<p>My DS is taking a gap year. He got accepted to Hartwick’s 3+2 computer science/engineering program with a good scholarship (leaving us with a ~$20k gap, which is roughly what a 4-year residential SUNY would cost us), but he’s not sure that’s what he wants. What he doesn’t want is to carry a lot of debt and to have a degree that will translate into a job that allows him to support a family someday. </p>
<p>Because he’s unsure of the direction he wants to take, I’m reluctant to encourage a 3+2 program. I’d like him to take a few classes to see what he likes, but don’t want to endanger his freshman status. I’ve tried checking college websites to see if they classify students who took classes as an unmatriculated student as freshmen or transfers, but I’m not seeing anything that clearly says either way. I’d also like to know whether CLEP credits earned during a gap year change freshman status. If I knew what major he wanted, we could contact schools to ask their policy, but I don’t. </p>
<p>I know he likes computers and storytelling. He’s spent the last 6 years teaching himself how to code. He draws extensively (sketches on paper that he transfers to his computer using an Intuos tablet and Photoshop CS4), and he spends a lot of time researching drawing techniques to improve them. His two major drawing topics are people and scenery. He’s spent a lot of time over the years studying anatomy to make his people more realistic, and has practiced aging and regressing the age of various characters. He’s also studied light and shading so he can properly position shadows to make his drawings more realistic. He enjoys writing and spends most evenings working on a script. My background is in TV, so I have a decent amount of professional equipment (cameras, lights, etc.) which he enjoys using. He’ll do more of that, he says, when he has the people and resources to tell a story. I’d like him to try a couple computer science courses and a broadcasting class or two so he can see what he likes. We have a great cc within commuting distance and a 4-year SUNY as well but, while both have broadcasting, their computer science concentrations are purely technical with no creative elements. (That’s why we looked at sleep away colleges). If he decides on a computer based career, I think it will be more along the lines of web or software design. </p>
<p>I need some good advice to be able to advise him, and I’m hoping the experienced members of this forum can give me some ideas. Thanks in advance.</p>
I would not recommend this at all. Some colleges will consider him a transfer with ANY classes after HS. Others won’t consider him a transfer until some number of hours. </p>
<p>For instance, Hartwick states:
I would read that as you received any academic credit or left before receiving the credit. </p>
<p>You would have to check with the colleges but I don’t think CLEP credits would be a problem. As an alternative you could look at MOOCs. He could try CS that way. Since you’re really trying to see if he wants to do that and not trying to reposition with a more “prestigious” U that would be a good use of his time.</p>
<p>I would also get from the school in writing that his scholarship consideration will remain the same after he defers his admission especially since he is going to have to reapply for financial aid</p>
<p>When D1 took a gap year (before entering Drexel’s Game Art and Production major which could be right up DS’s alley) she was told she could not take any college classes for credit al all, but auditing was ok. </p>
<p>@Sudsie, He would probably enjoy creating games, but wants to major in something practical that allows him to be creative. But I’m sure he’d take game design courses if they were available, so I’ll encourage him to check Drexel out.</p>
<p>@BrownParent, I guess we’re unusual then. Taking gap years is the norm in my family and in my spouse’s family as well. When we do get around to going to college we generally explore a fairly wide range of courses. It’s because my son is expressing interest in doing both of those things (taking a gap year and having more options available) that we’re looking at other programs. When my son applied to colleges he was leaning heavily toward computer science and engineering, but over the last few months he’s decided he wants a major that allows for more creativity and he’s concerned Hartwick doesn’t have as broad a range of courses as he wants. He doesn’t want to jump in until he has a clear direction, or take a freshman grant at a school he very well may want to transfer out of in a year. So here we are.</p>
<p>Is there a reason for choosing Hartwick over schools with better CS departments like some of the SUNYs?</p>
<p>In any case, taking college courses after high school graduation risks losing frosh status for admission. This can be disadvantageous if the student is looking for merit scholarships. Some schools are less generous with need-based financial aid to transfers as well.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus, Thank you. You make some good points. </p>
<p>I had the impression from reading cc that taking courses after high school could endanger freshman status. I have an in-law who is insisting to my son that I’m incorrect, but he hasn’t provided any links to schools who claim to have that policy so I’m working on the assumption that he’s mistaken.</p>
