I am a current senior (c/o 2020) trying to decide where to attend college next fall. I am majoring in computer science and I have narrowed down my choices to Purdue University, Indiana University, and University of Kentucky. I am also interested in possibly pursuing a career in quantitative analysis so I may add a minor in statistics, economics, or something tangential if it doesn’t create a course load that is too demanding. I will include information about each school below (*note: “cost” is the tuition and room and board over 4 years). My parents have agreed to pay 100k towards my college. Everything over 100k they will initially pay for so I don’t have to take out loans, but I am expected to pay them back without interest. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Purdue (OOS)
- Cost: $160, 000 (will probably be closer to 140k because I have about a semesters worth of AP credit. I received no scholarships here. Also important to note Purdue has frozen their tuition for the last several years.)
- Most highly ranked of the three
- a ton of great internship/job opportunities
- high average starting salary of 87k (This is likely skewed by students who go to the west coast where there is a higher cost of living)
- 40% of those who start in CS graduate in CS. This is somewhat concerning though I do have a considerable amount of programming experience.
- My peers would be similarly motivated.
- I really liked the atmosphere and other students I met at “Experience Purdue”
Indiana (OOS)
- Cost: $ 127, 000 (I’m not sure how AP credit will work here yet but AP credit will probably bring the cost below 127k. I received 19k a year in scholarships)
- Ranked 2nd out of the 3
- Did not get a chance to visit campus because of coronavirus
- Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering recently received a $60 million donation.
- I could take finance and economics classes in the reputable Kelley school of business
- There are many ways to supplement and personalize your major through the concentrations and tracks offered.
- I would be challenged, but not overwhelmed academically.
- Would be in the Honors college (one of my scholarships is contingent upon me being in the honors college otherwise I probably wouldn’t do it).
Kentucky (in-state)
- Cost: $61, 000
- Ranked the lowest of these 3 schools
- I was accepted in to the Honors college but don’t see the point in doing it (no scholarship for honors plus additional liberal arts classes I don’t want to take)
- I have to start in first year engineering as a pre-CS major.
- UK doesn’t take as many AP credits so I have to take classes like English that I had credit for at Purdue and IU. This means I would only take one CS class freshman year.
- About a third of the graduating class from my school attends there so I would already have a lot of friends.
- I could play club hockey or lacrosse
- Very nice dorms
- I’m not sure I would be challenged here (this could be a false perception).
A lot of people I talk to (especially in STEM) say where you get your bachelor’s doesn’t really matter and that job experience is more valuable. If that is the case, should I just go to UK and try to challenge myself through graduate level classes or research? My reservation about attending UK is that I much more closely align with a typical student at Purdue in terms of academic ability. When I compare myself with people attending UK I feel like I might be selling myself short by attending there. I have worked very hard in high school taking 8 AP classes, working as an intern at a software company, and taking online programming classes in my free time. I am fairly certain that my peers at UK have not done the same. At Purdue I would be average, at IU I would be above average, and at UK I would be considerably above average. If money wasn’t involved I would attend Purdue, but I’m not sure if the extra money for Purdue (or IU for that matter) is justified.
Students in engineering are generally much smarter than the average student at a college. Are you comparing yourself to the average UK student or the average UK engineering student?
That is a good point that I should have clarified. I am more so comparing myself to the average UK engineering student.
I think you have a very good handle on the pros and cons of each choice.
You don’t have to make a decision right now. You have 3 weeks. Sleep on it and it’s likely that the right choice will become more apparent. I’m a big believer in gut feelings when presented with equivalent appearing choices. In the end, you’ll have to live at whatever school you choose for 4 years. Choose one where you’ll be happy and do well.
Can your family afford Purdue without loans and hardship? If the answer is no, take them off the table and go to your most affordable option.
Also, the course sequencing for your major at Purdue may not allow for graduating early, no matter how many AP credits you receive.
@momofsenior1 My family can afford Purdue without loans and serious hardship, though my parents may work an extra year or two if necessary. I am hesitant to spend a bunch of money on college with the economic uncertainties that come with coronavirus and an upcoming presidential election. Also, my parents will front me the entire cost, but I am expected to pay everything over 100k (so I would pay 60k at Purdue) which I am hoping to pay for in part with money I earn at internships.
As far as AP credits are concerned, I should definitely have credit for history and English. I think the rest of my credit will at least count as elective credit. I will be contacting admissions people at all 3 of the schools this weekend to determine exactly how my credit will transfer and if it will allow me to graduate early.
Indiana. Honors college. Great program that fits your needs (and may even rise in rankings in the next few years). Kelley business school classes.
EDIT: I am no longer certain of the stat I listed above that “40% of those who start in CS graduate in CS”. I know that the retention rate for CS is low, but I was unable to find the source where I got the 40% from.
I ended up deciding on Kentucky.
The biggest factors for my decision were:
- the extra cost of Purdue and Indiana didn’t seem justified.
- the uncertainty caused by coronavirus and possibility of paying out of state tuition for online school
- big fish in a small pond
- I felt like I would probably get along better with UK CS students especially compared to Purdue considering Purdue has a lot of international students (which is fine, it just wasn’t the social dynamic I was looking for)
- Purdue seemed stressful in terms of workload and difficulty
- no debt plus my parents agreed to buy me a car since I was saving them money.
I’m a retired software developer. This is also what I think. The Kentucky decision makes sense. Good luck there!
I was going to tell you to select UK. There is a shortage of CS graduates to fill all of the open positions (I work in tech) so I don’t believe it matters where you go unless it’s a diploma mill school.
I also wouldn’t pass up on the honors college. Not only does it look good on your resume, but it makes you a well rounded person. I believe that makes you stand out in interviews.
I’m telling my DD who starts this fall in the Honors College at ASU and business school the same. People that write and communicate well will have better success in their careers.
@sbdad12 Thanks for the advice! Also, I forgot to mention that I decided to do the Honors college. I was mistaken that the Honors college would make me take “additional liberal arts classes I don’t want to take.” In reality, I will just take Honors versions of classes I would have to take anyway. I figure it is best to start in honors and enjoy the benefits (nicer dorms, early class registration, access to more academic resources, etc.). I can always quit later if I hate it.