ASU Tempe/WP Carey School Question (Glendale: 2014, credit, house)

[Sunshinegirl7]

Hi I am writing for my son instead of him creating another account for this question. He just got his notification today that he was accepted to ASU however his first 2 choices Computer Information Systems and Computer Science he didn't get into, he got Business. He wrote the admissions office but since he probably won't hear until next week I just wanted to see if I could find out more information. His question is can he take general classes needed for ASU and then try again to get the Computer Information Systems? His SAT score was so close to what they require so he is going to take his SAT's again next month. I just don't want him to take 1-2 semesters then not get what he wants after that, he really wants to go to ASU. Is this something common that happens and easy to get into after you take 1 or do you have to take 2 semesters before trying to get in again? He has a 4.0 in high school right now and has already taken 2 computer science college courses that we hope will transfer in. Please let me know any advice I can pass on to him.
Thanks!

[fennec2009]

Yes he can complete his freshman year and if he meets the WP Carey requirements he can switch into a BS program. Since his SAT score was not high enough they have placed him in a less rigorous BA program. It's very common for students to switch their major after the first year. He can try taking the SAT again, but if your school ranks students and he will graduate in the top 8% of his class (which with a 4.0 is likely) then that is enough for admission to the BS program. Some high schools do not do ranking though. However, that would mean waiting until May or June so it's probably smart to try to get his test scores up now. If he can't get the 1160 on the second SAT, maybe try the ACT instead? I scored a bit higher on my ACT because they don't penalize guessing.

Here are WP Carey's requirements to both apply to the BS program and switch into it after admission:

Bachelor of Science Requirements

Freshman applicants who meet the requirements for ASU freshman admission and who meet one of the following four criteria may be directly admitted to the W. P. Carey School of Business Bachelor of Science degree programs:

• An SAT (math and critical reading sections only) score of 1160
• An ACT composite score of 25
• A high school class ranking in the top 8 percent.
• An overall high school GPA of 3.6 in ASU competency courses (4.0 = A)
  See Detailed Competency Requirements for more information.

Students who have previously attended or are currently attending ASU may be directly admitted to Bachelor of Science degree majors if they meet the following requirements. Consult with your academic advisor to confirm your qualifications:

• Minimum 30 hours completed at ASU
• Minimum 3.4 cumulative ASU GPA
• Minimum six W. P. Carey School of Business skill courses completed at ASU
• Minimum 3.4 W. P. Carey School of Business ASU skill courses cumulative GPA
• No academic integrity violations on file

That 30 hours requirement means he needs to complete two semesters before they will consider switching him to the BS program.

[jdahunt]

I would strongly encourage your son to not go in the Business program....business degree and liberal arts degree people are having the hardest time finding jobs....you need to be in a science program or technology.

Go to Glendale community first, he will save a lot of money then he can transfer in.....at the end of the day his diploma will be from ASU and that is all that matters.

I just interviewed a engineer who first graduated with a business degree, she couldn't find a job and went back and earned a degree in engineering....she will start out making 60k as a minimum.

[Sunshinegirl7]

Thank you for the advice, but if he takes the general classes the first 2 semesters and gets the grades he needs to transfer in to the Computer Information Technology, then he wouldn't have the business degree right? I was looking at some of the classes and it looks like the overlap (some business classes are in the computer information technology course description) I myself double majored because my degree in Management Information Systems (which is pretty much the computer information systems) and Business Administration degree had a lot of the same courses so it didn't take much more for me to get my BA in both, this sounds like it could be the same situation with him if that is what he chooses? I actually did the FAFSA and put Glendale Community College as one of the schools for the info to go to. I wanted him to have the freshman experience and stay on campus that he wants though.

[fennec2009]

Originally Posted by Sunshinegirl7

Thank you for the advice, but if he takes the general classes the first 2 semesters and gets the grades he needs to transfer in to the Computer Information Technology, then he wouldn't have the business degree right?

That is correct. The BA will just be a starting point to get into ASU and get going with the classes he needs. However, I still recommend getting the test scores up because in order to stay in the CIS program, I believe you only need a 2.00 minimum overall GPA. To switch into it after freshman year you need a 3.4 though. Some students have a hard time the first year with the change of leaving home, living on campus, and having more freedom and may struggle with the transition and keeping their grades up. Not saying your son will necessarily have that issue, but it is better for him to start with the CIS program just in case.

As far as double majoring, you will need to consult an advisor. Some degree programs that share a lot of the same courses may not be approved because you need a certain number of independent credits for each major and too much overlap in those courses means it's not possible. Same thing with a major/minor. A certain number of the minor credits must not come from the major requirements.

[Sunshinegirl7]

Thank you! He just signed up to take the SAT's again, the ACT test isn't until late May so he wants to try to get his scores before we tour the college in April.

The other thing is they told me I have to file a petition to get a waiver for residency, once we buy a house and have an address they told me to fill out the form. I am counting on this for tution cost, it states on their site that as long as the parents reside in Arizona and the student is a dependent, he will get residency. It just worries me because I still have to wait for a decision to be made.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by jdahunt

I would strongly encourage your son to not go in the Business program....business degree and liberal arts degree people are having the hardest time finding jobs....you need to be in a science program or technology.

Go to Glendale community first, he will save a lot of money then he can transfer in.....at the end of the day his diploma will be from ASU and that is all that matters.

Some clarifications. In 2014, some overly popular degrees such as business will be difficult to find a job. The big differentiator is where you go to college. For example colleges like the Carlson School of Management (UofMN) have an average ACT of 30. In other words, they only allow in the top 5% of students into the program. Most business schools will let anyone in with a pulse.

These better ranked programs have no shortage of job offering opportunities upon graduation day and are heavily visited. Using the CSOM (UofMN) as an example, my DD knew several friends who got offers around $50K-$60K. Spots like Medtronic, J&J, Honeywell, 3M, Hormel Foods International, Mosaic, Cargill, Hutchinson Port Holdings, Sinocep Engine Technology, Caterpillar, IBM, Thomson Reuters,
Deloitte, Ikea, Toro, DHL, ING, Toyota, International Dairy Queen. And over 100 others have close partnerships with the business college... Source: Corporate Partnerships - Carlson Global Institute - Carlson School of Management

That said, considering that WP Cary is ranked in the top 20 business programs in the country, I predict finding a job won't be a problem. According to their website, the average starting wage is a little over $50K. BUT, college admissions have been known to exaggerate.

Originally Posted by jdahunt

Go to Glendale community first, he will save a lot of money then he can transfer in.....at the end of the day his diploma will be from ASU and that is all that matters.

Generally speaking, the selective programs have a VERY small amount of spots that they allow to transfer. So if you assume you can transfer from a community college, that could be a stretch. In the UofMN CSOM situation, that really isn't going to happen. Truth or not, CC's are considered "inferior" by admissions. That's not to say you cannot take business classes at ASU and of course the CC classes transfer. But in many competitive colleges, the doors are nearly closed and CC's transferring is nearly impossible. There are exceptions. To the OP. Due your homework ahead of time. There are many people who assume and will come up empty.