<p>Hello! I have applied to both RPI and CMU for computer science and, while I was accepted by Rensselaer, I was wait listed by CMU. I recognize that both have amazing programs but, for undergrad, I was wondering if there is a significant enough difference in name recognition between both to take the wait list? By the way, I did not make the priority list for CMU because I was accepted to the Information Systems program.</p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Sam</p>
<p>P.S. I have also been accepted at University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado School of Mines</p>
<p>i think you can accept admission to a school and still be on the waitlist.
and im pretty sure CMU is around #1 for CS (back and forth between mit)</p>
<p>CMU is suppose to have the #1 CS program in the country. RPI’s is very excellent, but not better than CMU. But remember it’s not where you go to school to get the degree, but what you do with it. The school may matter for your first job, or first few years out of college, but after that it will be more about what you have accomplished in your field and not where you got that degree from.</p>
<p>I got rejected from CMU SCS but I was accepted to IS also.</p>
<p>CMU wins. Its CS program is often considered #1 in the country. Few would place it outside of the top 5. </p>
<p>If you get into both and you want maximum employment opportunity, go with CMU. The only thing RPI has over CMU for CS is that the workload won’t epically murder you quite as much at RPI.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help. While both RPI and CMU have amazing programs, CMU has been my first choice. While being incredibly honored to be both accepted at RPI and considered for the wait list for CS, I just wanted to make sure I was still thinking this through practically. The best you can do is write another letter and hope right? Anyhow, thanks again and congratulations Randwulf on IS. Furthermore, best of luck to all of you in these last two months of the admissions game.</p>
<p>CMU computer science is much better than RPI. I got to Rpi and although not a computer science major as an electrical engineer I have taken computer science here at RPI and the computer science department is lacking. The introductory level teachers are not great at teaching and don’t seem to be that concerned. I suggest Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>that and whoever teaches comp sci 2 but the problem is the introductory classes can be quite important in my lab session I saw tons of my fellow classmates struggle on simple labs simply because the lectures made them more confused than they were all ready.</p>
<p>Both are good enough that for undergraduate work, you should probably choose the least-cost option. I say that because if you plan a professional degree later on, people will only care about the last degree that you earned. If you do well at RPI then you can go to CMU, Berkeley, anywhere else you choose for a Master’s and/or Ph.D. At that point it’s easier to get financial aid, hence the degree is cheaper. You may also come to realize that the best fit for a graduate student comes down to a few professors and research emphasis areas, which for you may not necessarily be at the school with the best USNews ranking.</p>
<p>Teacher quality is, unfortunately, hit or miss at any research instituttion because the emphasis is on research. That’s what created the school’s reputation in the first place, not the teaching quality. So you may or may not get better teachers at CMU, for the specific sections and courses you get into. You will find good and bad anecdotes on the teaching quality at either place.</p>
<p>I’ve attended RPI full time and CMU part time, in EE, and feel the work loads and the academic standards are basically equal.</p>
<p>Well, you probably already decided but if you ended up at RPI, don’t have any regrets about missing out on CMU. Especially if your net cost would have been higher at CMU; it’s just not worth it for undergraduate degrees. Concentrate on making the best of your RPI experience.</p>