Tech Prodigy and College Choices: Balancing Advanced Skills with Less Prestigious Schools

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for some advice about my 15-year-old son. Up until 8th grade, he excelled in advanced courses, always getting top grades. But something changed in high school – he stopped taking all honors and advanced classes and switched to regular ones. Despite this shift, he's still acing standardized tests, scoring around 1550 on SAT practice tests with ease. His regular school grades are a mix, with As, Bs, and occasional Cs, particularly in subjects like foreign languages that don't interest him.

He's now looking at colleges that are easier to get into, focusing on those with good Computer Science programs. His list includes Iowa State, George Mason University, Arizona State, University of Arizona, and Oregon State. He doesn't care about the school and just wants to get a CS degree.

Here’s where it gets impressive: his tech skills are extraordinary. Beyond basic coding, he’s adept at creating complex software solutions. He’s skilled in a wide array of programming languages and technologies, including Docker, JavaScript frameworks, Python, Java, C++, and more. He has an amazing ability to grasp and master new tech concepts, languages, and frameworks quickly. In my role as a senior director and hiring manager at a FAANG company, I see that his skills are comparable to those of our seasoned principal engineers and architects. He’s tackled challenging coding tasks and aced the tough coding tests we set for hiring these high-level positions.

Here's the part that irks me a bit: I talk to friends who have older kids and are just starting to learn programming at Ivy League schools, and it's hard not to feel that my son, who is far more advanced in tech, won't have the same prestigious college on his resume. This makes me wonder how important is a prestigious university for him. He’s incredibly talented in tech but isn’t pursuing challenging academic courses anymore. Should I push him towards more renowned universities, or is it okay to support his choice of more accessible colleges, given his exceptional skills? Will his advanced abilities in tech get recognized in the industry, even if he doesn’t graduate from a highly sought-after school?

[Anonymous]

Wasn't there already an article about this kid?

Anyway if he's that much of a prodigy, then like all the other tech giants who dropped out of college, he may not need it. Use the money to invest in his new tech company

[Anonymous]

He’ll be just fine. He has the skills. Just have him get a degree somewhere and with his skills he’ll be able to ace the interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for some advice about my 15-year-old son. Up until 8th grade, he excelled in advanced courses, always getting top grades. But something changed in high school – he stopped taking all honors and advanced classes and switched to regular ones. Despite this shift, he's still acing standardized tests, scoring around 1550 on SAT practice tests with ease. His regular school grades are a mix, with As, Bs, and occasional Cs, particularly in subjects like foreign languages that don't interest him.

He's now looking at colleges that are easier to get into, focusing on those with good Computer Science programs. His list includes Iowa State, George Mason University, Arizona State, University of Arizona, and Oregon State. He doesn't care about the school and just wants to get a CS degree.

Here’s where it gets impressive: his tech skills are extraordinary. Beyond basic coding, he’s adept at creating complex software solutions. He’s skilled in a wide array of programming languages and technologies, including Docker, JavaScript frameworks, Python, Java, C++, and more. He has an amazing ability to grasp and master new tech concepts, languages, and frameworks quickly. In my role as a senior director and hiring manager at a FAANG company, I see that his skills are comparable to those of our seasoned principal engineers and architects. He’s tackled challenging coding tasks and aced the tough coding tests we set for hiring these high-level positions.

Here's the part that irks me a bit: I talk to friends who have older kids and are just starting to learn programming at Ivy League schools, and it's hard not to feel that my son, who is far more advanced in tech, won't have the same prestigious college on his resume. This makes me wonder how important is a prestigious university for him. He’s incredibly talented in tech but isn’t pursuing challenging academic courses anymore. Should I push him towards more renowned universities, or is it okay to support his choice of more accessible colleges, given his exceptional skills? Will his advanced abilities in tech get recognized in the industry, even if he doesn’t graduate from a highly sought-after school?

As you know, tech isn't as prestige driven as say investment banking. Skills are what matter, more so than a swanky college pedigree.

But ask your FAANG colleagues on how to proceed.

Talent is talent. The name on the diploma won't matter that much in tech, provided they are bringing it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Should I push him towards more renowned universities, or is it okay to support his choice of more accessible colleges, given his exceptional skills?

