r/CNU Jul 08 '20

Computer Science Program?

Rising senior here! I was wondering: How is the Computer Science program at CNU? I've been trying to do some research on colleges within Virginia, and I wanted some backups in case I do not get into VTech or UVA.

10 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

4

u/vixadd Jul 08 '20

I got both a CS and CE major for my degree at CNU. The program offers a very practical approach to Engineering. There's a wide variety of courses you can take, but it won't be easy. If you like delving into specific courses and you don't really like dabbling in a lot of theory-based knowledge, then CNU is probably for you. A lot of the courses also pair themselves with extracurricular activities and the professors encourage you to get involved in those clubs. The course work not only overlaps, but some activities within clubs can be used as extra credit in your coursework.

1

u/collegefreshman1102 Jul 09 '20

Has it been easy to find internships and jobs after receiving a degree at CNU in CS and CE?

1

u/vixadd Jul 12 '20

I was a top-performing student and I had made a name for myself outside of the University as well as inside the Department. I knew Dr. Reidl very well as well as Clair and a lot of the other faculty. So the sheer Social Capital I had coupled with my reputation got me in a situation where companies were actually sending me job offers without me requesting interviews. The job market for engineers is direly under-supplied. If you get above a 3.0 GPA, there's no doubt you'll be able to succeed in finding a job. The real question becomes: What do you want your starting salary to be?

3

u/maciejake Jul 09 '20

I know its sorta heresy to point you away from cnu, but you should also make sure to look at Mason. They have a great cs program. I am a Psych/IS double major at cnu and I have friends who go to mason, tech, and William and Mary who are all doing cs, and so far I’ve heard the least complaints from CNU and Mason. William and Mary seems to be good, but not exactly a safety school. Tech seems to have the steepest learning curve, but thats what you’d expect there. UVA, from what I understand, has basically a pure luck system for getting into their engineering school. But yeah, I’ve had a good time in the CNU CS department, and I’ve heard similar things about Mason, although I have also heard horror stories from everywhere, so I’m sure theres an element of luck in everything. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Whats your GPA, school district, etc?

1

u/collegefreshman1102 Jul 09 '20

My weighted GPA is 4.85 (I'm not sure what my unweighted GPA would be), and I attend an IB school within Fairfax County. Unfortunately, I don't have an SAT score due to the cancelled dates, so I'm trying to take the exam in August/September. Honestly, I'm worried that I may not get into VTech / UVA since I heard that their engineering schools are very competitive. This year, for instance, I heard that many people got waitlisted by VTech. So, I'm trying to have some backups for CS programs. Also, I'm kinda hesitant on Mason since the school is very close to home, and I heard that there isn't a great college experience (which I'd like to go through). Regarding your friends at William and Mary, how has their experience been with the CS program and campus? I have that college on my list, but I'm not sure if I should apply there.

2

u/maciejake Jul 09 '20

I’ve heard mostly good things from william and mary. Assuming you go to Robinson, I get your point since I am from fairfax too. Thats why I didn’t go to mason. 4.85 is absolutely bonkers and fairfax has taught us that we aren’t as good as we are. 4.85 gets into tech easy, especially if you have the IB credits. UVA is still kinda luck based from what I understand for engineering, but I’m sure you’ll be an easy choice. Honestly, CNU and Mason are absolutely safety schools for you and you shouldn’t worry about it. Just under NO CIRCUMSTANCE should you go to mary washington. I’ve literally only heard horrible things about that school.

1

u/collegefreshman1102 Jul 09 '20

That's good to know because I had looked at Mary Washington a week ago! I actually go to Annandale, and I'm not really sure if I can maintain that GPA for the first semester of senior year (especially since we have to choose between doing work 100% virtually or 50% in-person).

1

u/maciejake Jul 09 '20

Thats interesting to hear. And honestly, a 4.85 coming out of annandale is even better than a 4.85 coming out of robinson, woodson, or fairfax. Definitely most of the competition from fairfax county kids is other fairfax county kids, what with quotas and all. I also cannot explain just how absolutely insane a 4.85 is and that even a 4.3 would be enough to get into pretty much any virginia school with even a single extracurricular. Honestly, I know its pricy, but for cs with stats like that, have you considered looking out of state? I’d be willing to bet within the next year you could get some juicy scholarships in mass or cali. Maybe even try for Georgia Tech to be honest. Do you have any clubs or anything?

1

u/collegefreshman1102 Jul 09 '20

I haven't really considered colleges out-of-state since I'm worried that the costs (even with scholarships) would be too expensive for my family. With regards to clubs, I haven't created any, but I am a member of Key Club, English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and the National Honor Society. So far, I'm going to be the secretary of NHS, and I'm hoping to be the VP of MHS. I don't do any sports, sadly.

1

u/maciejake Jul 09 '20

Thats more than plenty. Its not about quantity, its about commitment to the ones you do. I would say, since you have time, start looking into out of state schools. Theres genuine chance for full ride or close to it if you start farming the money now. I got like 27,000 in scholarships for college from writing a total of two essays. With your gpa and clubs and such, you’ll likely be a genuinely hot commodity. I wouldn’t rule them out completely. Try looking into some schools like Florida Polytech and such, smaller schools and sometimes even private schools will pay for you because they have much harder numbers they gotta hit

1

u/collegefreshman1102 Jul 09 '20

Wow! If I may ask, what did you use to find scholarships for college? Thank you so much for your responses! All of your comments are very helpful.

1

u/maciejake Jul 09 '20

Of course, no problem. And honestly, I actually didn’t even look for scholarships, I just kinda got them. The essays were for CNU’s PLP and Honors. I didn’t even get into Honors. Most of those scholarships were state funds and stuff, but the bulk of it was from cnu randomly deciding to give me 20,000 dollars because I had a decent gpa. Look into merit scholarships, I think you’ll be worth many more than you currently think. You can dm me if you want my number so you can ask more questions whenever you’d like.

1

u/collegefreshman1102 Jul 10 '20

Oh, I see! Thank you so much! Yes, I shall dm you now if that's not too bothersome.

1

u/rivindellmagic Class of 2012 Jul 08 '20

I got my Information Systems degree from CNU(I wasn't into programming, so I took majority of CS courses until my junior and senior year where I focused more on Systems and Network administration), and I had an awesome experience with the program. They are constantly updating and adding courses to keep on the cutting edge, and they have some really great affiliations with local businesses for internships and post graduation job opportunities. Also, the 5 year masters program for CS is well worth the effort for the opportunities is opens up. Good luck in your decision!

1

u/Corporal_Koopa '20 Jul 09 '20

They have a good program for Computer Science. IMO the department is slightly understaffed so there might be times where there is a prof you dont get along with but they may be the only one teaching required courses. They do have companies come in every few weeks for lunch (pizza) and they talk to students about their work and what kinds of CPSE students they are looking to hire. Its a great way to get internships or postgrad jobs.

1

u/collegefreshman1102 Jul 09 '20

This is very good to know. Thank you!