So, I’m a rising junior and live in SC. All my life, I’ve considered applying to the best schools in the country (and always thought of myself as a strong candidate). In particular, I’ve always been interested in majoring in math. Lately however, I’ve seen some of the smartest people I know get rejected by the colleges I’ve considered to be “target schools”. So, I’ve been considering some in state options. Does anyone know how many opportunities a school like Clemson can provide in math and comp sci. I’ve always been interesting in working for companies in Silicon Valley and was wondering how well Clemson places into similar career opportunities. My parents have been bugging me about moving to Atlanta (since my dad works there) so I could get an easy ride to Georgia tech, but I don’t really want to move. Any thoughts?
Below is a list of top schools Silicon Valley hires from. Two are nearby, GaT (6) and NCSU (13). Since Clemson is very similar in most rankings, especially to NCSU, I’m sure they would be a good choice.
Fortunately, computer science nowadays does not require a degree at a top-tier, ivy league to get hired at the likes of Google, Facebook, etc. It’s about what you know, not what school you went to. Sure, a lot of times the students who attend the UCB’s and MIT’s are more likely to learn a lot of valuable skills, attending a different school doesn’t mean you won’t.
Additionally, you have lived in SC your whole life, and are discounting Clemson’s program, however, you know nothing about it. One of the nation’s largest data centers is used by Clemson’s computer science department, and are on track to become in the top 2/3 data centers in the country.
I completely understand your desire to want to attend a “target school” of Silicon Valley. I graduated from Clemson in Mechanical Engineering, and have a job at Google doing a computer science role. Again, it’s about who you are, what you know, and what you’re capable of doing – not purely what school you are at.
As a warning, your pride is going to come back to bite you. Though you don’t outright say it, it is pretty evident based on your writing style that you are pretty arrogant. Smart, for sure, but arrogant. And there’s a reason why some applicants who score lower academically get accepted to colleges ahead of applicants who receive perfect scores. It’s the same reason these Silicon Valley companies don’t require college degrees. You can be the smartest person in the world, and still be incredibly rude. People don’t want to work with rude people.
Take the time to research Clemson. Take the time to research other similar schools: Auburn, NC State, etc. if you’re worried about getting accepted. Learn what gets you hired. Most of my friends had their choice of jobs to pick from, all with large, well-known companies, when they graduated. Clemson is a top school, and only getting better, and more recognized.
Consider how others might receive what you’re typing. Keep doing your research, develop your humility, and I’m sure you’re going to get in to several, fantastic schools.
In selecting colleges to research further, look into a Princeton Review sampling, “Great Schools for Mathematics Majors.” You will note extremely selective suggestions such as Harvey Mudd, MIT, UChicago and Caltech, but also a few less selective options such as Reed and St. Olaf. For schools slightly to somewhat less selective than, say, Harvard (also suggested) look into other included recommendations such as Pomona, Haverford, Amherst, Brown, Hamilton, Williams, Bowdoin and Carleton.
@sigman1 I was you two years ago. Guess what happened to me? I took a long look in the mirror, thought about what I wanted out of college, and called my Comp Sci teacher. He put in me in touch with the Comp Sci department at Clemson, and I had the opportunity to learn from both students, professors, and admissions officers about all Clemson could offer me as a student. I’m now thrilled to be committed to the school and in their Honors College. Their career services are among the best in the nation, and it’s a truly wonderful place.
The issue you’re going to have to deal with isn’t if Clemson(or anywhere else) is a good school or not. There’s a pride issue here. By the time I applied to schools, I had sat down with a friend who had applied to Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Princeton(and been rejected from all of them) and had a serious attitude check. Those people don’t want people who want to study there because of their names. They want people who are wholly, totally, overwhelmingly in pursuit of knowledge, and who want to use that knowledge to advance the world. If that’s not what you want, I’d encourage you to just not apply altogether and save yourself the application fees. Go get a nice dinner instead.
If it is what you want, then maybe begin to consider that there are options out there other than the Ivy Leagues who can offer you similar opportunities. As someone else pointed out, Clemson is a wonderful school with an amazing Computer Science department. 52% of the companies(Boeing, BMW, Google, Amazon, etc.) who attend the career fairs at Clemson are looking for people interested in Comp Sci careers. I myself know someone who worked full-time at BMW his entire time at Clemson, graduated, and in the first year after his graduation, made 6 figures. He paid much less for his education than he would have at an Ivy, and was much closer to his family. I hope that this gives you some food for thought.