Does she want to learn to speak french, read french literature, learn french history?
Has she taken any steps or done any preparation or is she starting from dot?
The reason I ask is because students usually switch minors.
I would recommend that if she really wants to learn french she takes it as a summer class.
Amy of the military academies?
My son went to Whitworth Universiy in Spokane. With jobs, grants and student loans he graduated in 3 1/2 years with a theology major and minors in German, leadership studies and philosophy. This is a real deal small Christian college and is very highly regarded. I’m pretty sure they had a bunch of computer science graduates in May. We are extremely thankful that Whitworth and our son found each other!
Over 15 years ago my son and I visited a top rated engineering school which would have matched his major. I talked him out of it solely on the fact that the undergrads were not allowed to get to the library stacks. They were required to submit requests based on the card catalog.
I remembered when I was in engineering school, at University of Oklahoma, spending hours in the stacks examining books on math, science, and engineering in order to find explanations which met my needs. Many times I would find books outside of the discipline at hand which caught my eye and led to interesting explorations.
It’s like paper dictionaries from which I would typically learn many more words than the one which led me to pick up the book.
I just can’t imagine going to school and not being able to browse the library stacks.
BTW: Examine the curriculum and avoid those which “specialize” or spend a lot of time on the product sets which are popular today; e.g., Big Data. Instead, look for curricula which generalizes.
I have an undergrad degree in electrical engineering from OU and a Masters in Math with a specialty in Computer Science from ASU. I NEVER took a single course devoted to a particular computer language; e.g., FORTRAN. We were always expected to learn the languages on our own.
The only time were were taught “a language” was the class where we were building the compiler for that language.
I led software development for a major computer mainframe company in the areas of database systems, system recovery, and high availability. I have done BIOS development for very large systems. That would be a single system with 16 CPU sockets with hundreds of cores and up to 24 Terabytes of RAM memory. On the other hand, I have also participated in open software development in transaction processing and HPC schedulers. I have presented papers at several international conferences in the U.S. and Europe.
I have written over 15 patents in the U.S. and Europe on hardware and software designs.
So I have been around the block.
It turns out that the same problems and occur over and over at many different levels. For instance, HW CPU cache coherency shares a lot of design issues with distributed database systems.
I have spent a lot of time locating seminal books on the topics which relate to the work that I do. I just purchased Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann published by O’Reilly. Books like that come once every 4 or 5 years, but they are really special. (There are boatloads of books which aren’t worth the paper, but that’s another topic.)
Thus, a generalized education will equip a student to face the next round of problems. While taking classes on Java, Python, and JEE will equip them to deal with technology which will probably be replaced in 20 years.
Send me a private message if you would like further information.
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, home of the Bush Presidential Library
The primary rational reasons to attend college are to purchase an alumni network (i.e., go for the best ROI school possible) or to check the box for a career that absolutely requires a degree. Otherwise, it is not worth the investment and the dangers of contending with Marxist faculty and other assorted crybullies.
That said, Missouri S&T/Rolla is the best public STEM university in your area and is highly regarded in industry. The student body leans conservative by virtue of being primarily engineering students who have neither the time or inclination to fool around with liberal indoctrination courses.
Be aware that Computer Science is not the same thing as simply writing code. It is significantly more Math intensive and prepares those who are interested in developing algorithms and systems. If she wants to be a programmer, she may be better off pursuing coding and professional certifications on her own or through technical college.
Though Trump will (hopefully) improve things, computer science majors and programmers have been especially hard hit by the H1B visa program. Should those visas be restricted, it is likely many of the large companies will just send the work offshore to places like India. French won’t be of much help.
Have her learn the Hadoop Ecosystem.
These are where future careers will be -- get her exposed to these areas early and see if any capture her interest.
Assuming you’re Asian, then DO NOT mention the Cello on her applications, at least for the vast majority of schools.
The jerks running the admissions processes are looking for NON-TYPICAL kids, and they consider string instruments (and piano) to be “typical” for Asian applicants - so it actually works against her.
...and didn’t just make this up, I read exactly the above in an article about people that make a living coaching college applicants. Needless to say, once she’s accepted, then, by all means, have her join the orchestra, if she wants to.
...and I’d still be suspicious even regarding our conservative schools - since virtually all of their administrators likely got educated at left-wing colleges also.
First two years at community college to save money and get as good or better education.
Then pick four year school.
Computer science is good. But if she’s that talented in the math required may I suggest she majors in Engineering. Engineering harnesses the same skills but is way more valuable in industry AND there is not the competition from Indian talent. And I do mean talent. The Indians put out fabulously talented computer engineers. Mechanical engineers not so much. Manufacturing engineers are also in great demand and is a fun career (I’m a recovering aerospace engineer who now has a CNC manufacturing shop).
One note I had from a German colleague when I started my consulting work in Berlin. “Why would you bother learning a language only 20 million people know when everyone here already speaks English?”
That is an excellent point. If she were to learn Chinese she would be in extremely high demand. In France, most her age will speak excellent English. If she were to get a degree in computer science AND study Chinese. WOW. She’s going to be one successful cookie.
I just had another thought. As I mentioned I have a CNC machine shop and fabrication shop.
If she were to study automation, which is related to computers, which seems to be her interest, she will be in demand globally. There are a billion people that can code “hello world” but not that many that can have a PLC sort olices or apples. AND the fact that places like McDonalds and Burger King are going to automate their food prep there is a huge future there. Heck. If she learns to program some ladder logic for packaging equipment I manufacture I’d hire her in a second. And I pay $120 an hour for a programmer who never even went to college... BUT, he know how to make a PLC dance. Manufacturing is all computer based now and is a very enjoyable field. We don’t seat away in filthy coal fired plants anymore. We are surrounded by high tech robots in pristine factories. If she does insist on studying French she will have success working with manufacturing companies in Tolouse but as I said they ALL speak fluent English.
Many envy your daughter. She is going to come of age in the age of Trump and optimism. With her interests in sciences and her success in REAL studies she will be one happy and successful young woman. PM me if you have any questions.
Hillsdale?
Liberty University?
I went to Oklahoma Baptist University, and I minored in French.
Oklahoma Baptist University
https://www.okbu.edu/
OBU has about 2,000 students in a mid-sized Oklahoma town and is well-known for its academics. The professors are caring and will push you to learn. (Some of them are lethally hard!) It is a very well-rounded education. They will work you!
The foreign languages department is unique, since many of the students are training for missions work. You get a higher level of seriousness when the students aren’t just hoping to someday visit Europe on a vacation. I was preparing to be a missionary to France at the time.
Hillsdale! It is a FABULOUS college, which teaches real American and world history as part of their core curriculum.
Community college for 2 years. Gives her tin to grow up more under your supervision.
My only conservative kid is the one who stayed at home in California.
My other 2 went to Texas A&M and to Alabama (not known for being luberal) and became very liberal.
What’s a weighted GPA?
Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan.