<p>Can anyone help me decide which would be a better fit for me? </p>
<p>Some background: I was accepted as a computer science major by UCLA and UCSD; waitlisted at UC Berkeley Q.Q
I want to go for a master’s degree after undergrad, and I want to get a job and not die penniless. ;) For me academics > campus > social life.</p>
<p>UCSD accepted me as a Regent’s Scholar so I’d get priority registration, guaranteed housing, “library privileges” (...does anyone know what privileges exactly?), admission to the honors program (can’t tell if this is that worth it for me though. it seems like just leadership and social stuff). I’d also have research opportunities but I’m not interested in research. The scholarship money’s not too important either.</p>
<p>UCLA’s computer science program has a generally higher ranking, although I’ve heard that UCSD is climbing. Also, based on visiting both, I have to say I liked UCLA’s campus better. </p>
<p>So, factoring in my regent’s status at SD, which of these CS programs would give me better opportunities as far as my priorities (internships, continuing education) are concerned? By the way, how is CS recruiting at SD vs LA? And can anyone point out major differences in the approach of each program? I’ve read their website blurbs, but I’d also like the opinions of humans. :)</p>
<p>Most people find the campus and atmosphere quite different between the school, but since those aren’t that important to you take them off the table. If I were in your shoes I’d take UCSD. Priority registration at a large UC is a big deal. It means you’ll get the classes you want. Library privileges usually means you can check out books for an entire quarter like grad students can; maybe a cool thing 25 years ago, but now there’s this thing called the internet… </p>
<p>In the end your success in getting into grad school and finding a job is going to largely depend on what you do in college. A kid with a poor GPA from UCLA is going to have a much tougher time than a kid with a good GPA from UCLA. Kids with good GPAs and some internship experience will be in demand by employers from either school. For grad school you need to take the time to get to know some profs in order to get good recs, and you need to do this at either school.</p>
<p>You can spend some time looking to see what employers recruit on campus at each, and where recent grads have gone, but I’d bet that they are comparable. </p>
<p>edit: also it looks like UCSD has a 5-year program where you can get a MS and BS. You might want to look into how hard it is to be accepted into it, but that would be a trump card for me. Instead of spending 2 years (and an extra year of lost income, probably $65K or more) or losing your nites and weekends for a few years while you do a part-time program, you spend one year. </p>