My son has received admission to the following:
UIUC: CS+Math program; no scholarship
Rutgers: CS (Engineering); honors program; generous scholarship
Stony Brook (CS): smaller scholarship
Maryland-CP (CS): waiting to hear back, but hoping to get in
The Rutgers offer is enticing, but the UIUC program is far better. Without the honors program and scholarship at Rutgers it would have been a safety school, but given what they’re offering, it’s making our decision hard.
How competitive is the program at UIUC in terms of pressure to do well, pressure to ensure you’re not left behind, etc.? While peer pressure is important, the best school for him would be one where he has the best chance of success on his own terms. He’s a self-taught programmer and his knowledge of CS far exceeds that of most incoming freshmen. But being in an academically super-competitive environment may not be the best place for him to realize his full potential.
If Maryland were to come through, would that be a happy medium between these two? And is there any reason for us to give Stony Brook more serious consideration?
Go with Rutgers and don’t look back with current options. IF Maryland comes thru with the same type of offer than yes they have a slightly better CS program. However fit is a huge factor not just ranking so consider many differences in the 2 schools before deciding.
Rigor between CS programs on different tiers is different, though.
I looked at OS finals from UMD and RU a few years ago and there was a clear difference in difficulty (UIUC likely at or harder than UMD’s level). That being said, a student who seeks out challenges at RU will be challenged and learn from them. The level that the faculty at any flagship operates at is well beyond even the toughest undergrad program.
For CS+Math at UIUC, make sure that he loves math. Otherwise, that major may be painful, and switching in to highly-desired majors at UIUC (such as CS in engineering–or CS+math if you are not in that program already–is not easy).
Computer Science degrees from UIUC and Rutgers are not comparable. UIUC CS is ranked 4th in the nation. However, if going to UIUC means taking $200K in loans, then it probably is not worth it.
Hi I’m a current CS-ENG student at UIUC and can answer a couple of the questions. One, the main thing with CS Engineering is that you will be taking more theoretical math classes and CS theory classes alongside your other CS electives. It’s very hard to switch majors, and theoretical math (yay proofs) is not for everyone. I was great in the calculus sequence and liked math, but the more theoretical stuff gives me quite a fight. UIUC is a pretty chill place regarding pressure, probably because I’ve only ever had one CS class that was graded on a curve. Your first year you’d take two programming classes (CS125/126) and one introductory CS theory class (CS173), and they’re pretty easy places to get your bearings in college, especially if you’ve programmed before. If you have any other questions feel free to ask!
@moscott, are you suggesting Rutgers for the reasons I outlined or do you have other reasons for it?
@PurpleTitan, he does like Math. He has taken AP level Math & Stats. The dual emphasis is actually an attraction for him.
@PurpleTitan, @gmfreedom, yes, I agree that academic rigor in the two places will be quite different. But I also don’t want him to drown in pressure to just keep up. It is important to have the time & mental space to be creative & curious, which is one of his strengths.
@literallymarx, happy to hear a current student’s perspective. Good to hear that it’s not a pressure-cooker environment. You make a good point about theoretical math vs applied math, which is mostly what he has been exposed to so far and has liked. I’m not worried about programming classes. He’s already pretty good at that & has some internships under his belt.
Big question is, cost and debt (if any) at each school?
@ucbalumnus, the differential between UIUC/UMd vs Rutgers/Stony Brook would be about $20K/year. It’s not a primary consideration for us. Chances of success, growth & fulfillment are by far the biggest factors.
No, for the reasons you outlined. Again IF Maryland comes thru then maybe reconsider but not worth 80,000 for UIUC over honors Rutgers scholarship IMO.
Not sure how the price difference is “not a primary consideration”, while the Rutgers scholarship that created the price difference is causing you to hesitate.
Stony Brook seems to have a similar reputation as Rutgers in CS and math, so if it comes down to these two (i.e. price is very important), looking up the CS and math courses and curricula to see what may be a better fit for him would be worth doing. Also, compare general education requirements.
Can you afford UMD or UIUC without parental loans?
How does your child feel about each?
There’s no denying these two are in another bracket and if he’s that gifted, the strongest program is likely the best one.
In terms of stress, CS will require a lot of time commitment everywhere. You can look at the course flowcharts, see if he would get some intro classes waived…