<p>Why Hartwick? I think my son was attracted to the programming parts of the curriculum. My background is in television so I don’t know enough about the computer industry to be able to accurately compare programs yet, but we did go through the course offerings to see what was available. Hartwick’s program does have classes that sound like they cover a variety of important topics: robotics, web development, system design, computer architecture, artificial intelligence, and networking. They also have some digital media and design courses my son is interested in. I liked the location because I know it fairly well. </p>
<p>Hartwick wasn’t part of the original plan, though. My husband and I had always been assuming he would attend our local community college and/or our local SUNY because both have computer science and broadcast majors (both of which my son has expressed an interest in), but Hartwick’s size appealed to us so we encouraged our son to apply there too. I think that was one of the few schools he applied to as a CS major; most of the others (including 4 SUNYs) he applied to for broadcasting. My industry is heavily digital and I thought it might provide a good mix of the technical and creative that he likes, and I know many of the courses our local schools offer do appeal to him. I had suggested he try it as a major and take CS courses as some of his electives to see how he liked it, but as acceptances started to roll in my son started mentioning CS more often. When we were getting down to the wire for deposits but no decision was being made, he admitted that the reason he was having a tough time deciding was because he felt like he should want CS because it’s practical, but he wants to do something creative and not be stuck in a cubicle all day. He doesn’t know enough about computer industry careers to know if CS could lead him to a job that has some creative elements to it. He did say he felt that options at Hartwick would be limited and the size is actually smaller than he wants. He ended up declining all his offers and will be starting the application process over when he has a clearer idea of what he actually wants.</p>
<p>I think he needs time and the freedom to explore different career paths without committing to something that will limit his options later on. That’s why I’d like him to keep his freshman status. I’m just not sure what to suggest he do to help him pinpoint what career path he might like. I don’t know what kind of options are available for creative people in the computer industry; I thought perhaps software design because he seems to like coding, but I don’t really know what else exists. Right now he’s looking at MOOCs he might like to try, but is open to other ideas too. </p>
<p>Starting at a CC may actually be advantageous in this situation, since it will give him time to explore various subjects at the introductory college level without being “on the clock” to declare a major or graduate as he would at a four year school, since CC is much less expensive (extra semesters at a CC won’t cost as much as at a four year school) and would not have administrative requirements to declare a major by a certain deadline. Once decided, he can then finish remaining pre-transfer requirements for that major and then transfer to complete a bachelor’s degree at a four year school in two years.</p>
<p>Of course, evaluating this option also requires checking whether the CC and SUNY prices are acceptable, and whether the local CC offers the transferable courses of interest and is not overflowing in enrollment.</p>
<p>Think about it this way. Taking a gap year means graduating one year later. There is actually a cost associated with it. Imagine how much money one may make for the first year after graduation versus what he could earn during the gap year. It would be a much better idea to start the college now and consider transferring to other school/program next year if he found the 3+2 program is not what he wants.
Most important, you need to make sure the scholarships can be deferred if he decided to take a gap year. </p>
<p>@ucbalumnus, I spoke to a family friend yesterday who is from NY but has his own business in the Silicon Valley. He suggested that my son look at some of the same CS programs you mentioned: Stony Brook, RIT, Worcester Poly Tech, and RPI, but he said starting at a cc and transferring would work too. </p>
<p>@billcsho, Starting a year “late” doesn’t bother me. If the NPC at RIT is accurate we’d pay ~$15k/year there if my son enrolls as a freshman, but ~$47k as a transfer. We can scrape together $15k, but $47k/year is more than we can handle. Two years at cc plus 2 at RIT full pay would be over $100k; four years at RIT would be ~$60k. If he can get accepted to RIT with a package like that, I think it’s worth the wait. </p>
<p>My son wasn’t excited by the courses at Hartwick, but he’s excited about the variety of options available at both Stony Brook and RIT. I think he’s going to compile the usual suspects (safeties, matches, and a reach or two) and apply in the fall, then spend the next year working, taking MOOCs, and maybe trying a CLEP or two. If the 4-year options don’t pan out, then I think he’ll be comfortable starting at the cc knowing he can transfer to Stony Brook or one of the other 4-year SUNYs later.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for your help. I knew we’d be able to find the answers we needed here.</p>