Son has been accepted to these three amazing colleges and he is in state to both UNC and W&M. He is interested in Statistics and computer science, and he wants to move to California after college. Michigan clearly has more name recognition among these three but is also the most expensive one (OOS tuition) he likes both Michigan and UNC but leaning towards Michigan. As a parent, I think William and Mary would probably be a better choice because of its smaller size, focus on undergraduate teaching and Ivy League feel ( don’t get me wrong, I went to Michigan myself). I think we can afford to send him to Michigan if that is where he really wants to go but wife thinks it is it really not worth the money when we have two other excellent instate options. My question is : since son wants to move to California after college , would attending UNC or W&M with a statistics/computer science double major would limit his chances finding a job in the Silicon Valley comparing to attending Michigan? Thanks!
short answer is no, UM not worth it.
btw: how does one get instate tuition in two states?
I am a Va resident, wife a NC resident. Son is attending a NC high school.
from what I recall, VA is very persnickety about instate tuition, so if you go the W&M route, just make sure that they have approved instate status prior to making your deposit.
“Short answer is no, UM not worth it” I would like to hear this from Alexandre 
Beyond the career considerations, these are two very different schools in terms of size and feel. My sons’ choice came down to UVA and W&M, and it definitely wasn’t an apples to apples choice (and UNC has a very similar feel to UVA). Given that your student is going to spend the next four years living, studying and maturing in this environment, I’d put more thought into which school is a good fit for him in terms of size, location, campus vibe, personality and cohorts of students, kind and availability of activities, clubs, sports and organizations, etc. Even if your son actually graduates in the major he prefers now, the next rising Silicon Valley in 4-6 years might well be in Virginia or Arizona.
Is he going to attend admitted student events? He should ask current students about those specific majors and whether they have difficulty getting the classes they want/need.
The fact that you used the words “I THINK we can afford to send him to Michigan…” leads me to believe that you are not 100% sure, unless I am misinterpreting what you wrote. So…unless you have a huge chunk of that money waiting for him now, and you can send him without hardship, I would take Michigan off the list. This is not because Michigan isn’t a great school…it is. It is because there are two other great schools that appear to be more affordable. I would investigate those two first, and then come back to Michigan if necessary.
I would make sure that William and Mary will give you instate tuition. Schools get particular about this. Am I understanding correctly that you live in Virginia, your wife lives in NC, and your son goes to school in NC? I assume your son lives with your wife Monday-Friday? I might be wrong, but William and Mary might consider him to be a NC resident due to the fact that he essentially lives in NC…but I am not positive. This needs to be investigated before committing to the school. Does your son want a smaller school? Can you afford William and Mary if you do not get instate tuition? Is it possible that they may consider him OOS for year one, and then instate for years 2,3,4? I don’t know these answers…W/M will likely have a different feel than the other two choices.
It seems that UNC will give you instate tuition. I would look into his majors and see the ease of getting classes, etc. I have read on CC that it could be hard to get classes. My D and her friends have not experienced this, but they are not a computer science or statistics major. I do know one girl who is a computer science major, and I have not heard any gripes about not getting classes, but that is a study of one. Do your homework. As far as name recognition, I am a firm believer in creating a strong resume and getting to know your professors…that will help with internships etc. Also…your son may change his major. That is very common. Michigan has a larger out of state population than UNC, particularly from the northeast. Your son may view this favorably…or not. Everybody is different.
Your son has 3 excellent choices. I would start with the finances and residency status and take it from there. I would also have him visit if he hasn’t already.
They are all good options. I am generally of the opinion that if you have a really good in-state option (Michigan, Berkeley, UNC, UVA, W&M, Texas, etc.) it isn’t worth paying OOS tuition for a similar flagship if money may be an issue.
W&M is going to be more undergraduate focused and a different, experience more similar to smaller privates, as you indicate, but it looks like your son likes the larger schools, and leans toward Michigan. So it may be down to Michigan and UNC.
Regarding California, I know you’ll find more Michigan graduates, and there is no denying Michigan is excellent in computer science, and probably has more California recruiters coming to school, but I don’t really think it would matter much overall. (I work in tech in California.) He may also change direction or majors, so keep that in mind. I’ve read that a majority of students do change. Good luck.
Is Michigan affordable, or does it pose a financial hardship? If it poses a financial hardship, or if loans are required, then I agree that it is not worth it.
But you must also keep in mind that Michigan is one of the most heavily recruited campuses by Silicon Valley tech firms. Last year Facebook hired 32 Michigan students, Apple and Google hired 35 each, Microsoft hired 57 and Amazon hired 82. We are talking almost 250 students hired into those 5 companies alone. Many more were hired by other software/tech firms. To get a better understanding of those numbers, Cornell, which is also a powerhouse in CS, placed roughly 50 students in those 5 companies, and Cornell 's CS department is half the size of Michigan’s, so even when you adjust for size, Michigan places slightly better than Cornell.
UNC and W&M will not be as potent as Michigan when it comes to tech job opportunities. If your son were premed or prelaw, I would say save your money and go for the most affordable option. But placement in tech firms is a niche that Michigan excels in.
http://career.engin.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/04/annualreport1718.pdf
I went to Michigan and work in tech. I think UNC is a fine choice, and would not pay the additional OOS cost for UM. As long as he hustles for internships while in college (which he’d also want to do at UM), he can do perfectly well with a UNC degree.
W&M has a few one-year masters degrees in computer fields. You have to plan ahead, but certain classes can count towards the undergrad degree as well as the masters. I know of a student who had tons of AP credit (W&M is generous) so he graduated in 3 years and stayed for the 4th year (with his classmates) to get the masters degree.
Also, here is a link to a recent article in The Flat Hat about plans to expand the department: http://flathatnews.com/2019/04/01/computer-science-department-faces-300-unique-override-requests/