You can want him to look at selective schools, but if he's getting C's on a routine basis, he might be excluding himself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should I push him towards more renowned universities, or is it okay to support his choice of more accessible colleges, given his exceptional skills?

You can want him to look at selective schools, but if he's getting C's on a routine basis, he might be excluding himself.

Yes, you're right. I've been contemplating whether I should be strict about the 'no C's' rule or just let him follow his current path. It's a tricky situation, especially when I compare it to my other child, who isn't as clear about their future goals and doesn't have any "natural" talent so graders are important. With this son, I feel like he'll do well regardless, but I do worry about him having regrets later in life. He's demonstrated in the past, before high school, that he's capable of high academic achievement. This makes me wonder if he should put in more effort now, so he doesn't look back and wish he had done things differently.

[Anonymous]

Did you get him checked for ADD/ADHD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you get him checked for ADD/ADHD?

yes totally has it and is one meds, however he chooses to focus on things he likes.

[Anonymous]

Why does it irk you that your kid who isn’t even getting all A’s in regular classes, and is getting some C’s in regular classes isn’t going to get into prestigious colleges? With those grades he doesn’t deserve to attend a prestigious college. Why would you let him take regular classes and get C’s? You should be irked at yourself for not being more proactive in his schooling.

[Anonymous]

Hope he is not over drowning himself in tech, and finding solace in tech than anything else.

No game and or internet addiction?

[Anonymous]

I own a small software development company and can assure you that no one will care where his degree is from if he has the chops. We routinely hire people with non-traditional backgrounds, as do pretty much all tech companies.

[Anonymous]

Nothing special about an ivy for CS. Most people in CS don't have ivy degrees and have them from a huge mix of schools. Skill is as important as a degree, but a better college might get you in the door faster, but ultimately skill will drive success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I own a small software development company and can assure you that no one will care where his degree is from if he has the chops. We routinely hire people with non-traditional backgrounds, as do pretty much all tech companies.

This, my spouse has a degree from a school no one has ever heard of and he's done well with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I own a small software development company and can assure you that no one will care where his degree is from if he has the chops. We routinely hire people with non-traditional backgrounds, as do pretty much all tech companies.

That’s what I’ve always heard.

If your son is this talented, OP, does he even need a degree? Like, why would he if he’s 15 and already as skilled as fresh graduates your FAANG type company hires?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for some advice about my 15-year-old son. Up until 8th grade, he excelled in advanced courses, always getting top grades. But something changed in high school – he stopped taking all honors and advanced classes and switched to regular ones. Despite this shift, he's still acing standardized tests, scoring around 1550 on SAT practice tests with ease. His regular school grades are a mix, with As, Bs, and occasional Cs, particularly in subjects like foreign languages that don't interest him.

He's now looking at colleges that are easier to get into, focusing on those with good Computer Science programs. His list includes Iowa State, George Mason University, Arizona State, University of Arizona, and Oregon State. He doesn't care about the school and just wants to get a CS degree.

Here’s where it gets impressive: his tech skills are extraordinary. Beyond basic coding, he’s adept at creating complex software solutions. He’s skilled in a wide array of programming languages and technologies, including Docker, JavaScript frameworks, Python, Java, C++, and more. He has an amazing ability to grasp and master new tech concepts, languages, and frameworks quickly. In my role as a senior director and hiring manager at a FAANG company, I see that his skills are comparable to those of our seasoned principal engineers and architects. He’s tackled challenging coding tasks and aced the tough coding tests we set for hiring these high-level positions.

Here's the part that irks me a bit: I talk to friends who have older kids and are just starting to learn programming at Ivy League schools, and it's hard not to feel that my son, who is far more advanced in tech, won't have the same prestigious college on his resume. This makes me wonder how important is a prestigious university for him. He’s incredibly talented in tech but isn’t pursuing challenging academic courses anymore. Should I push him towards more renowned universities, or is it okay to support his choice of more accessible colleges, given his exceptional skills? Will his advanced abilities in tech get recognized in the industry, even if he doesn’t graduate from a highly sought-after school?

My ivy kid says many SWE people he works with in silicon valley have a bootcamp certificate. The catch here is their background is often in engineering.

As a hiring manager in silicon valley, OP has a better picture of what's going on. No reason to be irked by his or her kid not having an ivy resume. My ivy kid said all his hiring managers were non-ivy grads. Nearly all the people he works for are non-ivy grads.