seeking advice

<p>I've been reading the threads in this section and I really appreciate and respect the opinions of the experts here. In an earlier thread I had asked about ABET accreditation and got some very helpful responses. Let me start by saying that I know really nothing about computer science- my field is education. So, any advice would really be helpful.</p>

<p>My son is a HS sophomore who is very into technology/ computers, game design, etc. We are thinking that he may major in computer science. He is an A/B+ student but not with a very challenging course load. This year his only accelerated classes are Chemistry and Computer Programming. Next year he will take accelerated Physic and AP Computer Science. He has an A in Algebra 2 now. Next year he will take Math Analysis and in senior year he will take calculus. His GPA after 9th grade was a 3.3 but his GPA will be higher after 10th grade based on his current performance.</p>

<p>He has done modding with Minecraft, learned some JAVA, and will be taking a C++ 5 day program at ID Tech camp this summer. He is currently taking a web design certificate program at a local community college. He really likes the design aspect of technology and wanted to do game design in college. We have talked to him about majoring in CS rather than game design because it will be more broad based and better for job prospects</p>

<p>We live in NJ and will be looking at colleges in our area. Colleges on the list to visit include: RIT, Rensselear (RPI), Steven's Institute, Stony Brook, George Mason, Marist, Adelphi, New Paltz, Westchester University of PA, and some in-state schools such as Rowan, Montclair State, Ramapo. The technology schools will probably be reach schools for him based on his GPA. We are looking to stay away from small schools and have to consider LGBT issues. He is not a party type of kid, keeps to himself, has a few friends. </p>

<p>What should we look for in a CS program with regard to coursework? Any thoughts on the schools I listed? Is there anything he should be doing now to increase his chances of being accepted to a tech school? If you have any other advice, words of wisdom, or suggestions please feel free to share.</p>

<p>Thank you in advance :)</p>

<p>I have a HS sophomore as well and last year he was talking about programming/game design, so I was looking around some then. This year he is totally undecided so who knows for him!</p>

<p>There is a fairly common base set of courses for any CS degree at any school. Look a the course listings for a few schools and you will see the commonalities. The differences are in how many additional classes the schools require for the degree. From what I saw last year this can vary school to school from just 1-2 optional classes to several.</p>

<p>I can’t really speak to the specific schools you mentioned, but if you want to expand your search, you might want to look at Miami University in Ohio. They seem to have a solid CS program and it includes a block of optional classes. One option for this block is gaming. Another option is to take a gaming minor from another part of the university. I forget the name, but it is referenced in the CS materials. It looks really interesting. </p>

<p>This is one of the public universities in Ohio so it is not a small school (although not as big as places like Ohio State). I can’t speak to the LGBT situation there, but since it is a larger and public school there is probably a community and/or organizations for support. </p>

<p>I am a HS senior who applied to schools for CS in the Northeast Area.</p>

<p>Of that list, schools I know you will be in very good shape at: RIT, Rensselear (RPI), Steven’s Institute</p>

<p>The one school I notice is missing is WPI, which I would give high consideration. The academics are top tier and will prep you extremely well for the CS world. I have heard from multiple sources that they have worked with WPI grads and loved them in particular, even over such schools as MIT. It has a significant “nerd” population if you will as well, he would fit right in. I am not aware of the LGBT situation there, but it certainly had an inclusive vibe to it and I would not expect any problems. WPI is a bit smaller, but it is beg enough to “get lost in the crowd” if you don’t want to stand out.</p>

<p>I know of RPI as a strong school academically, but also a party school. Much because there is apparently little to do in Troy but drink. Just an environmental consideration, though their academics are very good.</p>

<p>Game design, as fun as it is, is certainly not as in demand as general CS. He would be much more well served to do a CS degree with a concentration/emphasis/double in game design.</p>

<p>WPI was my third option after acceptances, 5th in research. RIT was more of a safety, but a true safety in the sense that I knew that if I needed to go there, I would get a quality education. I visited WPI and not RIT. I did not apply to the other two, but both made it into the final stage of research.</p>