@Kathan99 I just stumbled upon your post as it was a very recent one and just wanted to give you my two cents. I am from India as well (been here in the U.S my entire life though), and live in the Twin Cities. I will likely be attending UMN for engineering this fall. Like many have said, you can’t go wrong with either one. I can say from what I’ve seen, there are plenty of internship and career opportunities in the Twin Cities with large fortune 500 companies hiring many every year. One of the biggest advantages I see is the fact that the UMN is in the heart of the city and offers a wide range of opportunities. As for Amherst, its is further away from the city but will still provide numerous opportunities for computer science majors, either way you can’t go wrong with either.
Also if I may ask are you applying as an undergrad or grad?
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask me!
If internships during the school year are important to you than go to MN since you’ll be right in the city. Amherst is approx 2.5 hrs from Boston, so it’s not possibe to do internships during the school year, but I guess you can go to Boston in the summers for that. If you want to be in a peaceful, small town than go to UMass. India is pretty hot, right? Be prepared for serious cold weather in MA, but unbelievably crazy cold in MN.
Don’t let the cold at either place scare you off. The first winter will be challenging as you learn how to dress in layers and learn that yes you do need that really good pair of gloves and wool socks. There are thrift stores where you can pick up good used sweaters for a fraction of their original cost. I have even purchased cashmere sweaters at thrift stores.
I am sure that the older international students at either place will share tips with you for getting outfitted for winter, how to find textbooks inexpensively, and where to go for authentic home cooking. You’ll be fine and really have two good choices.
@Kathan99 Undergrad here as well! Biggest advantage I see is that UMN is in the middle of the city, it will be a bit busier and lively as a result compared to Amherst since Boston is further away. Also the cold shouldn’t be a factor, both places get very cold, but that’s something you’ll get used to after a while. Either way, whichever you pick will be a great option, there’s advantages and disadvantages to both!
@Kathan99 I’ve lived in both areas. For internships in Boston, you’d be competing with students from Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Tufts, BC, BU, Brandeis etc, all of which have a better name in Boston than UMass. For the Twin Cities, UMN is top of the heap. I’d go to the Twin Cities. The cost of living is much lower there too.
Of the schools you listed, only Harvard and MIT will have a better name for CS internships in Boston. Many of the rest are on equal footing. Again, their CS reputation is very strong.
Both schools are good though - as others have said, I would choose based on fit. I think overall though, UMass does have the academic and professional edge.
Have you looked on airfare websites to see how much it would cost to get to the campuses? I don’t know where you are coming from. If the airfare is different by a couple hundred dollars, would that be a consideration? Include costs from the airport via shuttle bus or light rail.
