Penn vs Cornell vs Vanderbilt for Computer Science

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

So I was accepted to these schools and I need to decide on which to attend. Although this is a good decision to have to make, it doesn’t make it any easier. Please give me some insight on these schools in general. Ultimately, I plan on choosing the school that is the best fit for me, but I would also like to take a look at which of the programs are the most worthwhile.

What I am looking for:
-Most outstanding CS program
-Best research and internship opportunities
-Importance of dual degrees, master degrees, and special degree programs?
-Cost is a factor – but these are relatively close in cost

Below I have brainstormed some of the perceived pros and cons (please point out any misconceptions I may have picked up along the way)

Vanderbilt

Pros
-Cost of Attendance = Full Ride (received full tuition scholarship + enough need-based aid to cover room & board)
-Great internship & research opportunities (relatively small engineering program/school, near Nashville which has many startups and companies)
-Will be able to earn Master’s Degree in 4 years through accelerated program with AP credits
-Living in the south will be a new experience – I am from the North (both urban and campus atmospheres)
-Relatively great weather (not a HUGE factor)

Cons
-CS Program / Engineering not as renowned as Penn or Cornell
-Heavy emphasis on Greek-life (unsure about this)
-Far from home (new experience, still need to facilitate cost travel)
-Have not visited yet :-/

Penn

Pros
-Cost of Attendance = $9k/year (received need-based aid that covers all the tuition plus some)
-Great internship & research opportunities (medium sized CS program, in Philadelphia with many companies)
-Potential Cognitive & Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence program (Computer Science + Mathematics Dual Degree)
-Close to home (may make continuing research and internships over the summer very plausible)
-Campus has good mix of urban and campus feel

Cons
-Large emphasis on Wharton, business, and entrepreneurship (not sure if this is what I want – this is my main concern with -Penn, although I’m not sure how true this is) :-/
-Housing for 4-years is not the best
-The pure engineering/CS program (rather than entrepreneurship + engineering) may not be as strong as Cornell

Cornell

Pros
-Cost of Attendance = N/A (did not receive financial aid package yet, but the financial aid calculator from college board estimates that Cornell will cover all expenses but $15k/year. This may be my most expensive option)
-Good research opportunities (large CS faculty/program)
-Most renowned engineering program out of the three
-Reasonable distance from home (~4-5 hours)
-Campus/housing is very nice

Cons
-No nearby city to have internships/co-ops in (I can still research during the school year or do co-ops over the summer)
-Very large engineering/CS program (may be hard to get individual attention or engaging research opportunities)
-Very cold winters
-Dual degree in math and CS will take 5 years

2

Congrats! You have three outstanding options available to you. I don’t have much experience with Penn’s computer science program though I know for a fact that Penn CS majors go onto do great things. You should check out the career services senior surveys (http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/files/2015_Senior_Survey_Final.pdf).
As you can see, Penngineering CS majors have an average starting salary of $97,698 which is comparable to Cornell’s 92,731 (http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/resources/career_services/students/statistics/upload/2014-Computer-Science.pdf). Additionally, Penn CS and Cornell CS majors seem to work for the same companies (amazon, google, goldman, facebook, etc. etc.). In terms of grad schools, Penn CS majors went to Penn, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Cornell CS majors went on to Cornell, Stanford, and Berkeley.

So outcomes appear to be pretty similar. You will probably be best served by comparing several years of data available here (http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/resources/career_services/students/statistics/postgrad_reports.cfm) and here (http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/reports.php).

Beyond that, Philly is a great place to go to school. As you’ve rightly noted, there are tons of internship opportunities available to you and many think tanks and research hubs both on and off Penn’s campus at which you can really sink your teeth into some incredible scholarly opportunities. Penn, along with the other Philly universities, are really creating something of a tech hub in Philly and the new Pennovation Center will go a long way in bringing Philly even closer to that goal (http://www.pennovation.upenn.edu/). In contrast, Cornell is building their new ‘tech hub’ in NYC (http://tech.cornell.edu/). In addition, the Philadelphia city government will provide numerous opportunities to apply what you learn in the class room to public policy questions facing the city that intersect with computer science as a discipline. And being right on the Northeast Corridor will give you easy access to NYC and DC for even more opportunities.

Finally, I don’t know how much of an influence Wharton has over the CS department but I can assure you that in general, your experience at Penn will not be dominated by Wharton’s influence. While from the outside it can definitely seem like Wharton is an attention stealer, it is genuinely and seamlessly integrated with the University in a way that only benefits students. If you don’t want the entrepreneurial side of Penn to influence your CS education, it will not be hard to avoid it. Penn is really a ‘choose your own adventure’ when it comes to taking advantage of or avoiding the vast resources it has to offer.

I hope this is somewhat helpful. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. I can tell you that I chose Penn (the College, not engineering) because of its outstanding academics, beautiful urban campus in the heart of America’s fifth largest city, exciting social life, supportive yet intense atmosphere, and unparalleled interdisciplinary opportunities. Good luck with your choice!

3

I will add that Vanderbilt is ranked really low for computer science graduate program. This is mostly a reflection of the quality of research output, as compared to teaching, but is something to be considered.

USNWR ranking of computer science grad programs puts Cornell around #5 and Penn around #20.

4

@somilgo Penn is stronger overall than Cornell, has a slight edge in recruiting overall (although for CS positions there is no difference), and has interdisciplinary offerings (dual degrees etc) that Cornell lacks. Also the smaller size of the department specifically and the entire undergraduate school in general, is probably a plus for Penn. Cornell has obviously the stronger engineering department and reputation. So it is a trade off. For undergrad just the strength of the specific department is not the only important factor to consider, especially since Penn has also a strong CS program. You can’t go wrong with either really comes down to weighing what is most important to you and also considering fit since Penn and Cornell are very different in terms of location and social life. Penn has a very vibrant social life (it is the social ivy after all) , is in a major city. Cornell is the opposite from that. Also grade deflation is bigger at Cornell than Penn. At Pen you can also submatrculate and get a masters degree in 4-5 years total.

Now when it comes to vanderbilt, it depends on how important the cost factor is for your family budget. Other than cost reasons tho I don’t think i would turn down Penn or Cronell for Vanderbilt.

5

The post graduate success after Penn may blow 9k/year out of the water.

6

@PennCAS2014 Thanks for the helpful insight! I was able to contact current students both in CS and in M&T and they resoundingly confirmed your points in that although Wharton does have a strong presence on campus and is a valuable resource, it does not take away from any of the aspects of other majors in a significant way. I would also have to agree Philly is a great hub for internships/research which is a great plus. Cornell has similarly great on-campus research, but summer internships may be slightly less accessible.

@Penn95 Great point in saying that Penn has more interdisciplinary access. This is particularly useful in the case that I want to pursue any sort of dual degree which may not be possible at Cornell. In particular I was unaware about the sub-matriculation policies at Penn and upon a closer look found another potential plus at Penn. On the other hand there is the apparent trade-off that although Cornell has a slight edge on its engineering program, Penn’s city life and social lifestyle may be worth it – this will be something I look more closely into when I revisit these schools.

As of right now I’m leaning towards Penn slightly, but I’d love to hear more thoughts.