   Attending college soon, and I need your input!
  From about a week before my senior year of high school started I had been enrolled with DeVry, and to be honest when I went in to "check the campus out" I ended up enrolling.  I've always wanted to attend a technical college with a program that focuses on game development (specifically programming) and DeVry does just that, especially the Phoenix campus.  From what I've seen so far, I am confident that a student with proper motivation can go far in this setting.  However, what concerns me is the things I've been hearing about DeVry's reputation; DeVry is a for-profit school, as such they hand out degrees to anyone, employers begin to have bad experiences with DeVry graduates and avoid hiring DeVry graduates all together, some going so far as redirecting DeVry resumes directly to the recycle bin.The fact being that I live in Central Phoenix, AZ and I am not able to relocate for college severely limits my choices for truly competent schools (wouldn't DigiPen be nice?)  So this leaves me down to only a few options:I could continue at DeVry and run the risk of having DeVry's negative reputation on my resume.  Of course if I can do some really fantastic work this may be overlooked, but if at all possible I'd like to avoid that.  In addition I do like the atmosphere that DeVry has and the game development focused curriculum that allows students to test their abilities in group projects throughout the 3 years.On the other hand, I could attend ASU and get a Bachelors in Computer Science.  At home I'll be reading books that focus on game development, and building my portfolio so that when I'm ready to graduate I can have something to show for anyone who might be willing to hire me.A third option and one that I haven't thrown around as much but which is seeming like a nice balance between the two is this:  For the first year or two I get pre-requisites like all the good little boys and girls at a community college (this is a really tough one, I tend to do bad when classes don't interest me.  My grades in high school were sub par, but I'll just have to give it my all) After that, I would attend this little gem called University of Advancing Technology (UAT) which I can't find much about, whose tuition and style is not unlike DeVry, but as far as I know they aren't as well known and consequentially infamous as DeVry.That's all, feel free to make any suggestions if you wish.  It's really upsetting that I came across this issue so late, if I had sooner I'd be able to switch anywhere and not be pressured like this, but such is life.   
  My usual recommendation is to simply pursue a traditional degree in computer science. Such a degree will provide you with the greatest flexibility after graduating. Further, there's a lot of important material that will be covered by a university but will probably be skimmed or, at worst, omitted by a specialized game development program. A standard program in computer science should give you a very strong and yet very general understanding of computer science itself, including knowledge of a broad base of general algorithms, how to understand and analyze efficiency of algorithms in both time and space, some various topics about operating systems and networks and computer hardware, and hopefully a brief excursion into the world of compilers, the theory of computation, and so forth. As you said, you could in the mean time work on a portfolio in game development.A traditional university will also allow you to experiment around a little bit. Just because you may major in computer science doesn't mean you have to take only CS-related courses. Ideally you'd be gaining a solid background in mathematics (up through vector calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations, the first two of which are immensely useful in game development and more generally in computer graphics and the latter of which is helpful in understanding physics, which also plays a role in games and simulated environments). You could also explore the humanities and fine arts and so forth. My experience is that DeVry has somehow earned a bad reputation. The interesting thing is that I know nothing about the school and yet I'm aware of this reputation. I'm not quite sure even how the impression formed in my mind, but it's certainly there. Therefore, I think your concern about the school's reputation is valid whether it's fair or not. Considering the cost of an education (unless you are lucky enough to have received a full ride or significant financial aid), I personally wouldn't want to come out with a degree from a school that has a questionable reputation, again whether it's fair or not.   ;Most employers will not care which school you attended, so long as you have a degree from an accredited school.  However, some interviewers will have prejudices for and against particular schools.  You cannot control their prejudices.At my present and previous jobs, none of the interviewers (including myself) had expressed prejudice against particular schools, although there were some minor preferences to schools we had experience with.Earning the computer science degree is critical.  The choice of school is much less so.Ultimately it is about your life.  If for some reason you don't feel comfortable with their education, then change school.   ;  Take it for what its worth, but I'd recommend you go to ASU and studying games on your own / try to work game related stuff into your projects.   ;Quote:Original post by zer0wolfTake it for what its worth, but I'd recommend you go to ASU and studying games on your own / try to work game related stuff into your projects.I agree. ASU is a brand name.  