years of math under her belt because that’s pretty much what all colleges are requiring.
Good luck to her!
Thanks Mamelot. She’s looking at a mixture of art schools (which look to be very expensive) and some universities with strong arts programs. She’s mainly looking at using computers for 3D animation and is currently making straight A’s in AP Drawing Portfolio. She wants to make sure she has marketable skills when she graduates, hence the interest in comp sci. We’re exploring summer animation programs to give her a better idea of what is expected if she chooses to pursue this path.
That sounds like an excellent plan, @ready2launch. Those summer programs are usually pretty intense so excellent preparation for a college studio experience, plus she’ll have some great portfolio pieces for her application.
Art schools are expensive but the good students usually get scholarship money, sometimes in significant amounts, and that helps a lot. A good in-state flagship might be the perfect solution, or an out-of-state option that grants the in-state tuition difference in the form of a scholarship. Lots of great options for her.
Training in comp. sci. and animation is a great combination. There are some incredibly exciting things happening in the world of entertainment and someone with the technical ability as well as artistic vision will be very employable. Good luck to her!