Re: Best Computer School?

On Mon, 27 Jan 1997, SpyKing wrote:

> This is a little off topic but maybe someone can help. I've got a teenage
> son (HS sophomore) who's interested in majoring in computer science in
> college with a particular interest in cryptography. He's leaning toward MIT.
> Any suggestions from list members as to colleges to investigate? 

Well in reference to MIT..  I hope he has a 4.0 in highschool, is an
allsport, has a 1600 on his SAT's, and a prefect on his ACT..  Just to
even think about going there..  Let alone to include how well he'll have
to do on his interviews etc..  Also you may wish to have him look again at
what he wants to be before he goes to some major college such as MIT,
because tuition at MIT costs approx 100,000$/4 years.  Personally that is
a hell of a lot, but then again *shrug*...  I recommend going to a local
small college, get his associates, see if that is what he still wants to
do, then go on from there.  I know many people that started in Computer
Science and died after the first year.  
Now colleges that are good for Computer Sc ience..  I have heard that RIT
is good..  but I'm nto sure on that..  I know pretty well positive that
MIT is excellent, but when you get down to the basics MIT is more of an
engineering school than a science/philosophical school which Computer
Sciences falls under..  Another good school from what I've heard is UCLA..
then again you can discredit anything I've said, because I'm still a
HighSchool senior myself and have been looking into Computer Criminology
for the last three years, and I'm positive it is what i want so *shrug*..

Ok later...

Erp


**********************************************************8

See about coming from hell at:  http://www.fromhell.com/

Erp <erp@digiforest.com> writes:

> On Mon, 27 Jan 1997, SpyKing wrote:
> 
> > This is a little off topic but maybe someone can help. I've got a teenage
> > son (HS sophomore) who's interested in majoring in computer science in
> > college with a particular interest in cryptography. He's leaning toward MIT.
> > Any suggestions from list members as to colleges to investigate? 
> 
> Well in reference to MIT..  I hope he has a 4.0 in highschool, is an
> allsport, has a 1600 on his SAT's, and a prefect on his ACT..  Just to
> even think about going there..  Let alone to include how well he'll have
> to do on his interviews etc..  Also you may wish to have him look again at

This is really exagerating.  You do not need a 4.0, 1600, etc. to be
admitted to MIT.  Sure, you need good grades, but a 3.6 average and
1350-1400 SAT scores is perfectly adequate to be admitted to MIT.  You
can think of being admitted with even lower scores, if you stand out
in some way.  MIT admissions looks for well-rounded students.  You're
much better off being a writer/artist/musician than being on the
science or math teams.

> what he wants to be before he goes to some major college such as MIT,
> because tuition at MIT costs approx 100,000$/4 years.  Personally that is
> a hell of a lot, but then again *shrug*...  I recommend going to a local

It may be alot, but then again MIT is one of the best schools in the
world (I'm not going to be egotistical enough to say it *is* the best,
even tho Consumer Reports rated it such for the last N years).

> small college, get his associates, see if that is what he still wants to
> do, then go on from there.  I know many people that started in Computer
> Science and died after the first year.  
> Now colleges that are good for Computer Sc ience..  I have heard that RIT
> is good..  but I'm nto sure on that..  I know pretty well positive that
> MIT is excellent, but when you get down to the basics MIT is more of an
> engineering school than a science/philosophical school which Computer

This is untrue.  The computer science department at MIT is really
good.  As are the sciences, and even business!  The MIT Sloan School
(Management and Economics) was rated #1 last year.  The EECS
department (EE and CS are together) is top notch, too.

Ciro Maria <cmaria@stevens-tech.edu> writes:

> Yeah Stevens Institute in Hoboken. Its pretty good I got there. Also
> Caltech is good, I don't really know which else.

When I looked at Caltech, their Engineering (and computer science)
really lacked.  They were excellent for the Sciences (Math, Physics,
Chemistry, etc.) but their engineering school wasn't as good as others
I was looking at (both EE and CS).  Things may have changed in the
last 8 years, however.


Spyking, my advise to you: Look around at many schools.  Go visit
them.  Talk to the students there.  Talk to the professors.  Talk to
graduates.  The more information you and your son have, the better
decisions you and he can make.

