Hi guys, So I was really confused between these three schools and wanted some help to decide between them. I plan on majoring in computer sciences and do some business (major or minor). The quality of education is definitely my first priority but the ‘college experience’ also matters to me. Can you guys help decide between my choices? Also, which of these colleges have better job placements etc?
Net price at each?
What major/division did you get admitted to at each?
I’d say the competition is between Berkeley and Northwestern. Berkeley’s CS program is world-class, as is Haas (but that requires a separate application/screening process I believe). But Berkeley is so large that undergraduates are virtually on their own to find opportunities and resources for themselves. Also not sure if you’d be able to work closely with your professors as classes are so large.
Northwestern by contrast may not have as strong a CS program, but its business program is very strong too. It has significantly smaller classes and more research opportunities for undergrads, as well as more interactions with your professors. Northwestern is a big school (not nearly as big as berkeley though) that is divided into smaller departments and with very specific special programs that hook students up with internships in the city as well as research abroad.
If you are dead set on CS for sure, then Berkeley is probably the way to go (assuming that you got into the CS program there). But if you are open to more intellectual explorations and want to find where your passions truly lie, then Northwestern is more equipped to help you delve into a variety of topics with good support from the community.
Cost is also a factor too. Berkeley being in the Silicon Valley will likely have better job placement. But I’m sure NU is not far off.
Cornell does not have either of the benefits of Berkeley and NU that I listed above. Cornell is known (at least in my community, which is very close to Berkeley and in the Valley), Cornell is seen as the Berkeley of the east coast, in the sense that classes are large and it’s a large research university that’s not as focused on the undergraduate experience to the same extent as Northwestern. Students there have to fulfill a lot of GE’s before diving into their major-specific courses, and alumni I’ve met with have outright admitted that they did not learn much in their first two years (half of college!) while fulfilling the GE’s.
Cornell CS is also not at the same caliber as Berkeley, and doesn’t have access to the resources of the Valley. It’s also not as undergraduate-oriented as NU or have the same kinds of specialized programs/connections as NU.