<p>Hello,
I'm looking for some feedback on University of California - San Diego and University of Massachusetts - Amherst</p>
<p>Here's my case and the pros and cons :</p>
<p>I'm an international student (Indian from Dubai) and my intended major is Computer Science. Money is not a very big issue but of course it matters. I've studied CBSE curriculum (India) and we never had any "credit" kind of thing in my school. So I'm not entirely sure what's best for me between semester and quarter system. Also, I'm not a party person and not too studious either. I'd like to be surrounded with people who give priority to studies first no matter what. </p>
<p>UCSD :
- Undeclared major
- Fees (Rounded-up) : $55,000 [no scholarship/aid]
- Since my intended major is CS which recently became "impacted", getting CS is going to be hard.
- Muir college, so it is kind of easier
- I'm from a sub-tropical country so I'm used to the heat and I prefer summers. So, california's weather is a plus.
- San Diego seems like a nice city (since I'm from Dubai, it would be nice to have a downtown area and walk the streets of a city)
- Relatives live in San Francisco and San Jose
- Quarter System</p>
<p>UMass :
- Computer Science (B.S) (Honors College)
- Fees (Rounded-up) : $30,000 [after accounting for the $12,000 scholarship]
- Weather seems decent enough.
- Amherst seems like a boring town (I'm used to living in a city)
- Semester System
- Appears to be a party school</p>
<p>What I'd love to know is, about the people in both the universities, the academics rigor, student motivation, professors, facilities and career opportunities after graduation. </p>
<p>I realize that UCSD is a lot of money but I just want to know whether it's a good investment and whether the education quality and career opportunities are worth it. </p>
<p>Thank You :)</p>
<p>The key here is HONORS COLLEGE at Amherst. UMass is a party school, sure, but the honors college (while not without many parties!) will be more focused and will offer a better academic experience. The Honors Dorms are very good and the whole area where the honors college is located is very nice. Try to take an online tour, ask to be put in contact with current international honors students, etc.
Amherst is a college town… the opposite of a boring town. It’s like a city that centers on student needs and interests so there are lots of things to see and do. It’s actually one of the best towns in the US for college students.
However, the weather WILL be a shock. You’ll discover all 4 seasons and it’ll be both nice and taking some getting used to. Mid-August (when you arrive) and September will be nice, crisp, you’ll see the amazing New England foliage (the colors of the leaves turn to bright orange, yellow, red… people come up on weekends and take pictures because it’s so pretty. However it comes from the difference in temperatures between night and day, so that tells you something already.) October will start to feel cold, you’ll need thin woolen long sleeved clothes all day long, not just in the evening like in September. November to March will be colder than you can imagine, and very dry. You’ll have to put lotion on your face and hands otherwise the skin dries out and starts peeling off or “feeling tight”. However you won’t “feel” cold, because buildings are all very well heated and you’ll buy appropriate clothing&boots that will insulate you well (you’ll discover New England brands like LLBean. BTW don’t try to buy your winter clothes in India, wait till you are in MA.) There’ll be snow, icy pavement and sidewalks. Of course it doesn’t snow all the time, just from time to time, and the snow is removed with snowplows. At first, snow, is very exciting. You can discover new games and sports, go snowshoeing or cross country skiing for instance. But by February you’re kind of tired of it. And in March-April, spring comes, making everyone happy and energized.</p>
<p>In my opinion, UCSD isn’t worth $25,000 more, per year, than UMass Honors.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your reply! I suppose you’re right. I’ve heard it’s a very good college town.
The thing that’s making me consider UMass the most is the fact that I’ve already gotten my major. It has more certainty than UCSD. </p>
<p>Let’s say I’m capable to maintain a good GPA at either of the universities, then when applying for grad school or for jobs, would it make a difference if I studied at UCSD or UMass?</p>
<p>No, it wouldn’t. What will matter is how well you do and how you’re able to take advantage of the opportunities offered to you. Being in UMass Honors will give you every chance to succeed.
However, remember that internaitonals aren’t likely to find a job in the US after college graduation, unless they stay on for a Master’s degree and are in an “in demand” field.</p>
<p>Hmm.
I guess CS is an in-demand field, isn’t it? But, I guess it also makes sense to choose the nationals over internationals. </p>
<p>Yes, CS is an in-demand field, and many exceptions to the rule for internationals are for CS majors. :)</p>
<p>Could anyone else provide their take on this as well? :)</p>
<p>If you are wondering about the quarter or semester system, the quarter system just divides the 30 weeks of instruction into three 10-week quarters, versus two 15-week semesters on the semester system. So year-long courses will be divided into three pieces instead of two. A standalone course may be a “larger” course under the quarter system (i.e. have more class time, workload, and credit units) to compensate for the shorter term. Note that a credit unit in the quarter system equal two thirds of a credit unit in the semester system.</p>
<p>In terms of distance from relatives, UCSD is still a plane ride away from San Francisco or San Jose, or an all day car or bus trip. But UMass is a five hour plane ride away. Still, the price difference argues strongly for UMass.</p>
<p>In terms of employment after graduation, consider how the schools are viewed in the countries where you may work, since employers outside the US may have different views on the matter than employers within the US.</p>
<p>Thank you for your input, ucbalumnus 
I agree that relatives living in San Francisco doesn’t make much of a difference and it was actually never a point of consideration. It was just while making the pros and cons, I thought it would be good to add all the not-so-important pros as well :P</p>
<p>I also completely agree with what you said about the employment and that information is exactly what I’m actually looking for. I wanted people who may have experience in this industry to suggest me what is the general idea of both of these universities & how much does it really matter to the employers in USA? As of now, I plan to look for jobs in USA first.
Also, I want to keep in mind the grad school because I also plan to get a masters from (hopefully) a reputed research university.
Considering all that I’ve heard about UCSD’s academic rigor, I suppose I’ll perform better at UMass.</p>
<p>**So, basically, how much does GPA matter vs the reputation of the university while applying for grad school and also for employment? I’d also like to know the difference between the reputation of UMass and UCSD . **</p>
<p>Thank you :)</p>
<p>GPA >>>>>> university’s name. </p>