Cornell vs. UIUC Engineering CS

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>I was accepted to both UIUC and Cornell engineering and am certain on doing computer science, but I am completely stuck as to which one i should choose. I am out of state for both.</p>

<p>Going for UIUC:
-Higher ranked CS department (new Siebel Center, cofounders of Youtube and PayPal both came from there)
-I got out of state scholarship (half tuition)
-James scholar which gives priority in picking some classes and more opportunities for research and honors credit in classes</p>

<p>for Cornell:
-smaller classes
-CS is still ranked well and is very reputable (maybe not quite at the level of Illinois)
-i like the atmosphere better and i like the rural location
-good alumni connections</p>

<p>I think I will like the experience and the people at Cornell better, but is it worth a ~10K loan per year? Will the CS program help me get a good job? What do Cornell students think of the program?
Thanks</p>

2

<p>When do (did) you have to make a decison by?</p>

<p>They are both excellent schools. Insofar as Rankings are concerned, Cornell and UIUC are tied for 5th by the USNWR (though I’m not really a rankings person).</p>

<p>Overall, Cornell has a much better reputation as a university. Personally, I think that on an undergraduate level the university reputation (ranking) is much more important than the department ranking in terms of getting a Job.</p>

<p>Is it worth $10,000 a year? This is the impossible question, isn’t it? If it were me – I would say yes. After Freshman year, I might try to become an RA or get a part time job (and take smaller loans) if I could do so without hurting my academic status. But it’s not me, it’s you, and only you can answer this question.</p>