Do Colleges look at Computer Certifications?

[BigJ]

Been looking at a few colleges lately for Computer Science as my major, and I was wondering whether or not colleges look at certifications such as A+, Network+, MSCE, etc.
If so, do they make a big impression on colleges?

I should be getting my CCNA by July (more of a fallback option then anything). I figured since I'm getting one certification, I might as well study and try to get certified elsewhere.

 

[Semidevil]

I dont' think colleges look at certifications for admission. All they look at are your past history in High school(grades, service, ACT/SAT school). Once you get into the school, you can go to any department you wish to study. Now, in order to stay in that department, I think you need to maintain a certain GPA(i.e, in my school, you need to maintain atleast a 2.8 GPA in order to stay in the department of Engineering).

As for certifications, I think those might be able to help you get an on-campus job such as computer technical support at your school lab or something..........who knows.

 

[NutBucket]

Some private schools it might have a place on a application but in the big picture I doubt it makes any difference. The point about a campus IT job is good tho.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: BigJ2078
Been looking at a few colleges lately for Computer Science as my major, and I was wondering whether or not colleges look at certifications such as A+, Network+, MSCE, etc.
If so, do they make a big impression on colleges?

I should be getting my CCNA by July (more of a fallback option then anything). I figured since I'm getting one certification, I might as well study and try to get certified elsewhere.

no.

What you will do in college has absolutely nothing to do with what was required for certification. If you are looking at CS, you will be doing lots of theoretical math, nonlinear, discrete and the like. The college will admit students on what they believe their probable success rate is. It might help you get a job on campus, but your certifications will do nothing for you at all ;/. As harsh as it is for me to say that...

 

[notfred]

colleges won't care at all what you're certified in.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

While they may care inasmuch as it indicates a level of extracuriccular activity and a certain amount of commitment to it, they won't give it any academic weight, so it won't balance out mediocre test scores or GPA.

A good science or engineering degree should be technology-neutral. Universities are teaching skills that will enable you to make use of technologies, but they're not there to teach those specifically.

 

[thomsbrain]

of course not, that would be an example of some useful real world knowledge, which is not what colleges teach.

 

[Bkas]

No, they probably couldn't care less.

Comp Sci departments teach more theoretical aspects of computer science, and certification does you no good. Also, any schmo can get computer certification; that's why we have all these half-witted computer technicians working at community libraries getting paid $50/hr.

You should not concern yourself with this; you should concern yourself with test scores (SATs, etc.), GPA and extra-curriculars.

Of course, it also depends on the schools you're looking at.

 

[Red Dawn]

that's why we have all these half-witted computer technicians working at community libraries getting paid $50/hr.

And Comp Sci Majors working at Taco Bell making $6.50 an hour..if they are working at all.

 

[laFiera]

NO, COLLEGES DONT GIVE A FLYING RAT ABOUT CERTIFICATES, BUT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU ONE!

 

[acidvoodoo]

so do u wanna get a real good pyhsics/chemistry grade at the end of HS? deos chemisrty matter? i know pyhsics does

 

[kgraeme]

no

 

[GoSharks]

Originally posted by: acidvoodoo
so do u wanna get a real good pyhsics/chemistry grade at the end of HS? deos chemisrty matter? i know pyhsics does

every single academic class that you have taken in your HS career matters. (altough the UC system does not care about your freshman year.)

 

[stev0]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

that's why we have all these half-witted computer technicians working at community libraries getting paid $50/hr.

And Comp Sci Majors working at Taco Bell making $6.50 an hour..if they are working at all.

sad but true.

network+, a+, those really don't mean much, if you can build a computer, you can get your a+ certification, if you can set up a network with a few machines and a dlink router, you can get your network+ certification.

if your getting your ccna, go and pay the 100 bucks and get your network plus, that is what i did, and compared to the ccna cert. test, it was cake. a+ was a breeze too, the printer part was probably the toughest part of the test. msce is something i haven't tried, but probably worth the effort.

the sad thing is that all of these certifications are fairly easy to get with the exception of your ccna, that is why you'll see some bleached haired dink working at best buy thinking his is the all knowing computer god becuase he sells compaq's and gets to wear a blue bb shirt with a a+ patch on it.

sorry for the rant, no colleges don't look at certificates, atleast the ones that i applied to, but if you have them, say a ccna, then you can probably get out of having to take the cisco courses at college.