Guys i have been admitted to both of these universities. I have admitted to CS coop for UWaterloo and Mechanical Engineering for HKU. I am from Pakistan so i need some advice which university should i attend. Please copare the quality of education of both programs, Job opportunities, Salaries, Cost of living and standard of living of the graduates. and which of these would be more expensive to attend?
Did you receive any scholarship from HKU?
If you can afford it, CS coop at waterloo is the best option. It is highly ranked and only lucky few people get admission in that program. Coop means that you would be getting working experience prior to applying for jobs and definitely, the employer would prefer you over those with no experience. Salary should not be a concern right now. I have seen people from Nust, UET etc make thousands of dollars abroad. Work hard and you can earn millions !
For CS, Waterloo is in an elite league.
CS CO op at Waterloo is basically MIT. Congratulations. It’s really really hard to achieve and an incredible opportunity.
Hi there:) as a Chinese Canadian who has lived in both mainland China and Vancouver, I feel that I really know the conditions of both universities. Personally, I would prefer HK because of the surrounding environment. Many of my friends at Waterloo complain about the weather as well as isolation which makes life often depressing. HKU, on the other hand, has a very dynamic and diverse atmosphere. I would actually disagree with what @PurpleTitan said. Although Waterloo does have a great CS program, too many graduates are competing for the limited job opportunities in Eastern Canada. As for HKU, it is so presitigious that a degree from HKU, by default, guarantees higher salaries from graduates from other Chinese unis. Plz let me know if you have any more questions and I’d be happy to help!! Good luck choosing between the two great schools and congrats:)
@jessica12345: Waterloo grads don’t all stay in Eastern Canada.
It’s one of the strongest feeders in to Silicon Valley.
Granted, there may be work permit issues for an international.
And yes, HKU may be more prestigious than almost all mainland unis, but I’m not sure how much that says. Mainland uni grads don’t typically get high salaries by Western standards.
Waterloo is heavily recruited by Silicon Valley and its co-op students are snapped up.
The prestige of its CS program surpasses that of HKU in North America by far.
Granted, the weather is cold and dreary, and the town is not much fun, but you’re not choosing a summer camp. Plus you’ll spend half the year in another city due to Co op.
Depends on what your goals are. If you want to become a software engineer in SV, Waterloo CS co-op is vastly superior.