<p>Also, I believe there is a stronger animation major inside the Dodge Film School.</p>
<p>Coralbrook, Thanks for sharing your story. Yes, the BFA in Digital Arts seems to be a much stronger program than the Video game design minor. Hopefully, DS will keep his mind open to Animation in addition to Video Game Art/Design. And yes, I do think that the portfolio submission will help with the 3.2 UW GPA and 35 ACT.</p>
<p>@YoHoYoHo To me, grades are more of an indicator of effort and interest, not intelligence. Intelligence comes through a bit more on the standardized testing. Sounds like your son is highly intelligent, but either isn’t all that interested in his classes or has an effort issue (like many boys). Also, regarding video game schools, since you are considering CA, another one that is very strong (I hear) is UC Santa Cruz.</p>
<p>@kmanshouse Yep, you have my son pegged. We did visit UCSC 2 weeks ago. Campus is interesting in that it is huge, and set in the mountains among the redwood trees with a view of the ocean. I felt like I was a camp again! All the mountain hiking made me concerned that DS would blow off class due to the walk. Sat in on a chem class and DS liked how he could be anonymous and that not a ton of kids showed up for class; he also liked how the boys were playing league of legends in the dorm lounge. This is what I was worrying about what he would be doing throughout college for when he starts college and now that he sees it, he’s telling me that this is the stuff that he likes. </p>
<p>OMG, I know League of Legends well, and Starbound, Minecraft, among others. Our kids may even have battled each other… I am equally concerned that this will be an issue in college. But I just took small trip with my sons - some father/son bonding. We talked about this. I suggested they set timers, play for an hour when you have a big chunk of free time. My one son actually said he wasn’t planning on playing these games in college, but I don’t believe it. Key is moderation - hence the timer. Also would keep them from losing track of time and missing class. </p>
<p>@kmanshouse,
I love the idea of setting a timer, and I am going to recommend it to him now so that he can practice while still at home. In fact, I need to set a timer for me for me and this cc website.</p>
<p>Yes, our kids may have battled each other in LOL. DS attended video game design program at RPI last summer where everyone was required to bring a laptop, and they played LOL constantly when not in class or working on their video games. He was proud of the fact that his laptop is rigged for VG so that it is fast and does not need a cooling platform. He thought that all the LOL play was due to the fact that it was a summer program, but when he saw it at UCSC during the actual school year…well, he seemed thrilled.</p>
<p>Playing LOL is almost like a drug. It’s almost easier for him to be off cold turkey or on constantly. But will definitely try the timer idea. Thanks.</p>
<p>S15 is an LOL addict as well. He would be very excited to see college students playing during a tour. A timer is a great idea. I’ll have to work on that one. Thanks!</p>
<p>Ha ha! Colleges would never want to show the boys hunkered in the lounges in the dorms playing LOL on the college tour. After the UCSC sanitized, great marketing, info session and tour, we hung out with my nephew who attends UCSC and attended a chem class and hung out in his dorm. This is where you get the REAL scoop on a school. But I guess at most schools many of the boys are hanging out in the lounge playing LOL.</p>
<p>Hi everyone – just read most of the thread, and although my D15 is a bit higher than the 3.5 cap for this group, it seems a good fit for us here. Like many have mentioned, not all of us are looking for top tier schools, or have hopes of NMF status. As happy as I am for so many people whose kids are getting this that and the other prestigious scholarship, it gets a bit disheartening too. Then you started conversing about game design (art side) which is D14 (applied UCSC but their program is more computer programming than art, so she applied as an art major) as well as CSUCI which has a game design minor which she could pair up with an art major.) And, then League of Legends— D15 practically lives for it, and we have had to implement a serious no LOL unless all homework is done policy. I knew this was a good group for me!</p>
<p>D15 is super interested in UCSC because she loves the woodsy atmosphere, although she doesn’t know yet what she wants to major in. She is taking her first SAT on Saturday and the June ACT. She is in a dual enrollment program, and this semester is rigorous, so we opted to wait a bit on the ACT. She is a good student, but tends to get easily distracted when the grades are good-- and then suddenly they aren’t so good anymore. I’ve been very proud of her effort to keep on top of things this semester; just hope she keeps it up.</p>
<p>@PetraElise,
Ooohh, I didn’t know that CSUCI has a game design minor. I will need to look into that. Do you know of any other CSUs that have game design?</p>
<p>Talking about LOL addiction, when DS was grounded from playing LOL, he would just “watch” others play LOL. No other person in the room but DS watching others play a video game remotely.</p>
<p>A lot of people don’t even know about CSUCI, let alone their programs, lol. My kids toured the campus with their school two years ago, and loved it. So yes, they do have a game design minor, and since D14 is interested in being a game artist, not programmer, we felt the Art major with Game minor would be good option. She’ll need familiarity with the programming elements to be a better artist for the medium. Of course, we don’t know yet if she will be attending there, but it was an excellent safety school, especially considering the program and how much she loved the campus.</p>
