<p>It looks like I'll have to choose between these two schools for CS. Here is some of my background info. I'll leave my personal preferences out of this matter for the sake of maintaining objectivity (on my part at least).</p>
<p>UIUC: James Honors for COE. OOS. Tuition will be about 30-32k.</p>
<p>UCSD: No honors. In state. Tuition will be about 7k.</p>
<p>I'm just looking for some additional insight from CCers. </p>
<p>1) What would be your preference disregarding financial aid?
2) What would be your preference taking financial aid into account?
3) Pros and cons of both schools (academics, setting, social scene, etc.)</p>
<p>I would go to UIUC because you are a california resident, placing you in a place like chicago (which is nothing like the Cali) is going to shape you for the better; its a big university like Cal, UCLA, Umich, and UW-madison; if i had the opportunity to go to a univ like UIUC i would NEVER think twice, just go.</p>
<p>I spent a year and a half after high school travelling with a few nonprofits, and it shaped me in ways I could never imagine. I’m so thankful for going to La Jolla for BE this fall, but i know that in 2 years when i apply to grad school UIUC, UMich, UTexas-Austin and alot of the Ivys are going to be 1st on my list. In fact, i will go as far as to say the only reason i will apply to Cal grad programs is because of the state funding to stem cell research that many other states don’t have—if it was not for that i would not even consider applying in California for grad school</p>
<p>Congrats on getting into UCSD and UIUC, and remember:::
It’s you and I who make our fates, we open up or close the gates,
On the Road Ahead or the Road Behind.</p>
<p>Both schools are highly regarded for research in those fields; though as an undergrad, that’s not the most relevant piece of information. Where do YOU want to live for four years? Could you survive Chicago winters? I have friends at UIUC; Illinois residents. They love it, whereas I love UCSD…it’s all relative and a personal choice. However, personally, taking financial aid into comparison would be what sways me. You’ll get a world-class education either way, congrats on getting in both!</p>
<p>The tuition is the deciding factor for me. In the end, the school you go to doesnt matter that much. It’s what you make out of it through GPA/internships/jobs.</p>
<p>Yup. It was made clear to me when I went for a recruitment weekend recently. The school itself is great, but there is no real ‘city’ anywhere nearby.</p>
<p>What do you want to do with your degree? I don’t know much about UIUC, but UCSD has a lot of things going on for undergraduates. As a freshman depending on your motivation and skills you’ll have the chance to do research, tutor, work(CalIT2 and the like), as well as be able to get a lot of project based experience. I know some organizations on campus like IEEE, AUVSI, NGS that will let you work on real projects and will teach you everything you need to know. </p>
<p>When I was deciding where to go for college, the above was mainly why I chose UCSD since the places I was considering were all in the same ballpark for cost. If I had to pick in your scenario, I would probably choose UCSD because of finances. That’s not necessarily a huge factor though because if you’re any good, starting salaries at Microsoft, Amazon, etc are about $80K. I think the lowest I’ve heard for someone decent was $50K. Another pro is that the majority of recruiters at our job fairs are either software companies or looking for software engineers.</p>
<p>Having perfect weather year round is just icing on the cake </p>
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