Thread: Which college should I go to?

  1. #1
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    Question Which college should I go to?

    I've decided to go back to college rather than looking for a job as a programmer, or joining the army.

    My new question is where I should go to college?

    I have decent high school grades- 3.0 gpa / average amount of extra circular activities.

    pretty good sat- 1150, but I'm taking them again, I'm pretty sure I can a 1300-1400 this time, I never studied or cared about the sat's the first time I took them.

    I have one semester of college- all A's, although it was a private tech college(which I'm not going back to).

    And I have A's and B's in the programming courses I took, but they're non-accredited(so I'm not sure whether colleges will weigh in these grades as well).

    Anyways, where do you think I should go.

    I want to eventually get my phd in computer science and become a college professor.

    I'm looking for colleges that offer teaching fellowships to undergrad's (seniors), and to post-grads.

    I'm currently looking at BU(hope I can get in there), northeastern, or any non-tech college (tech colleges typically have very few girls except for the big ones ).

    Any suggestions on where I should, anywhere in the U.S. I'm not leaving the country though.

    I'd also like to stay in one college all 8 years to get my phd.

    Any suggestions?

  2. #2
    The Pantless Man CheesyMoo's Avatar
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    By BU do you mean Baylor University?
    I live right next to it, I talk to the proffesor via email and he sent me assignments to do so I got a credit for it.

    He's a good guy, I think that school is acceptable, they have strange rules since it's a private school, no dancing unless you're married(Stupid but who wants to dance anyways?), no coed dorms, etc.

    If that wasn't what you were talking about ignore this post.

    Also one of my friends is going to UT to major in CS and math, he had really good grades and SAT scores so you might not be able to get in as easily with a 3.0, ATM is supposed to be good but that's a tech school... sorry for all the Texas campuses but that's where I live!
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  3. #3
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    I'd go to an in-state community college just make sure it is accredited. I don't know about your financial situation but it is much cheaper and you can do your first two years their. Financial aid is hard to get unless your broke. If you are under 24 years old then your parents income is taken into account, otherwise you can get money from the government if you have nothing. By money I mean free money not loans, enough to pay for your books and classes, and money left over for gas and mcdonalds. Anyways after those 2 years your gauranteed admission to any other state University in your state. Saves money and you will probably benefit from the smaller classes, you will get much more one on one attention and your grades will be better as a result.

    Also State Universitys are usually at least 3 times the cost of community colleges, and if you go out of state well you are looking at alot more heh.

    Oh and yea their are girls in community colleges, tons.

    Another thing if you do decide to go that route, make sure you meet with a counselor so you can meet your pre-reqs for computer science for wherever you want to transfer. If you work hard you can do everything in less than 18months then transfer elswhere and finish your BS etc etc.

    Oh I'd think you would also have a better chance for scholarships that way too, especially if currently you do not qualify for any nice scholarships, after getting an AA there are lots of programs where they help pay for your school if you get good grades.

    Again this is all considering your broke lol. 8 years of college can cost alot heh, something to think about.

    Edit - Btw good decision on not joining the army, everyone I know who has joined the marine, army, navy etc has quit, and that is quite a few people hehe. IMO it does not seem worth it unless you are in for the long hall. Apparently it must suck
    Last edited by SourceCode; 05-11-2003 at 11:09 PM.

  4. #4
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    Originally posted by CheesyMoo
    By BU do you mean Baylor University?
    Boston University, sorry , I didn't realize there were more than one BU's

    Anyways, I going to stick to BU as long as I get in.

  5. #5
    ¡Amo fútbol!
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    BU is a city campus. Make sure that you like Boston. BU=Massachusetts Avenue.

    Northeastern, although found in the city, is more of a contained campus. It has more grass and "pretty things" in general.

  6. #6
    terrance1
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    Originally posted by golfinguy4
    BU is a city campus. Make sure that you like Boston. BU=Massachusetts Avenue.

    Northeastern, although found in the city, is more of a contained campus. It has more grass and "pretty things" in general.
    I've taken courses at BU. Real nice school.

    But I was hoping that someone could give me suggestions on schools around the country.

    No suggestions?

  7. #7
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    I've heard from some friends in Boston that BU's president is a real bastard -- cutting services to students and raising costs, cracking down on parties and anything that could raise costs for the school, going after cheap student-oriented restaurants around campus. The impression I was given is that he's out to make money rather than educate students. I wouldn't discourage you from going if that's your best option; I do suggest you look into the details to see whether what I've been told is accurate or not.

