Hi all. I’m an international student from Singapore. I was accepted into the University of Arizona & Iowa State. I’m unable to visit any of the campuses so I really would love to have some help. I’m still holding out for Purdue and Rutgers to get back to me. Both of which are real reaches.
Do you have any advice on which is a better college / or stronger in their CS department?
Please help! Looking forward to your replies!
the differences between these schools’ u/g CS programs are not deal-breakers. You’ve chosen pretty well. Since you are from Singapore, you might want to consider the reputations of these schools in the countries where you expect to be working.
hey! Thanks for the reply. One of the things im looking at is community as well. And the overall campus feeling. the U of A is only 332 acres compared to Iowa State… a state school, relatively huge in size.
Im also looking at the number of students from my home country (Singapore). It is quite hard to get the numbers
UArizona is a public school, too, and has about the same number of students as ISU. It’s much more urban than Iowa State, however. This does not mean Tucson is a huge city or the university is in an impoverished area. But ISU is in a small town, Ames, that is surrounded by agriculture. The nearest airport is a cab ride of 40 minutes. It is also very cold in winter and generally wetter than Tucson, which tends to be dry and very hot in summer. I love the West for its dry climate and ample physical outdoor activities, so this would be an easy choice for me except for one thing: the average high in April is 82, May 91, June 100, July 101, August 99, and September 95, hot by anyone’s standards.
I am actually from Tucson, so I can tell you quite a bit about the U of A and the city. However, I don’t know much about ISU, so I can’t really compare. Feel free to reply with any questions about Tucson you may have.
Yes, it gets hot during the summer, but it’s usually a dry heat, so it won’t feel that terrible compared to a warm but humid climate.
Thanks for the help! Immensely greatful
In terms of reputation for the schools, is it relatively similar? Do you think 1 has the edge over the other?
i have a feeling arizona is a better place considering the climate. I have a brother living in california as well!
@MITer94
just a few questions
do you think the U of A is better than ASU? I think there are more of my fellow countrymen in ASU… so im not sure
What is UofA reputation in the states as an undergrad school? for postgrad it is relatively well known… so i would like to ask for your opinion
What is the community like? And it is easy for asians to settle in?
Thanks so much! 
Everyone in Tucson will tell you that the U of A is better…just sayin’
Because I’m not a student there, I can’t tell you a whole lot about student life. U of A and ASU both have that party school reputation (but I’ve read ASU is more so), but some of UA’s departments are quite good. In terms of location, it’s very central, and close to a lot of places (Main Gate Sq, 4th Ave, and downtown so there are tons of hangout spots.