computer science major at liberal arts college
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Anonymous
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We are very interested in liberal arts college for our DS who is planning to major in CS. When I visited websites of these colleges, even the best LAC like Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore colleges have very small number of faculty (5-10).
Swarthmore college even has a cap on the number of courses that a student can take in a major. Course offerings are very limited. I wonder if LAC is a good choice for CS major. We are interested in LAC as we feel small size college environment might fit our DS better, but we also want the college to be able to teach high level CS courses... |
Anonymous
Then go to big research Us. |
Anonymous
+1 That said, my DC graduated last year with a CS major from a CTCL LAC, and is earning six figures at a big-name company. DC loved her school and is doing very well. |
Anonymous
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Amherst college for example has five faculty and one visiting professor. Course curriculum is very limited. https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/computer_science/courses?display=curriculum
I wonder how their graduates can compete with others in getting jobs at places like Google, Facebook etc (I know that their graduates still get jobs from these places). I heard that cs became a popular major in these LACs. Do students self-study if courses are not available? I am trying to find a reason to send DS to LAC for CS..but I wonder if it is a good choice for CS. I wonder why kids (and their parents) end up choosing these colleges for CS when they have other good choices. |
Anonymous
Because they somehow believe kids will get "better" education from LACs compare to big Unis. |
Anonymous
Yes, kids do this. They are not as prepared as traditional CS programs. Also, the companies that come to campus to recruit are less. It is harder to get a good first job if you care if that company is like a FACEBOOK, Amazon, Google, Microsoft etc..Those student would need an in at. Meaning someone putting their name and resume in for them. Does it really matter in this field if a student starts out at one of what people perceive as the best companies no. CS jobs are plentyful and pay well. After a few years in the job market apply that's how more LAC kids get in to large companies. |
Anonymous
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Many, perhaps most, colleges, large and small, are struggling to find enough CS faculty. It seems to me that a little logistical difficulty in getting courses is to be expected even at top colleges. This is a separate issue from whether certain particular high-level specialized courses are even offered at all.
Perhaps the LAC vs big U determination will rest in part on how important the particular higher-level specialized courses are to the individual student. |
Anonymous
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Many LACs have arrangements that allow students to take classes at other colleges. Amherst, in particular, is part of the 5 college consortium that allows students to take classes at any of the 5 colleges, including UMAss. This might be something to explore.
But, being married to someone in the IT world who interviews college students for his company, I can say that where the degree is from is less important than whether they can do the work. Part of his interview is always giving a problem to the candidate. How they approach it tells him more about how successful they will be than their transcript. |
Anonymous
| Smaller schools have the potential to create a more personalized education, which for some students is a positive experience. Students are more likely to be taught by professors, not GA's, for all four years. This is helpful for letters of recommendation and grad school/ job placement. |
Anonymous
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Also consider whether any mid-size universities have what your ds is seeking. They may have a smaller feel than a big state U and yet offer a wider variety of courses. A potential happy medium?
For example (from a less-selective angle than you may have in mind), my ds is looking at Santa Clara. |
Anonymous
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I am trying to understand how it is possible to provide good education when you only have five to six faculty members in CS. It sounds great that professors teach classes, but you don't even have enough professors in core cs subject areas. It looks like all they teach is introductory CS class plus some random cs classes. If you have to take a course at UMass-Amherst, then what's the point of paying over 70k tuition for the college. Is there any good LAC in northeast that has good CS program?
I assumed that Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore colleges have solid CS program as they are very difficult to get into, but I am quite disappointed about their CS programs after I read details on their website. |
Anonymous
I understand your concerns and would encourage you to read CTCL if you have not already done so. |
Anonymous
| I am sorry but what is CTCL? |
Anonymous
Colleges That Change Lives is a popular guide written by Loren Pope, a former education editor of The New York Times. Pope presents about 40 LAC's that he felt offer a high quality education and also discusses the benefits of smaller schools in general. |
Anonymous
One person’s opinion. Sold a lot of books though. |