Cognitive Science/Math/CS?

Hi, I’m currently choosing between Cognitive science, Math and CS for college major. Since I want to research AI for grad school or even for PHD, I want a solid foundation for my academical background as well as some touch in the field as early as possible. I know by general opinion a CS major might well suit my interest, but in my mind things goes quite differently, that CS and math is only a "tool"to convert or implement findings in coginitive science(the psychological and philosophical part). Assuming I’ll do good in Math and CS in college, would it be better to join cognitive science with a minor in CS, or would it be better to earn a degree in math/CS then research cognitive science in grad school.
Also, can anyone suggest some great schools in the area of AI/ cognitive science with best value? I’m an international student so it is pretty possible I’m going to pay full tuition regardless of school I attend. However, getting a better education weight high above than cost in my mind so I’m only considering cost with same education level I’m getting(because that’s why I decided to come here). I thought about attending LACs but read several post about the danger of running out of classes. Is that really a potential danger, and could they provide better education regarding this inter- disciplinary subject?

ACT: 33; GPA: not sure, but still straight As on junior year; recommendation letter: moderately strong.

Some schools I thought about-
I guess Cornell could be a reach if I apply ED, but would it worth the cost?
Gatech have a branch in undergrad CS focusing AI, but would there be enough course regarding this cognitive science in term of psych and philosophy? Same apply to Carnegie Mellon as undergrad.
Vassar has the oldest cog sci major, but would it provide enough courses in the field?
Grinnell and Hamilton could potentially provide big financial aids, but is the course there as prestigious as big universities? What about research chances?
Would Berkeley& U Washington be the best suit for me since they are pretty good at both CS and Psych? But would I have to attend big lecture halls throughout my college life?

Thanks very much!

What level of math will you have completed prior to college, @Hirundo? Also, if you have the capacity to pay your college expenses, why would any of the need-based schools provide greater scholarship opportunities than others?

I’m currently doing multivarible calculus and I’m fairly comfortable with it. Also doing AP stats and Princeton’s Algorithm course on Coursera. I certainly does not have the capacity to pay expenses, so tuition is still an issue. What I meant is that if some program is much more awesome than others, then money probably worth it.

My son is at RPI, and is finding very good AI coursework and major or double major options in the intersection btw CS, math, and CogSci. They also are pretty good with merit aid, depending on your qualifications and passions. There are very good research opportunities for undergrads in these areas.

Unless you will be selecting your college primarily based upon the strength of one or two majors, some of your questions may be premature. Your actual course of study will be likely to be guided – at the college you attend – by professors from several of your fields of interest.

LACs may offer over 750 courses in total. In, say, math specifically, beginning with linear algebra, those with strong programs may offer ~18 courses from which you could choose. In both cases, these amounts would exceed the limits inherent to a four-year course of study.

LACs offer a purely undergraduate-focused environment. You might benefit from a personal assessment of how important this would be to you.

Though perhaps generally greater at LACs, this might vary depending on your particular interests.

Thanks for the info! But would bigger universities provide better research chances?

Also for CS major, I doubt there is enough courses offered by LAC regarding AI. I’ve checked course list of several of them, they tend to offer course with variety of directions but lack of graduate courses, whereas big universities like Georgia tech could offer several courses in AI for undergrad students. That’s the main reason I didnt prefer LACs previously.

@belmom RPI does not provide financial aid to international student(sad face). I’d probably go with some public schools…

Well, from a computer science perspective, how do you regard AI? Wouldn’t it, philosophical implications aside, be a specialized programming application using algorithms and data structures? These curricular components would certainly be available at LACs, though the AI designation may not be part of the course descriptions until the upper-level electives.

Regarding research at LACs, these opportunities tend to be integrated into the curriculum. For example, your thesis “course” would be largely a research project.

AI is much more about CS and math than cognitive science.

I was going to say RPI too, but yes, the full-pay cost is very high. Look at UC San Diego - they have the top CogSci program in the UC system, with lots of research both in both the computation and the design aspects. Of the Ivies, I think UPenn would be your best bet - their CogSci spans Arts&Sciences and Engineering, and has a dual degree option in Computer & Cognitive Science. Also look at Carnegie Mellon - as one of the top CS schools in the world, they offer a very computation-heavy CogSci program.