Devry has a bad reputation, as you mentioned.   ;Quote:Original post by frobEarning the computer science degree is critical.  The choice of school is much less so.I suppose it is worth mentioning, there is a difference between a traditional computer science degree and DeVry's preferred computer information systems degree.Your local DeVry school might offer both, or they might offer just the CIS degree.  There is a huge difference to employers.   ;  Thank you all for your replies.  I'm becoming more and more confident that ASU is the right choice for me.  I've never been strong in math but I decided on programming knowing it was inevitable.I've also written up a short two paragraph letter and I've been browsing some well-known developer websites looking for e-mails of programmers who have been in the industry for a while and have had the chance to come across someone in a situation similar to mine, or might be able to provide some information on the topic.  In fact, I got an encouraging reply from Yahn Bernier at Valve saying essentially what you are all saying here about ASU.So, thanks again guys!  I'll be checking back for more replies and to update.  Once that's finished I have a feeling I'll be a regular member of these forums, I was having a look around and they seem VERY resourceful :)   ;  I spent some time at Ivy Tech, a community college in Indiana. After awhile it just kind of dawned on me that if I wanted to be able to get a great job, I needed to put in the effort and attend a real university and push myself. I went to Purdue and wound up getting a job as a Game Designer right out of school.I can't say I've ever experienced a game development specific trade school program, but I'm pretty damn sure I made the right choice [wink]   ;Quote:Original post by 1nfinitumA third option and one that I haven't thrown around as much but which is seeming like a nice balance between the two is this:  For the first year or two I get pre-requisites like all the good little boys and girls at a community college (this is a really tough one, I tend to do bad when classes don't interest me.  My grades in high school were sub par, but I'll just have to give it my all) After that, I would attend this little gem called University of Advancing Technology (UAT) which I can't find much about, whose tuition and style is not unlike DeVry, but as far as I know they aren't as well known and consequentially infamous as DeVry.Since you seem to be leaning towards ASU, have you considered attending this community college first?  There are a few reasons you might.Junior colleges can be less expensive than larger institutions, and many state universities have reciprocity agreements with them.  It should be easy enough for you to find out if ASU accepts credits earned from this community college, and if so, which ones.  You may even find that this school has courses specifically designed for students that will be transferring onward to ASU.Your lower level "generals" can have significantly smaller class sizes at a community college than at a state university.  It is not unheard of for universities to have freshman courses with over a hundred students in an auditorium.  This can be a bit of a culture shock to someone straight out of high school.  Your community college might have class sizes that are a closer approximation to what you have now.  Again, you should be able to check this easily."I tend to do bad when classes don't interest me."  Perhaps you should face this demon before committing to ASU.  Assuming that you perform poorly rather than that you commit heinous acts when bored, realize that in a "well-rounded" education you will have many classes that you find boring, and this behavior will negatively impact your GPA.  A low GPA says to your prospective employer something similar to your statement -- you don't do what you don't like to do.  Your community college is a good place to turn that around and build up your GPA, which can open new doors to additional universities for you and also lead me to my next point.Among the classes you don't want to take, you might be surprised.  You could find out there is a political science junkie lurking inside you, or that you have untapped potential as an artist, or that you're a natural philosopher, or even yet that you don't like computer science as much as you thought you did.  Whatever.  You could decide to change majors.  A fair number of students do, and I suspect that many of those went straight to college right out of high school.  A community college is a great place to have a change of heart, if that's in your cards, because of the (presumably) smaller investment.  And if you still decide to attend ASU for a Computer Science degree, you have some your work out of the way already.Whichever route you choose, good luck!   ;Quote:Original post by Uther Mortigast"I tend to do bad when classes don't interest me."  Perhaps you should face this demon before committing to ASU.  Assuming that you perform poorly rather than that you commit heinous acts when bored, realize that in a "well-rounded" education you will have many classes that you find boring, and this behavior will negatively impact your GPA.  A low GPA says to your prospective employer something similar to your statement -- you don't do what you don't like to do.  Your community college is a good place to turn that around and build up your GPA, which can open new doors to additional universities for you and also lead me to my next point.Uther makes a good point here. ASU has a well deserved reputation as a party school as well, so there will be plenty there to distract you from your studies - even if you find them interesting.   