<p>Before even applying to Brown for CS, I was totally unaware of how great the CS Department was reputation-wise and I didn’t even truly find out until after I got accepted. Now then my question is HOW and WHY is Brown, as a school that is more known and respected for being liberal arts-y, and its CS department so good/well-reputed? What specifically about its department has earned Brown its reputation for producing great CS students? How does it stand in comparison to other, more ‘technical’ schools (e.g. MIT)? What kinds of jobs/opportunities do most CS grads from the program end up taking afterwards (and, as an extension to this question - how many undergrads normally opt for the 5-year program)?</p>
<p>On a more personal note, it would appear as if my family, being middle class (and I’ve come to realize how the middle class tends to suffer more financially at Brown), will have to fork upwards of the full tuition amount for all four years on behalf of my education: So, is the Brown CS education pathway worth truly it (in terms of career prospects afterwards)?</p>
<p>I realize this is a lot of questions all wrapped up into a single post, but it’s just something that’s been bothering me to death lately. I was personally quite surprised to find out how strong the CS department at Brown is, and just haven’t really been able to piece together where it all came from/why it is the way it is.</p>
<p>Any answers to my myriad of questions would be highly appreciated.</p>
<p>pretty sure every single question of yours has been answered on this forum. Please use the search function.</p>
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<p>Brown was one of the earliest schools to create a CS department, largely thanks to the efforts of Andy van Dam. Van Dam is also credited as co-creater of the concept of hypertext, the basis of today’s world wide web.</p>
<p>Middle class in the US means an income in the $50,000 - $70,000 range. Students from families with that income level and typical assets typically receive financial aid from Brown, and usually very generous financial aid. I suspect that your family is not middle class, but upper middle class, perhaps even affluent. </p>
<p>Only you and your family can truly answer the question of whether a Brown education is worth it. What is your family giving up to send you here? Are they raiding their retirements funds (not a good idea)? Are you taking out huge loans? What were your other choices?</p>
<p>I feel pretty secure in saying that if you graduate from Brown with a CS degree, you’ll be earning significantly more than “middle class.”</p>
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<li>Ok, I concede on this point.</li>
<li>Huh. I’ll look more into that</li>
<li>Good to know. I’ll consider it a long-term investment. Also, I wouldn’t say ‘affluent’, but by your definition of middle class, I guess we would fall under the ‘Upper’ MC category. Ha! Choices. I wish I had choices.</li>
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<p>I guess everyone’s just sick of discussing this, as I’ve just now noticed the tendency for this question to appear every so often (say, every ~1 year or so?).</p>
<p>Thanks anyways all.</p>
<p>I wish it appeared only once a year</p>