Hello guys. First time posting here, so I hope I don’t mess this up.
I am an international student and I want to study computer science. I want to find a decent job and stay in the US after graduation, and I am also interested in doing my masters in a good uni. I am in the 97th percentile and have a pretty good GPA.
I am considering attending UIS with a decent scholarship. My only worry is that after graduation, top unis will reject me for my masters even if I have a perfect GPA and I will be unable to find a job and will have to return to my country. Should I attend UIS? Or is it too risky, considering it is a small uni that is regional? Should I just take the risk and maybe transfer if I believe it is not preparing me for an MS is a top school?
I am open to all suggestions. Thank you.
UIS is not the prestigious campus of the UI system (Urbana-Champaign is the flagship (major campus), with the Chicago campus next).
That said, if you have a “perfect GPA” at UIS, you will not have any problem getting accepted to graduate school somewhere. If you are looking to get accepted to a top program, then make sure that the CS program at UIS will give you the basic foundation that any undergrad CS major provides. While at UIS (or any school), form close contact with professors if possible and see if there are opportunities to work on projects.
I’m a humanities person, not a STEM expert, but you’d be surprised how many faculty members sometimes started off at modest, non-elite colleges and universities. If you are a very bright and high achieving student, you might become a “big fish in a small pond” at UIS, meaning that you’ll stand out.
Yes, you could always transfer after two years, though as an international student you better be able to afford doing so.