<p>Hey guys! This year I will be a senior so the college search is in full swing. I live in Wisconsin and have always pictured myself attending Madison. I have just recently decided that computer engineering/cs may fit me the best.</p>
<p>My question is: how does Madison stand in computer engineering (or EE) and computer science compared to other schools? Can it compete with Illinois and Michigan or is there a fairly large gap?</p>
<p>I have searched for info, but it seems there is very little recent stuff about the CompE department.</p>
<p>Thanks for all replies!</p>
<p>um all the rankings for that stuff is public but depends how much stock you put in those
you wont find any1 here tell you that those programs are bad at madison </p>
<p>im gonna be a freshmen this fall planning on computer science and math majors and i chose the school because not only were the programs good but the school offered the whole package i was looking for in a university </p>
<p>good luck with your search</p>
<p>As a state resident be sure to apply to UW. Consider the overall fit of schools you apply to, not just their rankings in a field of interest. Also consider that you may change your major- many enetering college students do. Do not obsess over rankings, as above data can be manipulated in so many ways. The “top” school may not be the right atmosphere for you, as Mike stated, consider the whole package. UW has excellent math and comp sci and engineering- must do well in combinations as well.</p>
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<p>UW compares very well with other CS and CE programs at any school. Any way you slice it, whether through rankings – where UW is ranked #11 by USNWR in CS, ahead of Michigan – or personal experience it’s excellent. I have many friends and acquaintances involved in CS/CE and from talking to them it’s very obvious that companies covet UW graduates.</p>
<p>The proof is in the recruiting. UW CS majors are getting great jobs and internships with great tech companies, and more and more great tech companies are establishing Madison offices to take advantage of the talent being produced at the UW.</p>
<p>That is really great to hear… I remember reading an article on here awhile back about the number of tech startups/companies in Madison.</p>
<p>Now I just have to start working on that application…</p>
<p>Bill likes it.</p>
<p>[Bill</a> Gates surprises students as “stand in” professor (Oct. 12, 2005)](<a href=“http://www.news.wisc.edu/11679]Bill”>Bill Gates surprises students as “stand in” professor)</p>
<p>2005 was 7 years ago. But the place is still great.</p>
<p>What’s your point? Microsoft still recruits UW. He only went to a very select list of schools on that trip.</p>
<p>Report current news, not old. The fact a visit was made long that ago doesn’t mean it is relevant today. Current sources to validate a point are needed.</p>
<p>@Roninator Ignoring the bickering about whether a Bill Gates visit is relevant or not, your original question is a good one. Several friends did extensive research in CS/CE and were considering Michigan, IL, and Wisc. </p>
<p>IMHO you won’t find unbiased opinions on the WISC thread. You won’t find unbiased on Michigan or IL either. I’m not sure that you can make a bad decision among the 3 of them. It’s probably more important that you visit, then if you are still interested in all 3, apply to all 3, talk to professors, current students etc. You’ll develop a preference. Each of the CC sites have their own Barrons, Wis75, parents with current students attending, and current students that will tell you how great “their” respective schools are - and they’re all right.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to consider finances, and ability to move in/out of majors because even though you think you know what you want, things can change. Also consider whether you’re a direct admit to a major, or if you have to apply after year 1 or 2. There may be differences between the schools.</p>
<p>Of my 3 friends, 2 chose IL and LOVE it. They have on campus research projects and summer internships. One chose WISC and absolutely loves it. Michigan got eliminated because of the total cost to attend.</p>
<p>Pace yourself, you just need to figure out what schools you want to apply to in the fall. You need to decide where you’ll go by late spring after additional visits, after getting your admissions decisions, and after learning about any financial assistance/and or scholarships.</p>
<p>I appreciate the reply madisonman! I have spent plenty of time in the Madison and LOVE it, but I suppose I also want to explore my other college options.</p>
<p>Madison would allow me to decide my engineering focus sophomore year, which I think is great. I have discussed the financial aspects of college with my parents and they have made it clear that other factors of choosing a college should come first, but in-state definitely would not be a bad thing.</p>
<p>Northwestern has also peeked my interest because it is a private school, but offers many of the experiences of a public school like Madison. Would there be any real advantages of public vs. private in this instance?</p>
<p>Hopefully I am not getting too off track…</p>
<p>Overall, Northwestern is a terrific school. I dont know anything about CS/CE programs at NU. Im probably not qualified to answer your question about Private vs. Public. The first thing that popped into my mind was at Private schools theres probably less whining and constipation caused by state funding. (not just a Wisconsin thing.)<br>
The Northwestern campus is beautiful. Northwestern is a traditional campus in many ways. NU has a city location, but secluded by Chicago area standards. Check it out if you can. The surrounding area didnt feel like a college town or atmosphere, but that might be me
not to mention that not everyone wants a college town atmosphere.
My only direct experience with private schools is that the financial aid / scholarship money flows at a greater rate than at most public schools. You can look at the stats, but for several schools the very expensive tuition ($35-$55k) gets watered down quickly by grants, aid, merit awards, etc. to make the tuition something closer to out-of-state rates at public schools. Thats my experience in looking at schools like Marquette, Northwestern, Miami of Ohio, and Notre Dame. Yes, Im generalizing to make the point; your gas mileage may vary.
I know you said your parents told you not to focus on the $. Thats fantastic. Many people dont have that luxury. Its important to think ahead. Many parents think its all good because theyve adequately planned for 4 years of college. Then, you change majors adding a 5th year, or decide that grad school is important, and suddenly the air cover from your parents is gone. So yeah, its not about money
.but it could become about money down the road.
It was also clear to me that the private schools used alumni to a greater extent in marketing and selling their school to interested applicants. I didnt come across that as much from public schools. Please dont misunderstand, every alum from all the schools that I was interested in were extremely proud of their school (as evidenced by CC), but private schools used alums as marketing agents. I asked Notre Dame Alum if she received a commission if I went to school in South Bend!
If you determine there are two schools you love, plan to do your undergrad at one and your grad work at the other.
Pace yourself, stay focused, but have some fun this fall. If I could re-live the last 18 months, I would take more deep breaths. Hyperventilating is over-rated.</p>
<p>You definitely need to check out the “feel” and “fit” of campuses. The academics can be great in many places but you are more than your brain. You need to feel comfortable with the tone of a campus. This involves the physical spaces, weather, geography, layout, buildings and other physical features. It also involves the people. Conservative/liberal, large/small, social customs and so forth. Your social life and general happiness will be better if you find peer groups that match you in some way. </p>
<p>You need to find a school you like overall in case you change your major. The reasons many of us love our public U is because we’re from the state and are comfortable with many little things that add up. Likewise people at private colleges like something there that wasn’t found at other schools nearby. Only you know what best fits you. That said, be brave enough to go outside your comfort zone- you don’t know what you’re missing. </p>
<p>btw- many of us did not have choices, especially where finances were concerned. It is so nice the next generation can benefit from our good educations, no matter where obtained.</p>