Oh my garsh overwhelmed with what to do for my kids for each of their degrees?- HELP

[sanantone]

I love alternative education, but if I were starting at a young age and wanted to be a programmer I would be looking at traditional routes. There is so much to being a good programmer that is missed being self taught. If TESC is definitely the choice for your son, he should seriously consider the BA in Computer Science and choose the electives based on a traditional Computer Science degree. There are plenty of general education testing options but very few testing options that will serve him well for the computer requirements. Engineering and Computer Science both require a rigorous academic approach. There are many programmers coming out of traditional education both domestic and overseas. He will be competing with these folks for jobs. Combine a homeschool background with a non-traditional college education and most employers won't be interested. For those who live within tight communities (like some of the Mennonite groups) this wouldn't be a problem, but outside of a tight community, he will likely struggle to find employment. Just so you know I am not speaking from a bias against home schooling, I was a home school parent.

The basic education in a computer science program can be important for higher level jobs, but a common criticism of computer science majors is that they don't know how to program. They might learn a couple of languages at a basic level. They will have to practice on their own to become fluent in them. Being able to learn new languages and new technology on your own is crucial to surviving in the IT field. A language that is hot now might not be hot in 5-10 years.