Penn vs Cornell vs Vanderbilt for Computer Science

College Search & Selection
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

Bump

3

@somilgo “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)”

First, remember that Wharton students are only about 15-20% of the class. They are not going to overwhelm you.

With regard to friends, DD is in CS and has friends in all of the schools. Also, as it relates to her friends, DD finds little predictive information in which school students attend. She finds that there are people she really likes, in all four schools. At the undergrad level you are all Penn students together.

As far as courses go, you can take some business courses or not. It will be up to you. There are not a lot of required Wharton courses, if any, in the CS curriculum.

Additionally, some of the pre-professional aspects of Penn are actually helpful. For example, as a freshman, it may well be a Wharton student who will remind you when you need to create a Linkedin profile or remind you about a career fair for CS summer internships. DD seems to have the experience that the Wharton students and engineers often learn valuable things from one another, and enjoys having certain Wharton students around her. However, if you want to avoid business students and really immerse yourself entirely in engineering culture, you will be able to do that too.

@Somilgo “Housing for 4-years is not the best”

Students usually live off campus after freshman year, but in many cases, the off campus housing is closer to your classes, than the on campus housing was. It has not been a problem at all.

@Somilgo “The pure engineering/CS program (rather than entrepreneurship + engineering) may not be as strong as Cornell”

I think the Cornell program is more structured and less flexible. Penn gives you more flexibility with special programs, dual majors, or minors, that allow you to focus on your interests. With regard to rigor, Penn has amazing students and they all say that the program is rigorous and challenging. In my opinion, after two years of observing the courses, homework load, and assignments, I am convinced that between the advanced start point of Penn’s “average students” and a curriculum that is designed for that type of student, what is required is beyond what would be possible to expect at all but a very small handful of other schools.

4

@Much2learn Thanks for all your helpful insight. Since my original post I was actually able to talk to current students both in CS and in M&T and they resoundingly confirmed that although Wharton is an excellent resource, it will not dominate over other aspects of the college in any significant way. So your feedback here is spot on and definitely helps to clear up my misconception.