    Boston is a great city, though; it can be hard to find a lot of green space sometimes, and the weather oscillates rapidly; it can rain in the morning and be sunny during the afternoon, or it can just stay dreary for an entire week.
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  8. #8
    Lead Moderator kermi3's Avatar
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    I go to a small school and really enjoy it. If you are intrested in the Mass area it is my understanding that there are a lot of such school around there. Some of them are more expensive but it is worth it. Where I go the student-professor ratio is like 11:1. It's real nice. Most classes are under 20 people and the professors actually care about educating you, not just about some research project that they are working on.

    I'll put it this way. I have been into the office of every one of my professors (we have no TAs) and have sat and chatted with all of them. They all knew my name, and they all cared about me. During my freshman year when I was in a bit of a crisis on whether or not I was going to transfer I went and sat down with the chair of the psyc department (she was my teacher at the time) and chatted with her about it. She is one reason I decided to stay.

    Basically, go where feels right for you, but I HIGHLY recommend going someplace small where your professors will know your name and will care about teachingyou, not just about their next grant proposal and research project.
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  9. #9
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    Well, WPI is a more tech oriented school and I think it is a little cheaper. But, WPI's campus isn't as nice as BU's.

    Wentworth is another tech school. It's a little below WPI and BU.

  10. #10
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    Smile

    Thanks for the advice.

    I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm looking for more of a party/social school than one where I'll get a good education.

    I've already pretty much taken every programming course that c.s. undergrad's need to take, but I took non-accredited courses. That with my co-op experience has suited me pretty well.

    I want to refresh my memory and take them again. I think I'll enjoy myself taking the courses a second time. Plus, I still need a degree... I also feel co-op's and interns are more important than any classes.

    BU is a nice school, although from what I heard, they only have a mediocre computer science department. But they give all of their post-grads a shot at applying as a teaching fellow(which I'm hoping to pursue)!

    But like I said before, there's more to life than just knowledge. And all the time I spend in front of the computer has killed my social skills

  11. #11
    Lead Moderator kermi3's Avatar
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    Don't think good education == bad social life. Try and find somewhere with both. If BU has a bad CS department I would be cautious. If you don't get that fellowship what % of there CS grads get into grad school? What % of the fellows get in after the fellowship. If you want to teach in college that's important.
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  12. #12
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    Originally posted by kermi3
    Don't think good education == bad social life. Try and find somewhere with both. If BU has a bad CS department I would be cautious. If you don't get that fellowship what % of there CS grads get into grad school? What % of the fellows get in after the fellowship. If you want to teach in college that's important.
    My last post came off kind of wrong, sorry.

    BU has a mediocre to good cs program. But the teacher who taught me through my co-op had also taught some computer science students from BU(after they graduated) and rated them as only mediocre to poor programmers(after getting their b.s.). But then again, they didn't have any real world experience.

    I feel strongly that more co-ops will help me out more than any classes will. But going over the theories again certainly won't hurt

    I also feel confident that I'll get into the post-grad program, and I'll land a spot as a teaching fellow. I'm a good student, and feel that my programming skills will improve greatly over the years. My goal is to become a cs professor, and BU has an excellent post-grad cs program to prepare student to become teachers.

    I did originally attend a small private tech school. But I really hated it. I don't mean that a good education == bad social life. But BU will provide with a good education and social life. My social skills are kind of dead at this point because I don't have a social life (unless you count all those hours I talk to my computer ).

  13. #13
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    Some advice from a teacher at the College level:

    1. Get as much teaching experience as possible. This is especially true now as many people are looking for employment.

    2. SACS accredation says to teach at a CC you at least need a BS/BA degree and work experience for non transferable University courses. For transfers course you need at least a Master's degree.

    3. Lack social skills. Take speach course, interviewing and group communtication courses.

    4. Take education courses- and if possible a teaching cert. Look good that you actually can teach.

    Also, a lot of females looking for there MRS degrees!!

    5. Finally, I agree with Kermi3's post about schools.

    Hope this helps..
    Mr. C: Author and Instructor

  14. #14
    Lead Moderator kermi3's Avatar
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    That's cool, personally though I still recommend a small school. Doesn't have to be a technical school, but a small one (less than 2500 students). I go to a small libral arts school; I think that's a good choice if you don't mind non-computer classes. Then again big schools are good for a lot of people too - just not me. I like to know my teacher and for them to know me.
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  15. #15
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    Smile

    Cool, thanks.

    I still have plenty of time to decide. I already missed next fall's application deadlines for most colleges.

    As for the future, who knows... I have no idea where I'll be tomorrow, let alone 8 years from now

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