<p>I just recently got into both the BCSA program at Carnegie Mellon and the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU. I plan to do a combination of computer science classes, animation classes, graphics design classes, and video editing classes-- I want to eventually work in the entertainment industry either with game design, animation, or post production.<br>
I love the Carnegie Mellon Program, but I am afraid of the difficulty of being in the program. I know the computer science classes are top notch, but I don't know how they are like in the program. </p>
<p>NYU on the other hand, seems to have more opportunity for internships and connections for the business because of NYC. I know the program isn't as prestigious as Carnegie Mellon's but I don't know which would be better in the future.</p>
<p>What are the differences in the programs and what do you think?</p>
<p>I was accepted to both CMU and NYU Gallatin and also debated this. However, my struggle was between Mathematics, Philosophy, and CS @ CMU & the option of an individualized study in the same thing at NYU.</p>
<p>People in BCSA take the same computer science classes that normal computer science majors. In addition, you also take the same graphics and design classes that the people in the College of Fine Arts take. The difficulty of the program is defined by the classes you take, which would be of SCS and CFA difficulty. Overall if you love it, then the difficulty won’t matter because you’ll enjoy creating these things.</p>
<p>In terms of job opportunities, I believe Carnegie Mellon has more to offer. Companies like Pixar, Disney, EA, often come here to recruit. CMU hosts the ETC – Entertainment Technology Center which has a long relationship with EA. CMU even has its own building for Disney.</p>
<p>In spite of NYC’s fantastic location, I would still argue that CMU offers better because recruiters would come to CMU as well and you would have the Carnegie Mellon name on your resume rather than Gallatin, which recruiters may not hold in as high esteem.</p>
<p>In other words, the Pittsburgh location won’t matter if the employers come to you anyway :)</p>
<p>The CMU BCSA program is more closely focused on new research at the intersections of art, technology and culture; it has a strong CS emphasis, and allows for investigations in robotics, computer vision, game design, etc. If you just want to work in “the industry” (animating and video editing), you don’t need a BCSA.</p>
<p>yo anand, to get into BCSA you need to apply to SCS and school of art. school of art puts a lot of emphasis on your actual portfolio rather than your grades/test scores–i think any of the ap arts would be conducive to creating a great art portfolio! as for SCS, doing well in the highest math available to you + taking strong science classes should help. if you don’t get into BCSA on your first try and are only accepted to either CFA or SCS, you can always do an internal transfer once you’re at CMU (though you’ll need to fulfill the other school’s admission requirements!) :)</p>