Brown vs. GT vs. NCSU for CS/ECE

I was recently accepted into Brown, GT and NCSU for CS.

Over the last couple months though, I realized I want to work in Software but I have a big hobby in electronics and engineering in general (making devices, 3D printing, etc). Which is why I am also inclined to take electronics classes / major in ECE but I mostly just want to do it as a hobby (not go too deep into it)

I mostly have these three choices and each have pros and cons:

GT:

Cost: $45,000/year - $180,000 for 4 years

Pro:

  • Highest ranked out of the 3
  • Easier recruitment because of rank
  • Most likely best facilities such as makerspaces

Cons:

  • Most expensive one of the 3
  • Very tech/engineering focused - I like that myself bc I’m all about engineering but I dont know maybe diversity is good
  • Less balance between academics and social life
  • Most intense of the 3 it seems

NCSU:

Cost: $28,000/year - $112,000 for 4 years

Pros:

  • Cheapest of the 3
  • In state, and in my city? I guess that’s a pro
  • I know the facilities are pretty good, new, alright makerspace
  • Sophomore by credits
  • Alright location, growing

Cons:

  • Lowest rated of the 3
  • Many people from my school go there? Not a big deal though
  • Alright connections, but not of the same caliber

Brown:

Cost: Weird situation but $145,000-154,000 for 4 years

Pros:

  • Ivy League Name
  • Potential Connections / Recruitment
  • Apparently easy to maintain GPA (Dont even give official GPA)
  • Open curriculum - gives me ability to do the electronics that I want
  • Focus on undergrad - seems to have pretty good CS

Cons:

  • I am not too sure about the facilities in the Engineering department - if anyone has any experience with the facilities (makerspaces, etc.) please comment on them are they good/accessible? Would I be able to make robots in my own time at Brown or do they not provide facilities for that?
  • Not too sure about the social scene - the most liberal Ivy, but I’ll check it out when I visit the university. If there is anyone at Brown and could comment on the social scene - drugs & absence of moderates when it comes to politics, are the stereotypes true?
  • Not ranked as high for Engineering as GT
  • Cost is higher than NCSU but lower than GT

For the cost, a good amount will be paid by parents, but some will be in loans - just looking at the ROI at this point.

How many AP/DE credits would you have at GT? You might be able to knock a year off. You probably could make enough to pay for a semester with internships or co-op.

Your assessment of GT pros/cons is fair.

I’m a fan of NC State but GT or Brown seems like the obvious choices.

For NCSU, if you are an Engineering First Year student, check into how competitive secondary admission to CS is.

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For CS you should strongly prefer Brown. Not sure about what you could do about electronics at Brown. You can certainly do this outside of classroom probably.

Please take a look at this: Reddit - Dive into anything

The raw data for this is available at

You need to dig through

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I’m not going to dispute that Ga Tech or Brown aren’t the better names - but I disagree with this.

Put another way, my kid is at an unranked, un any thing school - and had more interviews than he could handle and many offers and at higher $$ than highly ranked schools showed last year. He also interned and lived with two Ga Tech kids - he went back to his company a second summer - they weren’t invited back.

Ga Tech and Brown are iconic names - and I’d head to one - unless they would required significant loans - but you’ll do well career wise from all three. In the end, it’s about the kid and their hustle.

Best of luck.

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Thank you for the reply!

Looking at the replies definitely considering just Brown and GT now, I probably have enough AP credits to knock a year off of GT, but kind of want to be there the full 4 years, no idea though, will definitely look into that over the next month.

Thank you again!

You need to see the sequence of courses. My son started a soph credit wise. but for engineering it stil required 4 years. He had a friend who did 3.5.

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Oh of course, in no way am I saying that the “better” names will give you a higher salary or offers, based on what I read, the only thing the name will get you is the benefit of the doubt sometimes. Other than that, you are on your own and you will have to work to get the job.

Happy for your kid, and thank you for the reply!

You can stay a full four years, but if your AP credit fulfills some required courses, you would gain more free electives during your full four years. These can let you take additional courses in another area of interest outside of your major and/or additional advanced level courses in your major.

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It’s also allowed my son to have some flexibility with internships, co-ops and being a TA. He’s in engineering.

One of his HS friends will also graduate CS in 3 years and get his master’s in 4 years.

Although if free electives are important, you can’t beat Brown’s Open Curriculum!

How much can your parents pay “out of pocket” (from income and savings)?

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