@gearmom: In high-level CS, theoretical isn’t a bad thing. Titans in the field like Google and Facebook were built (and still maintain their edge) with theoretical CS.
And I’m very aware of what large research U’s in the US are like, thanks very much. I also know some about unis in the UK. You evidently don’t, yet, besides pointing out options in the US, you still felt you were enough of an authority to state that there is positively no way that a 3 year CS course in England is as rigorous as an American undergraduate CS education when those in the know understand that what you stated isn’t true. I personally do see how that serves anybody well.
@PurpleTitan O’k. Perhaps the 3 year program in the UK, which the OP didn’t even ask about, is just as rigorous (though that would explain the some personal experience of working with some of our British peers) as the US options which the OP DID ask about. I admit I don’t know. And we were not asked that. Massachusetts is the top raking state in America for it’s educational system. Some of the smartest kids are now attending UMass because it is affordable. As a Computer Science major, OP would be with the cream of the crop, likely in the honors program where he would have smaller classes sizes. You’d have to have the ambition of a slug not to do well. We know the field of CS in the NE US and we know that program. I stand by the suggestion which answered the actual OP question.
@gearmom: “Massachusetts is the top ranking state in America for it’s educational system.”
A bit of a misleading statement for our friends from overseas considering that there is far more variability in quality of K-12 schools within any state than between states in the US.
I really don’t think UMass Amherst’s #25 ranking for CS puts it head and shoulders above U Arizona’s #40 ranking. I’m sure they both have excellent CS programs and help students secure jobs upon graduation. The grad school ranking isn’t that relevant for an undergrad student anyways.
OP, definitely research UK universities as well to make an informed decision. If it turns out that an American university experience is going to be the best fit, then you’ll have that much more confidence going into your experience. Also, see if you can retake the SAT to bump your score up. This will make a big difference for selective colleges.
A bit wacky but I would rate the 21 American schools in the top 75 as good (by comparison, 5 UK schools in the top 75). I’d move UPenn and UDub higher, though.
HELLO EVERYONE I AM SO SORRY FOR NO REPLIES I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY WITH A LEVEL RESULTS!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REPLIES I WILL DEFINITELY READ THEM ALL!
I am so happy to say I received top grades in A levels!
I got the highest in my class!
maths - A*
Physics - A*
biology - A*
I am buzzing but idk what to do really because I have got into St Andrews which wanted 3 As from me … I feel like I am wasting my A*. Would America really appreciate my marks? I know oxbridge and imperial would.
@asmaster24 Take a look at @PurpleTitan list. Make sure that you look at your higher ranked UK options which includes the University of Edinburgh. Some of the rankings were a little bit surprising but I think they give you a feel.
Amazing job on your A levels. Give your parents a hug. You have top grades and the money for a great education. Choose carefully. Visit and sit in on classes.
Congratulations on your excellent marks! Most Americans will not understand what your marks mean but American university admissions committees certainly will. In any case, If I were you I’d would take the bird in hand and go to Oxbridge. Work hard and get very good grades in college and when you graduate you will have a decent shot at getting into a grad program at say Stanford, MIT, etc. With a bachelors from Oxford and a masters from Stanford you would be a very strong candidate for your dream job in Silicon Valley.
Thank you so much @gearmom and @Scipio for your kind words and pleasant advice, I am taking all into account.
@PurpleTitan Hello my friend, I just ‘graduated high school’ today, and with my results I have met the conditional offer of St Andrews that I already had as my firm choice, that is why I mention it. But I honestly feel like I am wasting my A* as their offer was AAA.
What matters is what you do with the opportunities and education you will get at St. Andrews or elsewhere and how different those opportunities and education are.
@asmaster24 I think your A level results do change things. Your original stats were 1420 for SATs and a C on one of your A levels. I think you’ll more mileage in the UK with your extraordinary (unpredicted?) A level results. I’m sure @PurpleTitan could offer suggestions. I think you should probably not consider American universities for undergrad at this point. You had mentioned Google. For Information Retrieval, (CIIR) UMass Amherst, University of Glasgow, University of Amsterdam are the leading IR Research Groups in the world. With a high UG GPA at UMass, you would have received automatic enrollment and free tuition at UMass Grad school. But with your A level results, a less expensive prestigious UK option with an opportunity for a tippy top US grad school option like Stanford (which is not a realistic option based on that SAT) would be a better path IMHO.
@asmaster24 Why don’t you contact the IR group at University of Glasgow (truly notable and in your backyard). Ask where their graduates are being recruited. You can let them know the you are interested in working for a company like Google. They should be able to provide with industry insight including working abroad. It could very well be that Google is heavily recruiting there. Also a place like U of Glasgow (if it is like UMass) is preparing the undergraduates for a potential successful entry into their prestigious graduate programs, in this case IR. This may turn out to be a good path for you.
Find a career mentor, someone in the industry, who can review the courses offered at your potential universities to see if they match up with your career goals. Understand what is notable about your university. I received job offers based on a single class my university was known for. If your college has a reputation as a top school in AI, be sure to take that.
Okay so much help I didn’t expect this! Thank you all for your time :)) So just to put it out there I am living actually in London not Scottland @PurpleTitan
@gearmom How can I find a career mentor in the industry? My links to Cisco have faded as they are very busy people, hard to contact I will definitely be contacting universities, but to be honest I am interested in cyber security or software engineering. I had a talk with my dad and he really wants me to go to a US university and he even said price tag isn’t an issue, will there be any which will recognise my strong A levels as a slight leverage for my lower SAT scores?
@asmaster24 I will discuss cyber security in the US with my husband for you. He had high level certification in that field and is the technical point of contact at his company for that.
I will definitely be contacting universities, but to be honest I am interested in cyber security or software engineering. I had a talk with my dad and he really wants me to go to a US university and he even said price tag isn’t an issue, will there be any which will recognise my strong A levels as a slight leverage for my lower SAT scores?