Can't decide which university..

Help me, seriously, I have no idea what to do.

Texas A and M

I don't think Steamgifts is a very smart place to ask questions like this, since it's something that will affect the rest of your life, or at least a significant part of it.

Though if you want my advice, I'd tell you not to get an education in video games. Never ever. Get a software engineering degree or something similar, and if you're really dead set on making videogames just take a course in game design. That way you at least keep your options open. I admit I'm a bit biased since I'm a software engineer myself, but it just seems madness to me to focus your entire career on making videogames. It's much easier to get a job as a video game programmer with a software engineering degree than a job anywhere else with nothing but a video games degree.

Well, I currently study Computing Science and it's a great overview of programming/general theory and there are opportunities in later years of the degree to specialize in certain computing/programming fields (e.g. at my University I could choose to completely focus on software engineering). I chose it because in the future I consider possibly doing a video design course, but I want that to be an option - not the only job I can do. So, I think Computing Science is great if you want a lot of job options.

Also I'm from the UK, so I don't know a thing about American universities, oops.

Here's a good name: Worthington Hooker School

You'll come out of it with a job for life, in one of the world's most established professions.

Computer Science would probably be a good bet as a very general course. You'd learn a lot of skills relevant to all sorts of areas, not just games. I'm not sure how Computer Engineering would compare to it as I did Computer Science myself, so you may want to look into it to see which suits you better. Remember that different universities will have different course content and quality in some areas. I don't live in America so I don't know which universities there would be good for what.

Game specific courses may prove limiting if you want to get a job in something different later, plus you'd have to be very careful what course you sign up on as I hear many of them are not very good and have very little practical focus, favouring the more theoretical elements and soft issues surrounding the subject. Extra Credits did an episode on game schools, which might be of use to you if you are really interested in doing that sort of thing.

I would definitely stay away from game design. My friend is doing that and is learning very little.

It depends on dozens of factors.
Are costs/loans prohibitive?
How large do you want your campus/class rooms to be?
What type of learning do you prefer (lecture, hands-on/lab, theoretical, etc)?
What level of degree do you want (BS, MS, or PhD)?
Where do you want to work/live after school? Some universities are great, but aren't known outside a small community of engineers/businesses.

Before you attend any school, talk to you guidance counselors or career experts in your current school to see what they recommend. Do research on numerous universities and look into the reported growth rates of your field (Computer Science, Software Engineering, etc) for the next 5-20 years.

The above questions are some that I had to answer for myself before I chose my engineering school and there are dozens of other questions that I'm sure I didn't put that are just as important if not MORE important than those...

I'm not in the tech field, I'm an historian, but I have some experience in university guidance.

Your first concern is applying where you realistically think you can get in.

If you can compile a list, contact each university's admissions department and get a feel for the tolerances of their admissions standards for international students. If it looks like you can get in, then you add it to your real shortlist.

Check out the US News and World Report's university rankings. Don't necessarily look at the top overall schools. Check out the top REGIONAL schools, and then look for ones with good marks in your program. The regional schools with good programs will be the best bet, regardless of your grades and qualifications. Everyone is going to be going for the biggies, you can slip in to a solid program easily.

Yeah, access to the full rankings costs $30. But you'll potentially save it in wasted application fees.

Computer Science or Engineering would be best. You absolutely will not get much of a job in game anything. The demand is too low and jobs are never stable. It is best to major the last two and make the first two more of an elective class and have it as a weekend hobby. If you're lucky, maybe your weekend hobby will produce something worth selling on the internet and you can work from there when you become a success. At least, that is what I'm doing. I too wanna work with games, but putting all your eggs in one basket, especially when the basket is like fashion design, art, culinary, or video games, it is relatively a bad idea. If you're capable of doing those last two, go for it since, if i recall, the jobs pay more too.

It is also worth noting that there isn't much in the way of game design that you cannot learn off the internet for free. If you want, you could take the class and ask the teachers what other classes should you take if you were majoring it, then look into the class details to see what kind of books and software you need to get an idea on how to teach yourself when the time comes that you ran out of elective class moneys. This is, of course, my opinion on the matter.

Edit: Wonderful, I read the topic wrong. Sorriez. I am in the same boat, honestly. I am just going to go to Reed in Portland, ORegon for shits and giggles. Not sure if it is much help. I too was stuck with Unity 3D and do not know where to go from there so I been taking C# classes. @_@

Computer Engineering, best of all worlds, it's broad enough for you to see what you may like and specific enough aswell.

Personally i did CE, and went from basic programming, more advanced stuff (C++ in general and some quite interesting uses), network management, OS, and a bit of hardware. I cannot complain about it thus far.

Best of luck with your universities, I am going to start studying computer science in a weeks time at the University of Pennsylvania (ivy league). I can list you the ones i applied to see if any interest you...
Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UPenn, MIT and Carneige... Decided to go for Upenn in the end as it seemed to fit me the most out of the ones i listed.
Hope this helps

From the sounds of it, you should first decide what it is you really want to do first. Then you should decide on a university based on what services (clubs, events, local community) it offers that allows you to get the most experience in that area of expertise.

I say this because quite frankly, a lot of what you learn in university won't actually help you later in your profession, especially if you already have a strong knowledgebase for programming already. My friend started programming early in highschool and even worked with expedia before university and he just doesn't even need to go to classes. All he does is work on his own projects and club projects.

Of course, if you just want to be able to find a job later on, best would be to just do computer engineering (or if not able to, computer science) with a famous university known for great IT (MIT or Stanford for example).

Are you really asking strangers on an internet forum which college you should go to? I can see something like "what game should I buy" or "which video card should I get"... but this seems like way too important a decision to be asking here.

I would go to the South Harmon Institute of Technology if you can.

Your situation seems to be the same as mine years ago. I did, however, try to apply for an undergraduate course twice as an internatinal student, and failed in both attempt. Ended up not going to college whatsoever, but still doing just fine as a freelancer and a full-time employee.

Shawnee State University, not only is it pretty cheap but its also one of the top ten rated schools for gaming in the US

Come in Romania you do not have to hurt your brain with so many posibilites =)

don't do videogame related university, you just don't need it there is no difference in programming a videogame or whatever else program. Just do a computer science university that will also give you more opportunities once you finished it.

Don't give up on that Hogwarts letter, dude, you still can get it.

monster's university

When you finally figure out which field you wish to study, pick the university which offers you the least amount of student debt. The education you get in school depends on the effort you put into it, not which school you go to. Student debt, however, is something you should try to avoid. Debt hangs around for years and years, afterward.

Try here first.

Best Universities for Computer Science

Start asking questions about individual programs once you narrow whether you can meet requirements and such.

Might also narrow by amenities and culture that are appealing to you. I love it here in Austin, and UT Austin is a very good university. :)

Also, good luck my friend. You have good things ahead of you. Part of me wishes I'd gone into a field where I could make good money while working for someone else. Self-proprietorships are a never-ending battle.

edit: I want all your beers from the home country. :)

MIT