Want to enter gaming industry as a programmer - need advice

[zeltraxnin]

Hi! My name is Miguel Angel and I live in Peru.

I love videogames, the way they are done, what they can show, simply fascinates me. I want to enter into the gaming industry as a programmer, then I might involve in other areas but first I believe becomeing a programmer is the best choice for me. The reason I believe this is because I am very good at maths (the best in my school class, but I try to be modest ) adn sciences. Also, I started learning something really basic as Visual Basi for Applications (VBA). I know it is very simple, adn might have no comparison with other alnguages, but I really liked making the code, finding other ways to get a solution, trying to find ways to write less.. even when most of my partners that also took the course found it irritating I really enjoyed it.

Anyway, I am an International Student and I wish to study in the United States. I believe I should major in Computer Science, so I have been researching for the best universities for it, adn the more adequate for me.

I finished school year in December 2010 (in Peru we finished it by that time), and in that month I also applyed to MIT and Princeton University. (You may think I aspired really high). Because I was taking the IB exams, and ending school year, I didn't ahve much time to prepare for the SAT (I prepared for less than a week). I got a 1860 score. I and I also couldn't take the SAT subject test that for these two universities were requirements. I wasn't accepted as you may predict, but, I still want to study outside Peru.

I am thinking on 4 Universities right now.

University of Stanford
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
University of Washington

You may think I am also aspiring very high this time (especially because of the first 2). I want to try it. This time I am going to take the subject SATs and I am going to prepare more time for it .
Sooo, do you have any recommendations of a good University that has a good Computer Science department? What do you think of the ones that I am thinking of?

Thank you for your respones.

[tsloper]

You are making the first big decision of your life. It's important that YOU make this decision. It's YOUR life, and you don't want to have to live it based on somebody else's orders or ideas.
I'm not going to suggest schools to you. Instead, I'm giving you links. Some of them are lists of schools. Some of them talk about how to make a decision between schools.

http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson25.htm
http://archive.gamedev.net/reference...ures/schools1/
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/schools/
http://archives.igda.org/breakingin/resources.htm
http://archive.gamedev.net/reference...egoryid=77#273
http://scientificninja.com/blog/on-game-schools
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/designprep.htm
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson34.htm
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson44.htm

[zeltraxnin]

Sorry for the dealy in my answer, I've been a bit busy.

Obviusly I know that this is only MY decision, and no one can take it from me. This is why I am pointing high in my expectations even when some people tell me that I should be more realistic. I could easily stay here in Peru, and study some kind of enginering (there is no university here taht offers a major in Computer Science), but I really want to study outside, that is why I've been trying to find a way to achieve this goal. Thanks for your links tsloper. I would prefer to study in a university, I was just hoping someone to give some advices or recommendations, even when the decision is only mine.

Thanks for your time.

[tsloper]

Originally Posted by zeltraxnin

Thanks for your links tsloper. I would prefer to study in a university, I was just hoping someone to give some advices or recommendations, even when the decision is only mine.

My advice: read those links. Then study in a university of your choosing.
My recommendation: read those links. Then study in a university of your choosing.
If you have a career guidance counselor there in your country (if you're still in high school), then he or she can give you more guidance.
But first you have to read those links.
Several of the links list universities.