<p>What are some good computer science / engineering schools?</p>
<p>Thing that I'm looking at are:
[ul][<em>]Good support facilities and professors.
[</em>]The school must provide housing for all undergraduated.
[<em>]Internet connection, preferrably medium to high speed.
[</em>]The school should preferrably consist of a competitive student body, and there should be no "slacking".
[<em>]That means that it's selectivity should not be higher than 40%.
[</em>]The school should offer a scholarship based on either merit or need.
[<em>]The school should contain one or more of the following sports: Tennis, Soccer, Track, Martial Arts
[</em>]The school must provide a solid compute science / engineering education.
[li]At the same time, workload should not be TOO high, it should be reasonably high, but preferrably without causing too much stress.[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Some of the schools I'm considering are:
[ul][<em>]Cornell U
[</em>]Elon U
[<em>]Harvard C
[</em>]Suny Binghamton
[<em>]Stanford U
[</em>]U Miami
[li]Rice U[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Could you please give me feedback on each of the above (and others that you know) in terms of my preferences?</p>
<p>All of those conditions do apply to MIT. The school has a reputation for being extremely stressful, but it's really only as stressful as you make it.</p>
<p>Sure, but you define what courses you take, how many you take at one time, and how stressed out you get. (Besides, the student community is an extraordinarily supportive environment, and there's always somebody around who's happy to help you with a troublesome problem set.) And I thought you wanted an environment with no slacking? :)</p>
<p>Personally, I'm a double-major who takes 6 classes a term (4 is "normal") and works in a lab 15 hours a week, but I'm also a 4-year member of a club sport and work for the Admissions Office.</p>
<p>Well, this term isn't typical -- I'm a second-semester senior, so I'm taking an absolute cakewalk of a courseload. :D Viva la senioritis.</p>
<p>Normally I'd have class from 10 or so to about 2, work in the lab for a few hours (I'm trying to get published again before I graduate), then go home and cook dinner with my boyfriend. I have cheerleading practice three times a week. When I don't have cheerleading, I'll sit down and read or do problem sets (in front of the TV... <3 Law and Order) for a few hours, interspersed with going out to the lounge on my floor and hanging out with my friends.</p>
<p>You might be interested in the Admissions</a> blogs -- there are several students (me included!) who write about our lives at MIT.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
At the same time, workload should not be TOO high, it should be reasonably high, but preferrably without causing too much stress.
[/QUOTE]
This alone sends warning signals...if you don't like stress and high workloads, don't go into computer science. Computer science is often one of the toughest majors to graduate from (I would know, I've got a Bachelor's and I'm completing a Master's in it), with one of the lowest average GPAs of all majors. I can tell you that you'll be working late into the night not only during the school year, but even after you've graduated and gotten a job (indeed, programming jobs will often require you to work LONGER hours than doing well at MIT would require). CS is a pressure cooker, and with the job market looking bleak for new graduates (w/o experience), competition for entry into the industry continues to be stiff. However, if you're studying CS at MIT and doing okay, you're probably one of the best programmers in the nation (not to mention the world), so I wouldn't worry about the job market or aptitude.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Cornell U
Elon U
Harvard C
Suny Binghamton
Stanford U
U Miami
Rice U
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Elon, Binghamton, and Miami are not known for their CS departments. Cornell and Rice have very good engineering programs, and I can tell you their CS departments are pressure cookers. Harvard's CS department is good, but not on the same level as Cornell and Rice. Many Ivy-league CS grads (except for Cornell) go on to do other things like Finance, I-banking, consulting, etc instead of purely programming/software engineering jobs.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
will often require you to work LONGER hours
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>I'm O.K. with long hours and stress is not a major consideration...
I am more concerned with the environment and the potential of getting a solid CS education at a particular colledge...
Note the keyword - "should". Does not mean "must". :)</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Harvard's CS department is good, but not on the same level as Cornell and Rice.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Meaning Harvard's CS department is better or worse than that of Cornell?</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
It's not as good, check out CMU though. It's very reputable for engineering and related things. CS happens to be one of those things.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Are you a CMU student? If yes, could you please describe your experiences?</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Take your pick.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Interesting statement. What am I supposed to base my pick on? I started this thread so that you guys can help select a college according to my preferences :)</p>
<p>Nope, I'm not a student at CMU though I have some friends in programs there. I also have a cousin doing CS or something along those lines at JHU and that program's awesome too. Call up schools and ask them to mail information to you, that's a great way to start about it. I just know that CMU is great with technology and they are known for helping their grads. They also send you a sheet asking for the finaid/scholarship offers that other schools send you so they can 'beat' them. One of my friends who wants to go there this year just got one of them.</p>
<p>California Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvey Mudd College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton University
Stanford University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor</p>