Margaret H Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 My 17 yos is a junior this year. He is looking ahead to college now and is interested in pursuing something in the field of computers. He says he does not want to go to a "nerdy" (his words--no offense meant)...I'm thinking he is meaning more like not "egg-head" or "think tank" mentality schools like Carnegie Mellon, MIT, RIT, or the like. He wants more of a mainstream college/university. I have always wanted my kids to get a liberal arts education. My oldest is at Elon University and I love the broad, well-rounded, experiential education that it is providing. Is it possible for a liberal arts college/university to have a strong, well-respected reputation in the computer field? How do I help him find schools to consider that will provide a well-rounded, experiential education that will also give a good education in the field of computers? Thanks for any direction, thoughts, and/or advice, Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne/Ankara Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I would guess that you could combine a computer science degree with a liberal arts education in many of the top Liberal Arts Colleges like Colgate or Davidson, but maybe a larger university would be better, such as Cornell (very selective), Rice, Washington University, Lafayette, Bucknell. I wonder how Ria's ds is enjoying Lafayette, although he studies engineering, right? But I imagine they have a well-rounded liberal arts offering... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percytruffle Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I don't know how you feel about state schools vs private schools, but Binghamton University in NY state might be worth a look. Their program seems more balanced than the "nerdy schools",lol, and their reputation as a great school for the money is well known. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in GA Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 If I had to do it again, I would absolutley opt for a small, liberal arts college for the first few years, and then transfer to Tech. It has been a big adjustment going from the one- on -one attention, and small co-op classes of homeschooling, to a big university with 100+ students per class,with little to no professor time;only TA's(some nice and helpful, others not). Tech has a great reputation, and content wise, the classes are top-notch. It is however, a sink or swim environment. I think easing a homeschooler into that environment with a small, caring college for the first year or two, is the best way. MANY small, liberal arts colleges have partnerships with science colleges. JMHO! :) Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Last weekend I heard part of this NPR segment on CIS majors. Several schools are mentioned including my alamater, Ohio State University. Not a nerdy school, has both the feel of a large school obviously, but also a small school. Once in your major the profs know you quite well..... Might be worth a listen: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88154024 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Oh this is terrific! I am interested in exactly the same thing (my daughter) We need to plan a college tour! My daughter wants to graduate with solid credentials because here in the Seattle area the top firms hire only from the top tier programs so if you go to a smaller program you may never even get the opportunity to have the job that you'd like. She also wants some opportunities in foreign language areas (and possibly literature) as a supplement. The tech schools do have minimal language/culture majors. We were just talking about this very thing. Some of the larger schools are in areas of poor safety (like U. of W) where there have been some terrible violent crimes on students just going about their business. Because we live here it gets in the paper, but that's an issue now adays. Do people like the 3 + 2 programs? I was reading about them when my older daughter was looking, but I haven't really heard of anyone actually completing that kind of program. It sounds like a nice blend of studies, but possibly disruptive. At the UW website they say that many of the happiest students are double majoring in something completely unrelated so they are able to have different subjects, friends, etc. Can someone start a nice thread of these schools and report back when you know more about them? (my daughter is a rising 9th grader, but when you have an older sib then you start thinking about your own future I think) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in VA Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mull-berry-ish Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 This may sound odd, but I googled "choose the right college quiz." Several quizzes popped up. They may be helpful ... or maybe the questions will give your son food for thought as he figures out what he's looking for. HTH What College Is Right For You? College Finder Quiz Find A College College Personality Quiz HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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