<p>Does anybody have any input on how the CS program at Arizona compares to ASU or TAMU? At the graduate level all of these programs are ranked similarly. ASU and TAMU are both in the college of engineering and appear to be heavier on the math than the college of science housed program at Uof A. Do the Uof A CS majors do well at landing internships and permanent jobs? Any input is appreciated.</p>
<p>@WAPacker. Have you visited the two schools yet? We live in the Scottsdale area and have visited ASU Barrett many times. I don’t know about the CS programs at the two schools, but the Barrett Honors College completely outclasses the U of A Honors College. Barrett has brand-new dedicated dorms, cafeteria, fitness center and other facilities. Barrett Honors College graduates go on to some of the top graduate schools and employers in the country. Barrett has a 95% first-year retention rate, 73% graduate in four years, and 86% in five years. That’s as good as a lot of small liberal-art schools.</p>
<p>And, IMHO, Tempe is a lot nicer town than is Tucson. The U of A campus is nice, but you don’t have to go very far off campus to be in some very dicey areas.</p>
<p>@Beaudreau He has not been to the UofA or ASU. I have been to ASU but not really visited it. Barrett is the one thing that seems to set it apart a bit. You seem to have a favorable opinion of ASU and Barrett? Is it a legitimate contendor for any of your kids?</p>
<p>Tuscon does concern me a little.</p>
<p>@WAPacker. If my first son had not gotten such a good package from A&M, he would have gone to ASU/Barrett. His second choice was Purdue, but they only offered $10,000/year, as did Michigan.</p>
<p>I think we are in similar situations. We are a two-professional home and make too much money for need-based aid, but not enough to send three boys to the elite private colleges. So, it’s bang for the buck for us.</p>
<p>My rising senior plays basketball, so I have kept up a bit with with previous team members. There are 4-5 at Barrett, and they all love it. He wants to study mechanical engineering, but does not want to go where his older brother is going or where his classmates are going (at least right now). He is attending the one-week ASU Summer Engineering Experience in July and will live in the Barrett complex, so maybe he will change his mind. U of A honors is an option, as is Michigan State and maybe Minnesota. We are also considering smaller schools with decent merit aid like Rose Hulman, Trinity University in San Antonio (billion dollar endowment!), Santa Clara (nice visit there!), and maybe the University of Portland (reputedly very good merit aid and a very nice five-year co-op program).</p>
<p>Son number three (rising junior) also wants to study mechanical engineering. His top-two choices right now are ASU/Barrett and the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M.</p>
<p>If you and your son can visit ASU/Barrett, I think you will be impressed. It is actually gated off from the rest of campus. Outside of regular school hours, only Barrett students and faculty can get into the complex. About a dozen of this year’s 35 graduating seniors from BASIS Scottsdale Charter are going to Barrett next year, including the valedictorian. Three are going to Stanford, three to Brown, two to Duke, one to Dartmouth, one to Harvard, and several to the U Cal system. </p>
<p>@Beaudreau Sounds like similar situations alright. A&M was his top choice for a while but after he cooled on the Corps of Cadets it has slipped a bit I think. He really likes Purdue (as do I) but again he has not yet visited and we figure it will come in as the most expensive option he is currently considering. I think Santa Clara would be a good option as the program seem solid and the location is obviously great for CS.</p>
<p>The Barrett job placement numbers I found a while back looked good and it is in the west which I think he considers a plus. We are thinking of visiting in the fall. Will probably try and visit ASU and UofA on the same trip. Any suggestions for when we visit?</p>
<p>@WAPacker. I would visit after October 15 when it has cooled off a bit. Both schools have rolling applications and neither uses the common application. Barrett will require a separate application after ASU has admitted your son, but that will happen quickly. You will need to schedule the university tours, and meet with the CS departments. Barrett has multiple tours a day; I don’t know about U of A. It’s a two-hour drive to Tucson.</p>