@musiclover5 it depends on the major and school and what classes. Too many combinations. A lot of the time you can fail a class and retake the class and it will be just as if you’ve taken the class once. I’ve heard people do that. As an example, I know that for L&S CS you can’t do that for the 3 first classes to pass the gauntlet. But for Data Science majors, you can fail a class and retake.
@ProfessorPlum168 do you think i could get by just taking Data 8 at Berkeley if I take an intro to Python at CC this summer?
@Sushi121212 We are in state for Berkeley. My S was also admitted at WPI in Worcester. He loves the campus and the very small faculty /student ration plus the option of robotic engineering. But the cost is $70,000 a year. They offered $12,000 in a scholarship… so still $58,000! One of the options we as a family came up with is that if he loves it there we (the parents) will pay the $35,000 we saved for Berkeley or other UC and if he really wants WPI he will have to do loans or find the $23,000 needed. He has come to the conclusion that loans of nearly $100,000 vs graduating debt free just doesn’t compare. The aid (or not) was a bit of a surprise to us as well this year. We have had a 529 account to save since he was little. We’ve got the 30-35K a year saved. But we were hoping for a bit of something to help. Nope.
@musiclover5 - there are 3 considerations for Computer Science as it deals with readiness:
- programming skills - this is the least important of the 3. You can pick this up at CC by taking a Python, Java or C++ class, or combinations of those 3.
- computer science principles - this is usually picked up via HS with either AP CompSci A, AP CompSci Principles, or local classes. It’s good to have this background prior to CS61A.
- mathematical maturity - sophomore mathematical maturity level before you take CS 70, which usually translates to 1 year of college-level Calculus at a bare minimum, and Linear Algebra recommended. For CS 70 it will definitely help if you’ve taken either/or college-level Probability or Discrete Math, but not required. Also, being in math competitions such as AIME or USAMO helps too since there’s a lot of figuring out of problems in potentially short periods of time.
The Data 8 class will definitely help you with both 1) and 2), especially if you have limited experience with both. Taking any programming language helps.
I’m sorry I don’t remember who’s daughter was feeling conflicted about Cal Poly SLO. But actually Berkeley or SLO or WPI are the three my S has narrowed it down to. He’s a mechanical engineering kid. SLO’s hands on curriculum will have him building robots first year. He liked very much that undergrad classes at SLO are taught mostly by professors rather than TAs (with higher Calc classes being limited to 35 students). I know Berkeley is “Berkeley” but he may end up choosing SLO instead. Plus there is the Poly SAT club where students work with NASA to build and launch their own satellite. Certainly Berkeley is a stellar school. He’s thrilled he got in. I also know that protests or drama on campus could really distract him. He is a VERY serious student (accepted at 10 schools) but is worried about the atmosphere. He’s a FIRST robotics kid. He thrives in a collaborative project based learning environment. We are going to Cal Day. But we really aren’t sure yet what he will choose. Either is thrilling for us. Congrats to all!
do note that any protests are almost always conducted by people not affiliated with the school. The only way you really see the protests is by going home to the south dorms or if you need to go pick up a package at the Amazon store. If you are an Engineering student and stay at Foothill, you’ll most likely never know that protests exists.
@ProfessorPlum168 Great info! I bet he’ll pretty much live over in the engineering areas. He should have a lot of his GEs done with APs.
@RoboticsWidow do note that for CoE, only 2 out of the 6 GE breadths can be covered by AP classes. Which is better than L&S, where 0 out of 7 can be covered by AP.
Note that knocking off all GE breadths early on can be a double-edged sword. My kid, since he had a lot of DE classes in HS that covered half of his breadths, is in the dubious position of having all his lower divisions work and all his breadths and other university requirements out of the way after his freshman year. So all of his remaining classes are upper division major classes. Of which a couple of semesters, he’ll have to take 4 of them (if he wants to graduate in 3 years). No one ever recommends 4 technicals in a semester; even 3 in a semester is challenging. So keeping those GE classes handy for class balance can be important…
Most likely a robot will not be machined in the first year at WPI. Universities which do not have robotics engineering as a major will always tell you that it is just mechanical engineering. WPI’s program is specifically designed to graduate Robotics Engineers who have studied the three legs which make up robotics studies. Some students do double major with ME or CS or EE.
See the board which advises this program @ https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/robotics-engineering/rbe-advisory-board
Check out the actual courses and descriptions @ https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/robotics-engineering
@ProfessorPlum168 thank you! My math level is already pretty high – my high school class has started into the world of multivariable calc (which, by the way, is thrilling!). I’m planning to take an online Python class during the summer and I think Data 8 might help me take care of requirement 2. Thanks for your help!!
@RoboticsWidow
See the complete 2018 WPI Robotics job and graduate school placement for 2018 by clicking the year 2018 and looking on page 52 of this report… Note the double majors.
https://www.wpi.edu/student-experience/career-development/outcomes
My son is still torn between JHU and Berkeley (chemical Engg) We loved JHU visiting berkeley this week/weekend In both he is admitted to Chemical and biomolecular engg
@booroot My D wasn’t that torn about JHU, she was a little torn with Carnegie Mellon, though. Yesterday she put the deposit down for Berkeley so that is it for us. No turning back.
Berkeley Chemical Engineering is second best in the country (funny i just posted that on the 101 reasons thread). I hope he likes Cal after the visit, it’s a great school for what your son wants to do. Good luck!
Thanks that is what folks are telling us about Berkeley Chemical engg and he really does not want to do EECS so no conflicts about not being able to switch or neither did he apply to CMU as he does not want CS. There was a bit of concern about berkeley chem engg being insanely hard and not able to get straight A s hindering masters admissions in top schools (which I hear need around 3.9 GPA) but he has done so far well in national science bowl and intel science fair etc so I guess should not be too worried…
So you put the deposit down without doing Cal day! Are you coming to Cal Day ?Does your D joining Chemical engg?
And where is the link to 101 reasons thread? Thanks
@booroot here it is: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/2136831-101-reasons-to-attend-berkeley-p1.html
We couldn’t make Cal day, are we are OOS but D knows Berkeley pretty well by osmosis (her auntie and us went to Cal). She wants to do neuroscience/cog science and she will be taking CS classes as well, she is actually a very good coder already (wrote a couple of iphone apps all on her own, and knows Python pretty well by working with her dad). JHU is well known for neuroscience but she couldn’t resist Berkeley.
Yeah my son sat in one of neuroscience class along with a senior when we went to JHU last week and answered questions asked in class and he was excited with JHU and had reservations with large public university aka Berkeley but then again he will be in a small college COC with a large public university in berkeley We know Berkeley well as parents I have taken some course there while I was in Bay area but that was 20 years back and has no idea of college of chemistry.
Is there anyone admitted to Chemical engg in berkeley in this thread?
@booroot - a student @DieLit committed to Cal for ChemE had a decent running thread detailing his application and acceptance process: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/2111519-what-are-my-chances-for-these-schools-p1.html He may be able to answer a lot of your questions.
@musiclover5 sounds like a plan. If you’re able to skip out of your Calc classes (BC score = 5), you’ll want to take EE16A and EE16B which has a lot of Linear Algebra in it. The 2 classes are requirements for CS students, and this is an acceptable substitute for the Math 54 Linear Algebra class. Definitely helps with the mathematical maturity process.
Thanks!