<p>Hello, I'm a high school senior wanting to major in computer science and engineering. This past year I applied to a few colleges, and now it's come down to three:</p>
<p>-University of Notre Dame (accepted)
-University of Michigan (waitlisted)
-Michigan State (Honors) (accepted)</p>
<p>I know I have to make a choice between MSU and Notre Dame quick in order to ensure I go to college, but I'm having a hard time of it. The financial aid packages from them make the cost about the same, so mainly it's who has a better engineering program. However, I don't really know who does. </p>
<p>I've scoured many "Best of" lists, many of which have Michigan ranked the highest, some of which have the others higher.</p>
<p>Bottom line, I'm in a predicament. Can anyone help me out?</p>
<p>Anyone have some advice?</p>
<p>I’ll give it one last try…</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about any of those schools, but I majored in CS way back when the earth was cooling, and my son is planning to major in CS (neither of us hardware, both software). I would say that there is SO MUCH to know in CS that any school that has a major and 25 or more classes to choose from will have at least a decent program. I would recommend taking lots of math, preferably getting a minor in it. </p>
<p>That being said, Notre Dame is accredited by ABET in both CS (software) and CE (hardware), and Mich State is accredited in CE (hardware). [Accredited</a> Programs Search](<a href=“http://www.abet.org/AccredProgramSearch/AccreditationSearch.aspx]Accredited”>http://www.abet.org/AccredProgramSearch/AccreditationSearch.aspx) So if you are more interested in software, you may want to choose Notre Dame. My son was accepted to only one school that was accredited in CS, and he didn’t choose that school, so you can see what importance I assign to it. 
But it may become more important. It is already critical for “normal” engineering programs to be accredited. Go to the link and look at EE programs as well. (And check and make sure I didn’t write anything down wrong, too! )</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I don’t think you need to be so impatient as to bump the thread every hour or two.</p>
<p>Sorry, I’m just freaking out a little. I thought it would become buried after the first page, like so many other forums out there. It won’t happen again. :o</p>
<p>Thanks for the accreditation website. I didn’t know Michigan State wasn’t accredited in CS, which I’m kind of embarrassed to say.</p>
<p>I don’t think accreditation in CS is a big deal. Nobody’s ever asked ME about accreditation, but that could be because there wasn’t any way back when. There’s no professional test for CS like there is for engineering. Certainly software is still more loosey-goosey than engineering (even though my title is “Senior Software Engineer”).</p>
<p>And you’re right that things disappear quickly!</p>