Hey guys!! I was admitted as a computer science major this January, and I have done a TON of research about the school. However, there are still some questions hovering in my mind. I would list out the things I know about UMD first:)
Pros:
- Overall great CS program with helpful and enthusiastic professors and TAs.
- The Brendan Iribe Center will be due in 2018. (HUGE upgrade for the cs department and more resources)
- Close to DC, which means lots of internship opportunities.
- Beautiful campus with a welcoming atmosphere.
- Nice people with diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Clubs and sports are quite active.
Cons:
- Crime rate is relatively high in the area.
- Many great professors had left the school in the past years.
- Dorms aren’t so nice?(I don’t know how hard it is to reserve for newer dorms.)
- The cs courses are more focused on heavy coding rather than on the creative aspects.
So, here are my questions:
- I want to engage in data science in the future but according to the school website, UMD’s strengths is in cyber security, will it make a big difference on my class options?
- I heard someone saying the professors in the cs department are really strict and they try their best to kick off students that are not in the top 10%, is that true?
- There’s not much information about how well UMD students do in grad schools. Are UMD CS undergrads competitive enough to get in grad schools like CMU, UC Berkeley or UCLA?(Generally speaking)
- I really don’t know whether I should go to a cc and then transfer to UC Berkeley or UCLA(major in statistics) or attend UMD directly.(I’ve been thru some personal issues so I don’t have an amazing hs gpa, but I consider myself hardworking and bright.)
**Thanks for anyone reading thru my questions and answering them:))