Personally, I loved MIT -- it was the right place for me.  It isn't
the right place for everyone.  Make sure it is the right place for
your son before he applies.  For what it's worth, I wanted to go to
MIT my sophomore year in high school, too ;)

Good Luck,

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board (SIPB)
    Home page: http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/warlord/home_page.html
       warlord@MIT.EDU    PP-ASEL     N1NWH    PGP key available

On 28 Jan 1997, Derek Atkins wrote:

> Erp <erp@digiforest.com> writes:
> 
> > On Mon, 27 Jan 1997, SpyKing wrote:
> > 
> This is really exagerating.  You do not need a 4.0, 1600, etc. to be
> admitted to MIT.  Sure, you need good grades, but a 3.6 average and
> 1350-1400 SAT scores is perfectly adequate to be admitted to MIT.  You
> can think of being admitted with even lower scores, if you stand out
> in some way.  MIT admissions looks for well-rounded students.  You're
> much better off being a writer/artist/musician than being on the
> science or math teams.
> 

Hmm....  Then a have a lieing blah blah blah of a counselor >)  hehe  I
applied for MIT, and even had an interview..  Then dropped my application
after getting chewed out by my counselor, and having had her refuse to
fill out anything on my second part of the application that said
specifically "COUNSELOR ONLY"  went to the principal and he refused..
Filled it out myself, and since it didn't have the counselors signature ...
I dropped it aka they dropped me but its easier to say it hteo ther way
around.  And yes I understand the well-rounded thing..  But then again you
hav eto consider that the average student at MIT has applied at least two
times.  I know that one for a fact from some program or something I read
that MIT puts out.

> > what he wants to be before he goes to some major college such as MIT,
> > because tuition at MIT costs approx 100,000$/4 years.  Personally that is
> > a hell of a lot, but then again *shrug*...  I recommend going to a local
> 
> It may be alot, but then again MIT is one of the best schools in the
> world (I'm not going to be egotistical enough to say it *is* the best,
> even tho Consumer Reports rated it such for the last N years).

True, it is one of the best, can't argue against that..  But there are
others that are better in certain areas..  from my knowledge MIT expresses
more in its engineering departments than anything else though..  Although
I do know a very philosophical physics professor there so *shrug*..  maybe
I'll apply again some day..  And yes all the rest of my requirements wher
ehigh..  I am a swimteam captain, first trombone in my school, for
marching jazz pep and symphonic bands..  I'm also the lead french horn..
Then I have the little side things such as Chess team captain..  and have
tha precious 3.6 GPA the only proglem with it is I ahve one teacher that
gave me a D in my freshman year, so I can't get into honor society ..  go
figure...  But hey such is life..  I'm planning on reapplying after I get
into college and raise myself back to a 4 point so who knows what will
happen..

> 
> This is untrue.  The computer science department at MIT is really
> good.  As are the sciences, and even business!  The MIT Sloan School
> (Management and Economics) was rated #1 last year.  The EECS
> department (EE and CS are together) is top notch, too.

Really good yes..  Not necessarily the best though..   Check everywhere..
each aspect of every college may have one thing that he is specifically
interested in that would be better than going to MIT or some other such
place3...  

> 
> Ciro Maria <cmaria@stevens-tech.edu> writes:
> 
> > Yeah Stevens Institute in Hoboken. Its pretty good I got there. Also
> > Caltech is good, I don't really know which else.
> 
> When I looked at Caltech, their Engineering (and computer science)
> really lacked.  They were excellent for the Sciences (Math, Physics,
> Chemistry, etc.) but their engineering school wasn't as good as others
> I was looking at (both EE and CS).  Things may have changed in the
> last 8 years, however.

*nod*  I do agree with that...  THey are pretty much the same now..

> 
> 
> Spyking, my advise to you: Look around at many schools.  Go visit
> them.  Talk to the students there.  Talk to the professors.  Talk to
> graduates.  The more information you and your son have, the better
> decisions you and he can make.
> 
> Personally, I loved MIT -- it was the right place for me.  It isn't
> the right place for everyone.  Make sure it is the right place for
> your son before he applies.  For what it's worth, I wanted to go to
> MIT my sophomore year in high school, too ;)


I havet o ask, did you make it in on your first apply to it?

and please forgive the mistypes in this..  I'm really lagged for some
reason..  And well, It takes forever to go back when it is lagged this
bd, so I ahven't can back and changed things automatically like I usually
do...

> 
Thanks,

Erp