I put down my deposit today! Now to get an RIT hoodie…
Just made the deposit for my son.
@MSMead, congrats! I guess my estimation about VATech compared to RIT was right 
@chansu99, congrats to you too.
I’m checking in to CC for the first time in a long time. My son is a junior GDD (game design and development) major at RIT. Just wanted to make sure all you parents understand how the co-op program works. Many parents are apparently under the impression that RIT lines up jobs for the students. Actually, students have to work very hard to apply (sometimes to dozens of positions, usually competing with students from other colleges) and then follow through just like they are applying for a real job. It is not for the faint of heart – but this is why we chose the school. When he graduates he’ll know how to get a good job AND he’ll have some relevant experience. RIT offers lots of help to students (online tools, resume and interview training, job fairs, special events with employers), but they aren’t going to chase them down and make them take advantage of it. My son isn’t using most of what is offered, and he is finding it hard to fit in the job search along with his full time classes. His major is flexible on timing (not all of them are) but if he doesn’t land his second summer co-op his graduation will be delayed. It is very anxiety producing! In the end I still think it will be worth it. There is some discussion about revising the co-op requirements (already not all majors require them). But I vowed to spread the word so that people who commit to the school do so with a full understanding of what it offers. I only wish they could hand out jobs!
@crowlady Do you or your son know if it is difficult to change your major (within Golisano) after admission? My son was accepted into computer security and waitlisted into computer science. Security was his 2nd choice but he’s afraid that once he goes he may not like it and want to change to cs. Just not sure if that is something that can be easily done. Any input? Also, thanks for the info on coop! Is there any kind of break when you have to do coop in the summer? Meaning will he get to go home? He’s a little worried about that too.
@actkid It is hard to say – first, there has to be space. Then they have to apply and I’m not sure if there are specific requirements (e.g. grades in certain classes). My other son’s school also limits admission to the CS major but they have specific criteria for transferring in so you know what you need.
Because co-ops are offered by real companies, not (usually) by RIT, each company can decide their own start and end dates, or they could be negotiated. Currently, the RIT spring semester ends relatively late so that can be a problem for the more rigid opportunities. However, I think next year they are shortening winter break to better sync with these summer opportunities. Each major has its own requirements. For GDD, they have to do a total of 700 hours (usually two, 10-week 350 hour co-ops). For GDD they don’t have to be in the summer, they can be any time (there are enough majors that courses are offered both fall and spring so more flexible). Summer break is about 12 weeks so there is time for visiting home before and/or after the co-op (or they can find a co-op near home and live with you! that’s what my son did the first time). Some majors are okay with back to back (going to one job for both summer and fall).
Also, many jobs can count as co-ops, they don’t have to be found on the RIT job board or at the RIT job fair. They just have to be approved as a co-op.
Looks like CS at RIT requires three co-op terms, and takes five years to complete. The “typical” sequence has a summer, a spring, and a fall coop, not sure how flexible that is. https://www.rit.edu/programs/computer-science-bs You might compare with the courses in Computer Security. They mention taking transfer students from community college so I’m guessing they have room for internal transfers. GDD usually doesn’t.
Hello,
Few week ago I got offers for CS undergraduate degree from both Drexel and RIT. My intention is to study video game design.
Though Drexel fees are higher than RIT, both have offered scholarships but the final amount I have to pay in both cases are almost same. It would have to be quite an effort for me to pay these amounts even after the scholarship.
Can you suggest a best option for me to select (RIT or Drexel)? What are the possibilities of getting further aid in support of my study?
@crowlady Thanks for all the information! I’m going to call admissions about the waitlist to cs. He is deciding between RIT, Drexel and WPI. Between Drexel and RIT he liked RIT better, going to WPI next week. Of course he is computer science at Drexel and WPI. Ugh!!
So my daughter’s major doesn’t have a co-op requirement but she is thinking of minoring in something that requires a 200 hour internship over summers. I wonder if they have to meet any requirements for minors? It sounds like lots of kids do minors along with immersions at RIT.
@alwaysgames my older D is a chemistry major at Drexel & my younger D wants to major in CS. We didn’t consider Drexel for our younger D because she did not have the same financial opportunity as my older D. Both schools have comprehensive CS programs, but I don’t have any insight about game design.
in reading RIT threads & the parents FB group, I was concerned about the co-op (getting one & the level support from RIT). @crowlady confirmed my concerns. As far as co-op, I’d choose Drexel. They have a system & process in place. You apply for jobs on a Drexel co-op site. Jobs that are listed are already approved for co-op and coincide with your co-op availability. You are competing with other Drexel students of all grade levels. Although it’s just Drexel students, its still quite competitive, sometimes you don’t get interviews or job offers, but there are 3 cycles for applications for each co-op cycle. What I thought was really nice is that, after you go on all your interviews for a particular cycle, there is a date where you hear back from ALL the jobs you interviewed with. Then you can decide which job you want. I know it’s not like this in real life, but it sure is a nice way to transition. You also have the option to search for your own co-op, but need to have Drexel approve it. Drexel also has a class in your freshman year to not only explain the co-op process, but to help you with resume writing, interviewing. They also have a career center where you can get support whenever needed.
Younger D has decided on another school and will not be attending RIT.
@mainebeaches I don’t know, but my guess is that RIT minor requirements do not include internships or co-ops. Best to check, though.
@actkid @alwaysgames I’m not sure how to advise between Drexel and RIT. For us, the financial difference was substantial and for GDD at least, RIT is rated higher. We never even visited Drexel but I know they have some good faculty. I don’t know how Drexel’s co-op process works. Some say Northeastern does a better job helping students than RIT but I haven’t heard anything about Drexel. It may be a little easier to get into Drexel so the other students may not be as well prepared. But I would say to anyone considering RIT, Drexel, and WPI (which I hear good things about from CS faculty I know in Maryland) – they are all good. Your student may feel they fit better in one over the others because of the place, special programs or student culture. Visits may be critical.
Thank you for the comments. What do you rekon CS programme would be in comparison?