<p>My kids would totally watch others if that was all they could do. The big problem with this game, is that when they are in the middle of a round there is no interrupting them without utter despair. It’s tough, because they are great kids, and don’t give us any attitude or parental nightmares, so we usually let them finish the round but it can be irritating for us, lol. I have to keep reminding that they shouldn’t get started 20 minutes before dinner.</p>
<p>Oh, and I don’t know of any others that have that program. UCSC is the only UC that has a major for it, but I know UCB has some coursework for it, but not an official major or minor that I know of. </p>
<p>For the Top 50 schools in Game Design, you can check here</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/2013-top-50-schools-us-game-design-and-development”>http://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/2013-top-50-schools-us-game-design-and-development</a></p>
<p>Hi PetraElise, </p>
<p>It’s nice to see you within this thread, too! I love looking up data, so if there is anything you wish for us or me to find, let us know. We will find it for you if we can. There are not many posts within this thread as of yet, but if you go back to the beginning, I listed links to other threads that may be of interest to you for other class threads pertaining to 3.0 thru 3.6 B to B+/A- students.</p>
<p>Thanks so much BunHeadMom, somehow I missed the post with those links, although I did start reading at the beginning. I did see the great links for helpful books! D15 has an UW gpa of 3.64, and the vibe here is very comfortable. Our family situation (finances and living in an outlying, semi-isolated community with lower tendency for kids to go on to college although that is improving) means we have been a bit under prepared for this process. My D14 took her first SAT in June, and her only ACT in December! She visited her first college campuses in October-- so way behind most kids here. We are doing better with D14, but just barely. </p>
<p>D15 is hard, and easy to help research colleges for-- difficult because she doesn’t have a clear cut major, but flexible about where she attends. She doesn’t want dry, hot temps since we live in the desert and she is done with that. She loves the outdoors and sports, although she hasn’t been able to do sports as her school doesn’t offer them. Prior to starting HS, she was a competitive gymnast (local state level only) and spent 16+ hours a week in the gym. She quit in order to focus on school, as she realized she wasn’t going to be winning any gymnastics scholarships. She dabbles in film, and is currently taking Anatomy, which she loves. Says it is her favorite course of all the ones she’s taken. So we are thinking of investigating options within that range, although she isn’t interested in pursuing a career as a doctor. So not really sure what to look for for her, other than a school with a good range of majors, good FA/ merit aid, and not in the desert or Florida (she specifically said no Florida. She’s never been, so don’t know where that’s coming from, lol).</p>
<p>Just took a look at the 3.3 to 3.6 thread and last real activity was over a year ago. Wonder where they all are? There have got to be at least some here with those stat ranges. Thankfully there is a lot of info here with you all that will help us. She’s really not interested in a top tier school-- she wants a solid quality school where she can have a good experience and have a shot at merit aid. Most of her friends and peers that she relates to are in the 3.0 to 3.8 range, and I think she will be happiest at a school that has involved students but not extreme competitiveness.</p>
<p>I follow this thread because of the rocky start at high school—my D will be applying to mostly OOS due her program of interest.<br>
She has had a great year this year. Just wish it could have happen earlier—oh well–she too wants more of a laid back school. She currently in a highly competetive academic school.
Her intended major will be in gerontology with a minor in neuro-psychology. Desire to work in policy for the aging . Or “own a nursing home”</p>
<p>I also lurk on this thread because D had a very rocky start in ninth grade and while she did better in tenth grade, it wasn’t without challenges. I think she’s a better person for working through all the academic challenges on her own.</p>
<p>We visited a couple elite colleges and she hated them. So instead of inspiring her to get straight A’s, she felt she was at the right level with A’s and B’s. I have to admit that Colleges That Change Lives all seem to suit her better than the top 20 or 50.</p>
<p>@slackermomMD, thanks for hanging out here too… I love the class of 2015 group but some times I feel overwhelm with how my child stacks up to that group.<br>
I know I have said this before, that my mantra is “you bloom where you are planted.” Our kids will have chooses come next spring.<br>
I sometimes think its a easier road for the B to B plus kids they aren’t clawing to be at the top tier.
To be honest my daughter does not want to be in that arena any more. </p>
<p>@Hoosier96, I hope you’re right - about having choices next year. I worry. 8-| Our mantra is “upward trend”. As long as D is progressing upward and happy with herself, I’m good.</p>
<p>@PetraElise, I also wonder about those kids and where they ended up.</p>