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<p>Ummm…</p>
<p>I am in the DC area. There are folks in INTEL/defense sector with clearances that are making MUCH more than folks at Facebook, Google and Apple.</p>
<p>Independent contractors billing the government ungodly amounts per hour.</p>
<p>Please research…graduate…work in the industry…THEN comment.</p>
<p>Like others have said, the cost for an out of state student is similar to the privates. Thus, you have not justified why you are excluding the privates.</p>
<p>BTW: If you can afford $60k/yr, why can’t you afford a College Admissions Coach to sort this all out for you?</p>
<p>Also, if you can afford $60k/yr, then you should have enough money to apply to all the schools, and see which ones you get into.</p>
<p><a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/computer-science-rankings[/url]”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/computer-science-rankings</a></p>
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<p>That’s complete nonsense. Each of the above companies have produced hundreds of millionaires (not counting some billionaires) out of their engineering ranks. That is not going to happen working as a sub to the government on an houry rate. </p>
<p>The really hot opportunities in CS, such as joining hot startups, being hired into top design teams at fast growing companies or getting offers as quants in IB, are only available to grads of top CS schools. Prime design positions are highly competitive. </p>
<p>If you want to be a worker-bee in some cubicle doing Java coding, work that will eventually be outsourced to India, then yes, where you go to school does not matter.</p>
<p>“why are u concerned with whether i can pay the tuition fees or not.” - Because many families are clueless to the fact that the top schools are $60K/yr.</p>
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<p>As with other things, it depends. There are people who have worked for many years at Apple and Microsoft, for example, who were both top CS students and key contributors to open-source projects. Then there are those who were one or the other. Prime design positions are indeed competitive, as you say, and companies like Apple, Microsoft, etc. can recruit top students from the top schools. But there are exceptions.</p>
<p>Knowing something about the culture of the company you want to work for, while not guaranteed, can help. Similarly, getting involved in an open-source project (that the company you’re interested can leverage) can also help. IMO, the most important thing is to be prepared to put in as much effort into getting a position at a competitive company as anyone else.</p>
<p>Most hiring in the computer industry is of experienced persons. In this case, the name of your school is much less important that your experience and what you can do in the technical interviews. It is not like NYC finance or big law type of jobs where your alma mater determines your opportunities many years and jobs after graduation.</p>
<p>(Though comments around these forums do give the impression that the NYC area is generally more school-prestige-conscious than Silicon Valley is.)</p>
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<p>Yeah, I do (currently a senior). Do you want to know anything specific?</p>
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<p>People in the intel/defense sector are making six figures right out of college? (Honestly curious.)</p>
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<p>I don’t care how much money you can make with your security clearance, the vast majority of computer scientists are not going to take that route. If you ask most students entering CS programs what their dream job is, they will name the big companies. Attending a top university is a good way to bring you towards that goal. </p>
<p>whether or not those big names is really what they want, or what will make them happy in the long run, is another story.</p>
<p>To be fair, attending a quality program does make a difference. Before transferring to Stony Brook, I attended an ordinary 4 year college that offered a B.S in C.S. The class titles are the same, the syllabus looks the same, but how deep the professor goes is what makes the difference. For example, aside from basic programming assignments, we had no real massive projects. in Stony Brook however, the game changes. It’s a state school with tuition being about ~3200 per semester, yet the program quality is in my opinion unparalleled. To an extent where Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and these top companies visit regularly. In fact, Microsoft will be here next week. </p>
<p>To those who might disagree, visit [CSE</a> 219 Home Page](<a href=“http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~cse219]CSE”>http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~cse219)</p>
<p>Look at the project, and realize that for an INTRODUCTORY level class(200 level) that’s the project presently given. </p>
<p>For those who have taken Software Engineering,
visit
[CSE/ISE</a> 308 Section 01 Home Page](<a href=“http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~cse308]CSE/ISE”>http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~cse308)</p>
<p>Employers value these kind of projects. My friends at other schools, including one at Columbia, is shocked at the massive projects we have to do. Course-selection is very important, how many schools can you name that offers [CSE</a> 381 Home Page](<a href=“http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~cse381]CSE”>http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~cse381)</p>
<p>Program quality matters.</p>
<p>cellardweller “That’s complete nonsense. Each of the above companies have produced hundreds of millionaires (not counting some billionaires) out of their engineering ranks. That is not going to happen working as a sub to the government on an houry rate.”</p>
<p>Working as a subcontractor for a government services provider can very well make you a millionaire. You may not be fully aware of these opportunities. And, if you have the moxy to start up your own government contracting company the potential gains are even greater. </p>
<p>cellardweller “The really hot opportunities in CS, such as joining hot startups, being hired into top design teams at fast growing companies or getting offers as quants in IB, are only available to grads of top CS schools. Prime design positions are highly competitive.”</p>
