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

[Anonymous]

OP it sounds like you have an incredibly talented and well-adjusted kid. I would probably put some guardrails up - no Cs for example - and perhaps encourage some return to honors classes, for peer group and because GPA will matter for admission even to non-elite schools, especially in CS.

I know it's hard - I have a well-adjusted kid doing well at a great but not super elite SLAC and sometimes I hear about kids of people I know who are HPYSM etc and I think we missed a boat somewhere. Mostly because I know that money & influence helped smooth the path to HYPSM and I worry I've let my kid down somehow. But why - if he's happy and finding a path to a successful adult life, what could be better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

While this might be true in the past, right now the competition is very high and like any other profession if companies have a choice to make they will go for ivy from CS.

[Anonymous]

You described one of my family members and how he was 25 years ago. He graduated near the bottom of his class (but from a competitive private school) but scored nearly perfect on his SAT. I don’t remember the actual score- verbal was perfect but math wasn’t quite perfect. He went to a SLAC ranked 50-100 by USNR and either flunked or dropped out sophomore year. He has some mental health issues and focused on those a couple of years before graduating from a state college.

He’ll tell you that he didn’t hit his stride until he moved to Silicone Valley where different/weird is totally normal. He worked for some established companies (FAANG) and some start ups and has done really well. However, there were some rough years and it wasn’t until his mid or late 20s that he settled down into a place where he was ready to work and harness his intelligence in a productive way.

I now have a similar kid who is a freshman. The difference is he’s never put in effort at school and races through standardized tests bc he can’t sit still for them, but he has a high IQ. I’m already thinking that some type of gap year or post-grad program before college may be beneficial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

While this might be true in the past, right now the competition is very high and like any other profession if companies have a choice to make they will go for ivy from CS.

Short of the likes of MIT/CalTech/CMU, not really. And that’s only because by managing to graduate from those schools, you’re basically assured of a baseline for ability.

Most of us that hire less experienced CS folks put them through their paces. Coding and problem solving are always the first round. This kind of kid is rare, and someone all of us are on the lookout for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

While this might be true in the past, right now the competition is very high and like any other profession if companies have a choice to make they will go for ivy from CS.

Short of the likes of MIT/CalTech/CMU, not really. And that’s only because by managing to graduate from those schools, you’re basically assured of a baseline for ability.

Most of us that hire less experienced CS folks put them through their paces. Coding and problem solving are always the first round. This kind of kid is rare, and someone all of us are on the lookout for.

I'm not disagreeing since you have first hand info and there is always exceptional kids. However, as hiring manager for tech how do you get a hold of this talented kids? The majority gets hired from internship or carrier fair. Do you go hire from low ranking school in every state? I major CS back in early 2000 from low ranking school and most people were getting interview and hired. By the time we graduated we could not find a job for a while and we ended up taking low paying job.

[Anonymous]

Maybe Purdue?

[Anonymous]

OP, here I'd like to add that when weighing the value of an Ivy League education against standing out through coding tests and a strong resume, it prompts a reconsideration of priorities. I'm thinking of helping my son stand out by adding side projects to his resume and showcasing his impressive GitHub repository, which he initiated at the age of 10. His dedication to tech is exceptional and could be pivotal for his future career.

Additionally, it's fascinating that despite his lack of interest in non-tech subjects, managing and motivating him is surprisingly easy when it comes to tech-related pursuits. He exhibits an entirely different level of attention, engagement, and openness, which highlights the significance of these skills in his future. I also forgot to mention that he began creating bots in Minecraft and Roblox during his tweens, incorporating AI libraries and delving into machine learning. He's more inclined to create programs and enhance them rather than play games. This makes me wonder if top Ivy League CS programs might be overlooking kids like him, who bring a unique blend of innovation and coding talent into the picture. It's certainly worth contemplating.

[Anonymous]

He sounds very talented. But at 15 is it even necessary to have a list of colleges? I would be more concerned about managing the ADHD and making sure his ability and passion for tech aren’t blinding you to other issues (mental health, organizational, etc). The C’s could just be lack of interest or a deficit in skills to succeed in other areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, here I'd like to add that when weighing the value of an Ivy League education against standing out through coding tests and a strong resume, it prompts a reconsideration of priorities. I'm thinking of helping my son stand out by adding side projects to his resume and showcasing his impressive GitHub repository, which he initiated at the age of 10. His dedication to tech is exceptional and could be pivotal for his future career.

