College & Career Guidance

Why study computer science? See THIS PRESENTATION or THIS MOVIE which is especially for girls!

See these links for information on scholarship & summer job opportunites for Wyomissing Area Computer Science Students

Mr. Minich requires that you provide him with necessary information to write a college recommendation at least two weeks before the deadline. See this page for details.

See this page (CSTA) & this page (ACM) for links to up-to-date information about careers in computer-related professions.

Get ahead in your career by pursuing specialized certification. Check out this list of certification programs from companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Novell and 3Com.

Home pages of college computer science courses taken by former Wyo students.

Would you like to major in a field related to computer science? Learn more here. Keep in mind that three related but distinct college majors are:

Computer Engineering - design of hardware and embedded software in computers, phones, mp3 players, alarm systems, laser surgical tools, etc. In some universities Computer Engineering is part of the Electrical Engineering program.

Computer Science - spans from theory to inventions to applied uses of computer software. You design and build efficient software solutions to solve problems in robotics, digital forensics, online searching, and much more.

Information Systems - solving business problems with software and whole information systems. This field is found in the gap between the technical and business specialists. Other names for IS are Computer Information Systems (CIS), Management Information Systems (MIS), and Business Information Systems. Sometimes this college major is found in a university's business school.

Would you like to work in a field related to computer science? Learn more here and here.

What it's like to work at Google!

Visit College Board's AP Credit Policy Info page to see what AP credit is granted at various colleges.

Visit these links for information on applying to college:

There are great opportunities to work for the federal government after college in computer fields such as computer security. The Department of Defense awards full tuition college scholarships through its Information Assurance Program. You can ask a former Wyo student, Nils Jansen, about details since he was awarded this scholarship through GWU. Also, you can contact Mr. James Mackey of the FBI at jmackey@fbi.gov or 202-586-8868 for information about scholarships through the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC). Mr. Mackey gave a presentation on national computer security in Wyomissing a couple of years ago.

Did you know that Carnegie Mellon University only admits 130 freshmen to the computer science program out of 3,200 applications every year?

advice from college admission reps:

This excerpt is from a Stanford University Admissions Office statement in 1999: "Yet, as admission to Stanford has become more and more selective over the past decade (an admit rate of 13% last year), and as standardized test scores and high school grades have risen over time, we are finding that these traditional quantitative measures serve us less well in our search for the most outstanding applicants. Of course, they still play a significant role in our evaluations but when more than half of our applicants have a 700 or above Math SAT score and some high schools have 25 valedictorians in a single class, we have to examine qualitative criteria more closely than ever before. What then is intellectual vitality, and how do we identify it? It is the demonstrated ability to direct one's own educational quest the assumption of responsibility for one's own education. In practice, this may be the student who asks the penetrating question in class, who sees a new way to solve a problem, who seeks out extra opportunities for learning, who raises the level of learning for the whole class, or who likes to think for the sheer pleasure of thinking. Most importantly, we seek those who can articulate their pleasure in learning to us. We may find it throughout a file, but it is usually most evident in the student's writing and in detailed recommendations from counselors and teachers. It is not quantifiable like a grade or a test score, but it is nonetheless just as real, and we feel comfortable as a staff in according it prominence in the evaluation of every file. The reader asks of each applicant: "Are you a thinker?" We are looking for insight and passion in addition to intellectual achievement. Simply put, we are looking for students whom Stanford faculty will enjoy teaching and who will add to the life of the mind here."

advice from Mr. Minich:

If you can't afford or aren't accepted to an Ivy League or prestigious college, don't panic. Studies have shown that its the quality of the student and not the quality of the college that determines whether you obtain a good education. It's not where you go to college that counts but rather what you make out of your college experience. A student's work ethic, energy, positive attitude and acumen are most important.

advice from computer industry workers:

See the Wyo Comp Sci Mentors Page

advice from business personnel directors:

Hal Varian, the dean of the School of Information Management and Systems at Harvard University said, "There's a gulf in communication between the technology people and the business people. People with heads in both camps will have a foot up."

advice from Wyo alumni about college:

Sometimes you can place out of required courses by taking placement exams during the first week of classes.

Be cautious when deciding that you absolutely need a laptop for college, you probably will wish you hadn't. Buy a desktop computer which gives you more monitor viewing area. Laptops can easily be stolen if you leave your dorm room unlocked or while you're in the library using the restroom.

Start choosing a college early, visit, get applications, research on the Net, look into financial aid.

Keep cool in your interview, wear conservative clothes (you'll never go wrong), use poise (walk straight, have self-confidence, shake hand firmly, introduce yourself and smile, make good first impression, don't fidget, make lots of eye contact, don't talk too fast, shake hand when exiting interview too.

Be active in school & community, be well-rounded, develop social skills (communication, etc.), have some career goals and life objectives (don't say you are totally clueless).

Career Related Web Sites