<p>I think you should drop the qualifer “only”. Top graduates from state universities are hired by the sexy West Coast software companies. </p>
<p>cellardweller “If you want to be a worker-bee in some cubicle doing Java coding, work that will eventually be outsourced to India, then yes, where you go to school does not matter.”</p>
<p>You are overstating the case. Work that can be outsourced has already been outsourced. There will always be low level work that must be performed locally but that low level work isn’t the fate of everyone who doesn’t go to a top 5 CS program.</p>
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<p>You speak as if this happens for a vast majority of grads at top schools. Quants job for IB have about 1,000 jobs per 10,000 applicants. We won’t go into how many actually get the big accounts. True, they are only open to those from top schools but let us not forget the actual PROBABILITY of that happening, even with a degree from a top school and a 3.99999 GPA.</p>
<p>Defense-sector startups happen all the time. They make their connections within NSA/FBI/CIA and branch off and create startups. If successful, they sell them years later for millions. Nothing different.</p>
<p>INTEL jobs do not get outsourced. It’s pretty much guaranteed employment as long as the USA decides to continue being the “world policeman” and our foreign policies are the same…and if don’t mess up and jepordize your clearance.</p>
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<p>I don’t know about that. Top-secret clearances with polygraphs nets you an additional $30,000 to $50,000 for the same job done in the private sector. If the average fresh CS grad is getting above $50,000/year and NSA/FBI/CIA gives them the max $50,000 for the clearance, I guess it might be possible.</p>
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<p>I guess there are 2 ways to look at this. One can look at the “aesthetics” of the name of the employer (which I probably did when I was younger and working not many years in the industry) and one can look at employers in an “at the end of the day” manner. ACME mortgage company does not care if a software engineer works for Google or Facebook. ACME mortgage company care HOW MUCH that software engineer makes period (and their FICO score). AMEX does not care if a software engineer works for Google or Facebook. AMEX mortgage company care HOW MUCH that software engineer makes period. For the merchant who is swiping 2 separate AMEX cards, that merchant does not care who works for Apple or Facebook, that merchant cares that credit authorization is approved.</p>
<p>I do understand the feeling of being somewhere where there is high selectivity and knowing that you passed through the competition. At the same time, I also understand the “bottom line” on things.</p>
<p>QCstudent "Program quality matters. "</p>
<p>Stony Brook has a quality program and brand name tech companies heavily recruit at your school. But you get that quality and recruiting at a university that isn’t commonly considered one of the very top CS programs. So, I’d agree with you that quality matters but I’d add that the OP doesn’t have to obsess over how high his particular university is ranked. As an international student he does have to be concerned whether there is any brand recognition of the school in his home country.</p>
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<p>The big companies likely have wider college recruiting than small companies, because they can afford it, and they need larger numbers of hires. And so many people know about the big companies that anyone can apply to GAFM on their web sites even if they attend a non-recruited school.</p>
<p>It is at the smaller companies where your school may matter more – being at either a local school or a well known school on their short traveling recruitment list can help, because you would not otherwise have known to apply there.</p>
<p>Going strictly on what I’ve heard…</p>
<p>Carnegie Melon & Berkeley.</p>
<p>if your grades cut it, look into stanford, a large tech. giant, who has a reputable comp sci major.</p>
<p>Guys I am sorry If i offended u. But i got annoyed by every1 saying the same thing “can u afford it”. Btw yes I can my dad’s monthly income is much more than the yearly cost of living and tuition fees of MIT. However, I myself don’t want to go to a very expensive uni like MIT, Stanford plus I want to go to a uni whose acceptance rate is 30% above UCB is exception though.</p>
<p>Hey dude listen. Firstly privates have a low acceptance rate and I don’t wanna go to a uni with such a low acceptance rate. Secondly, My dad is uneducated his parents died when he was 5 and he had to leave school after 12th grade. Since then he worked very hard and is now a above average earner business man but he still values money a lot and never spends a lot of money for anything. 30-40$ tuition fees is resonable for my dad, the cost of living is not a problem! Thats y i want to go to public universities which are top ranked for CS and have a good reputation in market</p>
<p>someone said that you are from the UK, if that’s the case why not try applying to cambridge,oxford or imperial? they are top universties and I believe thay have great CS programs as well and will probably cost you less than attending a US university</p>
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<p>As an out of state student, all universities to you (including public) will be as expensive as MIT and Stanford. Once you accept that, then the discussion can advance.</p>
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<p>Fair enough. Then decide what you want: Easy admissions or “I want to go to a uni which has excellent education standards, good job prospects esp for comp sci”</p>
<p>The better schools will be tougher to get into, in general have higher education standards, and better job prospects. That is why kids are advised to apply to reach, mid-range, and safety schools. If all you want are safety schools, then that is your choice. They are safety schools for a reason.</p>
<p>Tell us what you really want, then then we can help you. Otherwise, don’t give us all this BS. My guess is that your parents are pushing you, and you have to select a school that is acceptable to them (well ranked, good job prospects), and you want a school where you can coast and have some fun (the large public universities).</p>
<p>No I am not from UK. I am Indonesian, i dont wanna go to UK as my whole family lives there i dnt want to b family-bounded.</p>