Additionally, it's fascinating that despite his lack of interest in non-tech subjects, managing and motivating him is surprisingly easy when it comes to tech-related pursuits. He exhibits an entirely different level of attention, engagement, and openness, which highlights the significance of these skills in his future. I also forgot to mention that he began creating bots in Minecraft and Roblox during his tweens, incorporating AI libraries and delving into machine learning. He's more inclined to create programs and enhance them rather than play games. This makes me wonder if top Ivy League CS programs might be overlooking kids like him, who bring a unique blend of innovation and coding talent into the picture. It's certainly worth contemplating.

This sounds exactly like my child, who is autistic (I'm of course not saying your child is autistic, but I don't think this asynchronous development/pattern of strengths is unusual). Because of her autism, my child gets overwhelmed easily and so will do much better at a "lower ranked" college. She could shine at any school's CS classes, but college is not exclusively about classes in your major. It sounds like your child might be similar.

Support your child in developing study skills and encourage them to take on additional challenges in CS. That's really all you can do -- what would you do to enforce a "no Cs" policy anyway?

[Anonymous]

OP you want to use DCUM to brag about your exceptional son. He sounds great.

Any college his academics will get him in is fine.

If you're still working in the tech industry, you'll find him a job.

[Anonymous]

He will do well in the long run. Just use your network to get him a job. That's how wealthy and/or Ivy connected people do it.

[Anonymous]

He has put together a list of solid state schools that he can get into with his grades. Some are in nice locations with walkable towns, which you might focus on. This kid will need balance in his life.

I say just get out of his way. His resume will trump most any from an Ivy. He probably doesn't need to go to college. Be grateful that he has come up with a list and wants to go. And he may still get Cs in history class in college and that's okay too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You described one of my family members and how he was 25 years ago. He graduated near the bottom of his class (but from a competitive private school) but scored nearly perfect on his SAT. I don’t remember the actual score- verbal was perfect but math wasn’t quite perfect. He went to a SLAC ranked 50-100 by USNR and either flunked or dropped out sophomore year. He has some mental health issues and focused on those a couple of years before graduating from a state college.

He’ll tell you that he didn’t hit his stride until he moved to Silicone Valley where different/weird is totally normal. He worked for some established companies (FAANG) and some start ups and has done really well. However, there were some rough years and it wasn’t until his mid or late 20s that he settled down into a place where he was ready to work and harness his intelligence in a productive way.

I now have a similar kid who is a freshman. The difference is he’s never put in effort at school and races through standardized tests bc he can’t sit still for them, but he has a high IQ. I’m already thinking that some type of gap year or post-grad program before college may be beneficial.

That's 25 years ago. I have a friend who retired as a systems engineer at Microsoft designing large networks for corporate clients all over the world who never even went to college. He would never even get an interview there now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you want to use DCUM to brag about your exceptional son. He sounds great.

Any college his academics will get him in is fine.

If you're still working in the tech industry, you'll find him a job.

OP here. You've got me! I might have been doing a bit of bragging, but I also wanted to share my son's situation here because it's interesting to see how it stacks up against others in this community, especially since many here are really driven towards Ivy League and high-performance.

I guess part of this is me reflecting on my own academic journey. I sort of took a similar path—didn't aim for Ivy League, didn't really care about it either. Looking back, I can't help but wonder if I missed out on something. It's one of those personal regrets that I've kind of tried to "make up" for by pursuing multiple master's degrees and certifications.

There's this feeling inside me that maybe if I had taken a different path earlier on, things would have been easier. I opted for the easiest route to a computer degree, thinking, "I'll learn all the stuff through my part-time job and make some money as well." It was a choice at the time, but now I sometimes wonder if it was the best one.

Interestingly, I started doing early web programming part-time while attending a lower-tier college, much like my son's approach now. Back then, I had the same mindset of not really caring about academics. But looking back, I sometimes wish I had approached things differently.

Life's funny that way, isn't it? We make choices, and sometimes we don't fully appreciate their impact until later on. Maybe my decision to go a bit overboard on degrees and certifications actually drove me to reach the senior level where I am today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He has put together a list of solid state schools that he can get into with his grades. Some are in nice locations with walkable towns, which you might focus on. This kid will need balance in his life.

I say just get out of his way. His resume will trump most any from an Ivy. He probably doesn't need to go to college. Be grateful that he has come up with a list and wants to go. And he may still get Cs in history class in college and that's okay too.

Or he can focus on building his github profile and picking up projects as a free lance developer. Pair an impressive presence github and experience with even a crappy CS degree, and he'll get hired anywhere