<p>Hi</p>
<p>I m in a bit of a dilemma. I m going to pursue MS Computer Science and want to specialize in Computer Networks ! I have been admitted to NCSU, USC and Columbia.</p>
<p>North Carolina State University (NCSU) has a MS Computer Networking and from the 3 I conceed its the best program ! But the Univ does not have the best reputation among the 3 …</p>
<p>USC has a good program in Networks and the ranking is high for the dept. Location is the best with reference to silicon valley proximity !</p>
<p>Columbia being ivy has the best reputation and the prgram is as good as USC for sure ! How good is NY from a tech point of view ?</p>
<p>How exactly do the above 3 compare… look at the following factors</p>
<li>Placements after program </li>
<li>summer internships</li>
<li>Investment point of view ! ncsu < usc < columbia $$$ wise !</li>
</ol>
<p>Bottom line… which is my best bet ???</p>
<p>One point to consider for internship and job placement. Many companies, especially financial ones (eg. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers)have their headquaters in NYC. They all have large IT staffs. If you have good grades you can easily find an internship and eventual placement.</p>
<p>Well NCSU is going to be way cheaper(the school and the cost of living) and you wuld have access to opportunities in the Research Triangle.
Maybe you should contact the depts. at each school and see if they can give you any info. on summer internship programs and how good the after grad. job market is.</p>
<p>USC Viterbi has an extremely strong reputation, especially on the west coast. Proximity to all the tech firms in Sillicon Valley should be a major advantage for USC.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for the replies. Quite insightful.</p>
<p>Could you also rate the respective depts.</p>
<p>Columbia is pretty special. USC's campus is more lively and probably more fun of course, but Columbia is very intellectual, intense and prestigious. In terms of Computer Science rankings, Columbia was ranked #18 according to the USNWR, USC was ranked #25 and NCST was ranked #47. I would go with Columbia, then with USC.</p>
<p>I have a contact in NCSU. Tells me that interships are good.. placements are good too with that RTP very close by.</p>
<p>My question is simple.. Why should I pay more for Columbia or USC over NCSU. Does it have a lot of long term benefits ??</p>