<p>I went to the CS weekend at Brown a few months back and, wow. So okay, Brown is amazing in computer science, no question. But Yale is Yale, and that really good brand name would come with any degree, even if it’s a department like Computer Science that isn’t as advertised as Brown’s is.</p>
<p>Would you consider a CS degree from Brown better than a CS degree from Yale? Yeah, “better” is a dumb word. I just don’t know how to choose between the two schools because they’re, well, Brown and Yale.</p>
<p>Well I think all of the things that make Brown and Yale different are more important in making this choice, but...</p>
<p>There is no question that Brown Computer Science for undergraduates is about the best their is in the country, up there with Stanford, really, as top.</p>
<p>We do have one of the first undergrad departments with the first (or is it second) PhD in computer science ever having started the department...</p>
<p>We have extensive connections for recruiting and almost universal love for the program by CS concentrators.</p>
<p>Academically, when you're talking about Brown and Yale, there won't be too much of a difference (or so I feel). What you do need to be pernickety about is the general 'feel' of each place. To determine that, I suggest that you attend the admit days for both places.</p>
<p>Brown is the choice here. If you are sure you want to make computer science your life's work, Brown is the superior choice here. Yale has a better brand name for Joe Blow, but for those in Computer Science, Melody is right that Brown's reputation is right up there with Stanford or Berkeley, and superior to Yale's. Just talk to the people at PIXAR. They love Brown's computer science department.</p>
<p>As someone in the software business, I would concur that in the "brand name" world, especially for quirky and highly talented coders, Brown wins.</p>
<p>I was gonna make a different board about this, but since our questions are so similar, how about Brown vs. Cornell for computer science? I know there are big differences in the schools outside of the department, but are the computer science departments about equal?</p>
<p>Brown University, as said above here in this thread, for computer science, is about as good as it gets for undergraduate CS. It's on a different level than most other schools. It's one of our best departments, by far, for undergraduates.</p>
<p>Ok, so I read up on Brown in my friend's "College P r o w l er" (why is this word censored?) book, and it said that Brown offers free Photoshop to all undergraduates!! Is this true? And do they even have Photoshop for Macs? Because if they do, I will totally be in Providence next year.</p>
<p>At the graduate level, Cornell's considerably larger CS department is more highly ranked. As always, the question is what this means for undergraduates. Brown's CS is also excellent, and the choice between the two universities should probably be based on other factors.</p>
<p>I'll differ to Pinderhughes in supporting my statement, someone in the field.</p>
<p>There's a good reason we're top recruits for Pixar, Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc. In fact, we're one of the few places Google actively recruits.</p>
<p>Brown v. Cornell for computer science, people would assume the Brown guy is creative and brilliant, the Cornell guy more immediately employable.</p>
<p>But that's just the stereotype, everything is really up to you and the interview, coding test, whatever the process is.</p>
<p>Both Yale and Brown have very strong departments at the undergraduate level. I know that Yale's, in particular, can be very challenging especially if you pursue a four-year joint M.S./B.S. I know graduates of both who have gone on to do great things and work for top companies, or even start their own. Ultimately, it depends on your own motivation. </p>
<p>More important than trying to evaluate the department over the internet is that you should visit each school for 2-3 days, talk with many professors and students, take some classes, check out the housing systems and the overall vibrancy and excitement of campus. Having visited hundreds of universities around the world, I would say that Yale has a unique 24/7 campus vibrancy that no other place even comes close to matching, but again, it's up to you to decide. </p>
<p>Also, remember that even if you major in CS, most of your classes will be in other fields! And the vast majority of your classmates will be studying fields other than CS. The beauty of college is being able to explore many subjects and many activities, and work with people who are passionate about everything from aasvogels to zumboorukchees and everything in between. </p>
<p>Bottom line is, make sure you go where you feel most comfortable, and most challenged, because that's probably where you will end up doing best for yourself.</p>
<p>Our son is a CS major at Brown and absolutely loves it. Don't now about Yale or Cornell, but at Brown, undergrads serve as teaching assistants, which is a great opportunity. Summer jobs as part of the "Brown mafia" (the term our son uses for CS majors who fan out to great companies) have helped him pay for 3 years of Brown all by himself, not to mention the great experiences he has had with these jobs. He is now considering the 5th year MS program. </p>
<p>In a BS program in CS, most of your courses are related to the major, as opposed to a BA. Brown's flexible curriculum (no distribution requirements)allows students to follow their own interests and passions when choosing courses outside the major. Yale has a much more defined path through the curriculum, with many distribution requirements and 9 courses/year, rather than 8. Some people will like this, others won't. Our son loves political science and theater, and has taken several courses in both. On the other hand, he has not taken courses in other areas and is not "well-rounded," which is an important priority at Yale.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Brown offers free Photoshop to all undergraduates!! Is this true? And do they even have Photoshop for Macs?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, Brown offers Photoshop, but it is not really downloaded, it is available with Key Access through the Brown's Intranet. So, you can use it all you like on campus, but once you leave the area, it's not software that has been downloaded to your computer, as far as I can understand. And, you can use your Mac with it. My D uses this all the time and has a MacBook.</p>
<p>Well, KeyAccess... the program is on your computer, but you have to connect to Brown's network and confirm you're a Brown community network member before the software will run. Off-campus you simply need to log into the VPN first.</p>