Hi Guys,
I was accepted to these two great institutions. I’m intending to be a Mathematics and Computer Science Major. I wondering which school is better for me. Something to consider is that I received a four year scholarship from the mathematics department in michigan ($1500 per year).
Thank you so much.
Academically, the two are roughly equal overall and in Mathematics, especially at the undergraduate level, where Michigan’s curriculum is considered on of the best in the nation.
Cal is better (albeit not by much) in CS. Cost of attendance should be roughly equal, even with the scholarship. If you intend on working in Silicon Valley, I think Cal makes better sense, although Michigan is no slouch in this department. If working in Silicon Valley is not something you aspire to, I would go for fit. Cal and Michigan have very different campus feels and cultures.
You can’t go wrong with either program. As Alexandre says, if Silicon Valley is your final destination, then Cal will probably work better for you.
However, Michigan is very strong:
If facilities matter to you, Michigan typically has bleeding edge buildings and laboratories
New facilities (as of 5 years ago):
http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/20225-15-million-gift-gives-major-boost-to-fellowships-at-michigan-engineering
If rankings matter to you, Michigan it typically highly ranked. Note that you can continue into graduate programs without sacrificing the quality of education which you will receive
rankings:
http://www.engin.umich.edu/college/about/facts
If tradition matters to you, Michigan’s graduates include the father of information
Theory, a co-founder of SUN, a co-founder of Google, the chief technologist for Craig’s list, the recently retired President of Twitter, the co-deverloper of the worldwide web, the father of genetic algorithms, the founder of DoubleClick and countless others:
Michigan has also been one of the primary focal points for the development of the Internet:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merit_Network
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet2
Although Cal may arguably have better overall reputation, their finances seem to not be doing so well. The opposite is true for Michigan.
@yikesyikesyikes Sadly you are right. Cal is in the midst of a financial crisis. Cuts are being made and the “new normal” is austerity. UM is growing and doing well.
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