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[quote=Anonymous]You do not have to have prior experience coding prior to starting a CS program, but it sure makes your life easier. Note that I said programming experience, not formal coursework; a kid who builds meaningful mobile apps on their own, for instance, is better than one who does AP CS, usually. CS courses tend to be project-based, and if you are not fluent in a programming language and generally adept with computers, you will find yourself spending an awful lot of time in the lab. The courseload tends to be heavy, which means that spending a lot of time on assignments results in shortchanging your non-major classes, which can affect your grades.

Also, when you apply to summer internships, and eventually a job, they look at what practical skills you have. If you don't have practical programming experience -- i.e. you can pass a coding interview -- you're going to have a tough time getting a CS internship or job. (You might,  however, qualify for other internships or management-training programs or other entry-level jobs where they just like students who have some general quantitively-oriented backgrounds.) Also, note that the interviews tend to like  applicants who are passionate about technology and love to code, and who can talk enthusiastically about the initiative they've taken to build projects on their own and whatnot.

You don't necessarily need to be good at math per se, but it helps if you are an organized, structured thinker who is good at problem-solving. You should probably be someone who intuitively understands mathematical [i]concepts[/i] easily, though.

Yes, software engineers make a lot of money, and lots of parents want their kids to make a lot of money, and a lot of kids enter CS degrees hoping to make a lot of money. However, software engineers who make a lot of money tend to work a hell of a lot of hours, and if you don't love it, everyone notices and you're probably going to struggle to make a good career out of it. (There are jobs that aren't as time-consuming but they also pay a lot less.)

(I am a middle-aged woman with a degree in computer science, actively involved in women-in-engineering efforts and mentorship since my undergraduate years.)[/quote]

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