I have seen discussions on CC about computer science programs at small LACs, but I’m wanting to zero in on the Colleges That Change Lives schools and yes–of course I have a particular interest in the schools my son has applied to for Fall 2017 and/or where I believe he will be accepted. Also, we’re not interested in “good” programs vis a vis from the prospective of a potential major–someone who is looking at potentially going on to graduate school in CS and is trying to assess the department’s reputation and how well the program will prepare them to conquer the world and become a rock star programmer. That is NOT where we’re at!!! My S has it in his head that he is “not good” at math, I don’t necessarily think that is true. It definitely isn’t something he enjoys and I might even go so far as to say he has a phobia, but he usually got As for his work in Alg. 1 & geometry. I know what you’re thinking. What about pre-cal?! SAT? Confession: his math score on the SAT was only 560, but I’m pretty sure that’s because he went in to it having only taken Alg 1 and half a semester of geometry and besides that, had a long break with no math at all.
Backstory: My son left his rigorous magnet HS in the middle of his sophomore year to homeschool. Because he enjoyed other subjects more (and because his parents are also not “math people”) math was always put on the back burner. The reason he was taking Alg 1 in 9th grade as opposed to middle school–he attended a tiny charter school for middle school that only offered a single level of math, period.
His junior year, we signed him up for an online Alg 2 course bc honestly I was most concerned about his SAT score and indeed, that 560 did bring his overall score down bc we found out online classes are impossible for him due to his ADHD. Local placement testing at a community college indicated that he was ready to take college algebra last year, so he signed up for that, but then the prof scared half the class away on day 1 and he dropped. Sigh. So now here we are and he’s off to college this fall with very little formal math (compared to his peers, I assume). He’s planning to major in arts/languages but does not want to teach. He has the personality/demeanor of a tech guy. He built his own computer, but he’s not sitting around teaching himself how to code. He IS worried about having a job after he graduates and he is not a “people” person. I’m thinking he should look at non-programming tech jobs as a possibility. He could get certifications during summer breaks. However, I’m also curious if places like Lawrence, Wooster, Beloit or Earlham have CS departments that are especially supportive for the regular student who is not a programming genius…or, conversely, if the above colleges are actually better known for catering to more advanced students. We will be looking at the course descriptions and noting courses recommended for non-majors, but it’s always nice to hear a real voice from a student or parent with intimate knowledge of the department.
I can’t speak to any specific CS department, but just wanted to say that in general, any CS degree will include Calc 1 and Calc 2 and/or other advanced math courses. They’ll typically expect he’s at least done pre-calc before joining the program. You can see the courses required at Earlham here, for example: http://www.earlham.edu/computer-science/the-program/
I don’t think the colleges you mentioned expect their students to be programming whizes, but if your son doesn’t want to do math, then a CS degree could prove quite difficult.
Computer science is a lot of math, and becoming a good, valuable member in CS means you are capable of understanding math to a certain level (discrete math, linear algebra). It would be very difficult to understand what’s going on in fields like artificial intelligence without knowing enough math. However, your son could look into information technology programs and perhaps even software engineering programs, which probably don’t require a lot of math. Traditional liberal arts colleges don’t have these kinds of programs though.
There is really no one “personality” or “demeanor” of tech guys. I work in tech in Seattle, so I am around thousands of “tech guys” all day (and am one myself, although I’m a woman). There’s a stereotype of what people in technology are like, but that stereotype is largely untrue. I’m sure there are lots of people in tech who are not people people, but I have a lot of friends in tech who build their own computers but are also pretty extraverted and/or like other people a lot. Technology is a huge field and many roles within it - including many software developer and other technical roles - require working with others a lot. The goal would be finding a role in some field - possibly technology, but maybe something else - that has the skills your son likes but also suits the way he likes to work. I’m not saying that there are no jobs in tech that don’t fulfill the stereotype, but the point is not all or even most tech jobs do.
The good news is that there are lots of non-programming jobs in tech. LOTS! The bad news is that a lot of them do involve a lot of daily interaction with and management of people. The first thing I thought, for example, is program management - but program managers’ jobs are essentially to make people get projects done. It requires a certain social finesse. Conversely, there are lots of jobs in other fields that aren’t technology that would make good use of a non-CS major who is less of a people person.
Is he interested in math/CS and just not that experienced with it, or does he dislike the subjects? I have a friend from college who wanted to major in math, but she had to start from pre-cal because before college she’d only taken algebra. She loved math, though - and so she did major in math and went on to get a graduate degree in biostatistics from one of the top programs in the country. So I think a CS major could absolutely start from pre-cal, if they were sufficiently motivated and driven to complete the requirements necessary.
Does he only have Alg 1 and Geometry as math courses? Have you contacted the admissions offices to see if he will be accepted with only those courses? If he is applying to CTCL schools, you could also go on their website and contact their director who may be able to answer your questions
Without any math beyond Algebra 2 it will be next to impossible to succeed in CS because there are so many higher level math concepts woven in plus most schools will require Calc for a BS. Perhaps pursuing something like IT(information technology) in a business school would give him a more accessible type/level of computer skills? I would examine course catalogs very closely to be sure that math requirements could be satisfied by the level of classes he is ready for.
If he’s really really good at algebra 2 and takes a refresher course this spring (at a community college nearby, evening classes, weekend classes…) and is super ready for pre-calculus in college he may be able to make it. While CS major typically start with calculus 1 or 2 in college (meaning that they completed pre-calculus honors or some form of calculus in high school), the schools you listed could work.
What class has he effectively taken and what grades did he get? Can he take algebra 2 or pre-calculus this Spring? Math is sequential so one needs to take each 'level’in order to progress and reach discrete math.