<p>I'm going to be a freshmen this year at U. Washington, which obviously doesn't have the reputation nor academic quality as any of the schools listed below, but considering my 2.8 GPA in high school I'm very lucky. In any case, after I get my bachelor's degree from Washington, I want to go on to get either a MBA or a Master's in Computer Science, or possibly both. </p>
<p>Reputation, academic quality, intellectual atmosphere, urban location, entrepreunial spirit are all important to me. Which of the schools listed below are the best for computer science in ascending order? for Business? Essentially I want to start my own software development company and hope that a graduate degree will give me the skills/knowledge to do so.</p>
<p>And a few last miscellaneous questions: is it common for graduate students to drop out? what are my chances of getting into any of these schools with a 3.5+ GPA in college, with internship/job experience during the summers and a privately owned company under my belt?</p>
<p>(Listed below by order of preference)
Stanford University (best cs program, dunno about business)
Columbia University: Columbia College (best business program, ok cs program)
Harvard University (best business program, ok cs program)
Princeton University (dunno about either programs)
Yale University (dunno about either programs)
Brown University (ok cs program, no business program?)
University of Southern California (one of the best cs and business program)
University of California: Los Angeles (good cs program, dunno about business)
University of California: Berkeley (best cs program, dunno about business)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (no business program?)
California Institute of Technology (no business program?, not even ranked?)</p>
<p>Very common for PhD students to drop out. Less common for master's students--it's a short program. But the value of an MS in CS is, as I understand it, dubious. Plus master's students often get stiffed on funding.</p>
<p>Here at Harvard, it seems like everyone in the CS department and their dog has, or is starting, a company. An MBA or a master's might help, but you could also use that cash for seed money...you certainly don't <em>need</em> a graduate (or even an undergraduate) degree to start a business.</p>
<p>Before starting in a MBA program, you should have several years of practical experience. So, to plan well, you will want to know which companies recruit at your college, what they look for in their entry-level candidates, and the training and hands-on job opportunities they provide to their trainees. Aim for internships with these companies. </p>
<p>In order to be accepted at schools of the caliber you mention you will need to have an excellent gpa, good internships, great work experience, and involvement with ec's (deep involvement and/or leadership as opposed to just a list of organizations you have joined).</p>
<p>If this is your goal, it's a great idea that you are planning now.</p>
<p>
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But the value of an MS in CS is, as I understand it, dubious
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually I disagree. An CS MS is probably one of the most useful of all of the master's degrees to have. It is certainly more useful than getting a master's in a natural science, social science, or humanities, as these master's degrees have little value. </p>
<p>Check out the salary figures and you will note that a MS CS translates into a substantial salary boost. </p>
<p>
[quote]
I want to go on to get either a MBA or a Master's in Computer Science, or possibly both
[/quote]
</p>
<p>One could enter the MIT LFM program, which would give you both an MBA from the MIT Sloan School and an MS from any engineering program of your choice at MIT, incuding EECS, as long as you complete the requirements, all in 2 years.</p>
<p>However, it should be said that LFM is really designed for people who are interested in operations management. If that has no interest for you, then LFM will probably be a poor fit and you should look elsewhere.</p>
<p>Well, if you're getting the degree to start your own company, the salary figures don't matter nearly as much. You also have to consider the fact that the time and money you spent earning the master's was time you could have spent working and getting paid. You shouldn't compare salary levels at the same amount of experience with a master's or without--you need to compare salary without a master's at year x versus salary with a master's at (year x minus number of years required to get a masters). I haven't been able to find any stats that take this into account, or take into account the selectivity effects of a master's degree--folks who get into a master's program have to have gotten decent grades in that field as an undergrad, and good grades would make them more attractive to employers even with just a BA.</p>