My son want to study computer science but wants some room to explore other subjects (linguistics, advanced Latin, Chinese). He is lucky enough to have been admitted to a couple of really excellent schools and now has to make a choice it seems between excellent computer science (CMU) and a more flexible open schedule (Pomona) What’s the workload like at CMU? Is there room for a SCS major to explore other subjects? Also how the does the required minor work? Any advice much appreciated.
SCS at CMU is very hard to get into, very competitive, and very intense. On the flip side, it’s arguably the best CompSci program in the country, tons of prestige and resources.
For someone who wants to explore other subjects and isn’t totally hard-core CS, I’d recommend Pomona over CMU. Pomona is also excellent academically and reputation-wise, and you can cross-enroll at the 5Cs. Plus, SoCal weather!
Carnegie Mellon is one of the, if not best colleges for CS, along with MIT. The workload is definitely rigorous
I agree completely with insanedreamer, CMU will be better if he is definitely sure that he wants to do CS. CMU has those foreign languages also.
Ponoma if you want something a little easier.
Relevant web pages:
https://csd.cs.cmu.edu/academics/undergraduate/requirements
http://www.cmu.edu/hss/advisory-center/scheduling-problems/units.html
The CS major at CMU requires 14 CS courses, 5 math courses, and 4 science courses (total 23 courses). In addition, at least 7 humanities and social studies courses are required. This makes 30 courses out of the total of 40 over 8 semesters, leaving 10 additional electives. The required minor can overlap with any other category of courses other than the 14 CS courses.
The linguistics minor at CMU requires 6 courses: http://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/philosophy/undergraduate/linguistics/linguistics-minor.html
The Chinese studies minor at CMU requires 6 courses, but that does not include the first 3 courses of Chinese language, so it would need 9 courses if the student starts at the beginner level in the Chinese language: http://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/modlang/docs/handouts/minor-chinese.pdf
Wow! The people on this forum are really wonderful. Thank you! That is enormously helpful!
Choose CMU for computer science, or (interestingly) Drama and Music. Chose Pomona for almost anything else.
Pomona is part of the Claremont McKenna network of colleges, all within walking distance of one another. THAT includes HARVEY MUDD! Call Pomona and ask how you might tke courses at Harvey Mudd in CS and see what they tell you. Can you take no courses there, all CS courses, a few… WORTH asking. Harvey Mudd is FABULOUS for CS! As is Pomona by the way.