Hello, I plan to major in computer science and go onto further education. I was wondering if it would be better to go to CSULB for my BS and then apply for MS at the top UCs (cal, ucla, usc) or go to community college for 2 years and transfer into one of those top UCs then apply for my masters at a top school such as an Ivy League or top UCs etc. Im still in high school and was planning on going to CSULB for undergrad then hopefully get into a top UC for graduate studies but one of my friends said there’s no chance of getting into a masters program for comp sci if your coming from a CSU, I don’t think it’s true but I’m kind of rethinking my life plan so just wondering if I would have a better chance of getting into a top comp sci masters program if I went the community college transfer route for undergrad or went to a CSU undergrad (and also if anyone has tips for getting into a top comp sci masters program for whichever route is recommended to take that would be greatly appreciated)
Why specifically do you want to go for an MA/MS degree in CS after finishing a BA/BS, as opposed to entering the workforce with a BA/BS or going on to PhD study in order to go into a more research-oriented career? (Yes, there may be tactical considerations for getting an MA/MS once you get to that stage, but that is years in the future for you. Such tactical considerations could include concurrent or coterminal MA/MS with your BA/BS that some colleges offer, or trying to delay entering the workforce to avoid an industry downturn, or entering a PhD program but deciding not to go the whole way.)
In terms of undergraduate preparation for research-oriented graduate degrees, UCs are more research oriented, but also have more undergraduates seeking research opportunities (and those who started as frosh may be able to get started on them earlier).
Your friend couldn’t be more wrong. Otherwise, I agree 100% with @ucbalumnus, why not just enter the workforce with a BS/BA?
I feel like if I get higher education especially at a top school then I’ll have better job opportunities, that I don’t think I would have if I just go to CSULB or CC transfer route. A lot of my family went to CSULB and people I know and I think it’s an amazing school but it seems like most people I know who went there end up in Long Beach there whole lives, so I feel like if I go onto a MS program somewhere else than I will have a better chance of working at a good tech company someday since it seems CSULB mainly gets job recruiters from the area unlike top schools who get top companies to come from all over. I would honestly love to just get my BS at a top UC or school without cc transfer route but realistically I can’t because my past grades are really bad (average Cs and Bs, and an F in math 1 semester that wasn’t my freshmen year) And I honestly don’t even know if I could get into CSULB but I have hope because Long Beach residents have a better chance. And I would rather go to CSULB than cc transfer route for undergrad (because I would be able to live at home and I feel like it would be weird changing schools after 2 years and arriving late to a UC) So ultimately I want to get my masters at a top school for better job opportunities.
I’m a retired software developer with an undergrad degree in CS and a master’s in Industrial Engineering.
It’s too early for you to stress about graduate school. You don’t really need a graduate degree to get a job, and unless you focus on something in grad school that’s especially in demand by employers, employers will value your work experience as much as, or more, than graduate school.
If your grades are as bad as you say they are, CS may not be the field for you, although having said that, I was a terrible student in high school and my first couple years of college. Going into the military for four years between my sophomore and junior year gave me time to become mature enough to become more serious about school. (Not that I’m telling you to go into the military.)
- the “top schools” for CS are not Ivies even if their names impress the HS crowd
- the way to get a job at “a good tech company” is not to wait for them to show up on campus recruiting, it is to do well in your classes and to ladder up internships. Your first one after frosh year, anywhere that will take you. After soph year with one under your belt you’re a strong candidate for a better one, and after junior year you won’t have a problem landing one at “good tech company” which will turn into a job offer after you graduate.
- I agree with @simba9 about your grades and CS. If you’re getting B’s and C’s now and failed a math class, how does this turn around in the tough set of courses for a CS major? If it’s because you plan on turning over a new leaf and becoming a top student, why not see if you can do it this spring semester in HS instead of kicking it down the road a year.
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