Good colleges and university's for computer programing course?

Question

I going to be in 10th grade after the summer and i am perusing a career in computer programing can you name some good colleges and university's that offer this course......................and what other classes i should take in high school if i want to be a computer programmer

Answer 1

To find universites/colleges that offer this course, try CollegeBoard's college search at http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp . It can also help find schools more tailored to your interests beyond just a major. Some of my friends are going into that (except they call it computer science and computer engineering) and they're going to UCSD, MIT, and Olin among others. The best one I can think of is MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and maybe Cal Poly or CalTech (since I live in California....). You might want to check out good engineering schools since computer programming and engineering are closely related.

You can also try a major search at PrincetonReview and that'll give you more information on majors and what schools have them. http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/majors/majorSearch.asp

For classes, try to take high level math (Calculus), science possibly (Physics?), and any engineering/computer-related classes your school offers. My school had Pre-Engineering and Principles of Engineering. We did computer programming in those.

Also, see if your school has a FIRST Robotics team (or any other robotics club for that matter). They'll surely have programming to do! (And it looks wonderful on a resume or college application.) If not, maybe you can try to start one: www.usfirst.org . Hehe, I was considering going into computer programming a while back and programming for my Robotics team was great fun!

Anyway, best of luck! Hope this was somewhat helpful, at least.

Answer 2

Get a good grounding in math and english. You don't need calculus, but good grades in algebra and trig will help. You won't use the math much, but you will use the logic skills you develop. The english will help when you're writing documentation and specs. And take every computer course you can, obviously.

Most community colleges can teach you the basics of programming. And most state colleges will be able to give you a good education as a programmer. Check the ones near you and see what they offer. You don't know to go to MIT or CalTech to learn this stuff. If you have questions about a particular school, check with their Placement office, and see what kind of success rates that the students from that department have in finding jobs. That will give you the best indicator of what employers think of their programs, and ultimately, those are the people you need to impress.

Answer 3

You should take as many math courses as you can, and focus on doing well on those. Also, make sure you take various science classes, as well as all the other normal classes - English, etc. Keep your grades up. Do well on the SATs, especially on the "math" section.

In order to get a really good job out of college, you'll need both good programming and math skills and also good communication skills. Don't be shy of the English and other liberal arts courses, as they'll be a good prep.

As for universities, these are among the best in the field:

- Carnegie Mellon
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- University of California, Berkeley
- U Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
- Stanford U
- Harvey Mudd College
- Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
- The Cooper Union
- US Military Academy (West Point)
- US Naval Academy

And there are lots of other schools with good programs in this field. Check the web pages for a couple of these schools. Their admissions section will give you a good idea of exactly what they require, as it does vary a bit by school.

And don't discount your own state university. A lot of them have very strong programs in this area.