<p>Hello ppl on CC. </p>
<p>Recently, I have been admitted to both universities with major in Computer Science. It's really hard for me to choose which one between the two to enroll, since they both seem to have very good program in CS. Furthermore, I have been accepted to Umass' s Honors College while not in Minnesota, is it better for me to study in an Honors program? </p>
<p>And about my interests in the CS field, I particularly love to do research (about Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineer and Data mining). Umass seems to have a very good reputation in AI, while Minnesota is top-ranked in Data mining.</p>
<p>I would be very grateful if someone who has any experiences or is now studying at one of those two universities can share their perspectives and advice me which school I should choose or provide some additional information about the co-op, internships programs and graduating job opportunities of Umass Amherst and Minnesota Twin Cities.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your concern.</p>
<p>Net price difference and how much does it matter to you?</p>
<p>Post-graduation plans? If employment, which region would you prefer to work in?</p>
<p>The prices I must pay at those two are pretty much the same so I can afford both. Post-graduation plan is a bit too soon for me 'cause I am an international student, and I am not quite familiar with USA. Btw, I think I will pursue phD in CS when I graduate. My dream companies are those such as Google, Microsoft or FB but they are quite hard to get in so I think I should know about some other job opportunities. After all, any information about the study and academic programs at those two would be more necessary. :D.</p>
<p>Consider whether employers in the country of your citizenship or residency view each university favorably.</p>
<p>Bigger companies tend to recruit more widely, although they can have varying levels of selectivity within their recruiting pools. However, needing a work visa to work in the US may be another hurdle to working in the US after graduation.</p>
<p>Yes. I know that any one who holds a visa status will have difficulty getting a job in US, maybe except those big international companies like Google and Microsoft. The reason I chose to study in US is that I really appreciate the academic programs in Computer Science of America not that I want to definitely work in US in the future (I may return to my country or any other countries where I can get a job). The most necessary thing I wish to know now is about the CS programs at those 2 universities :).</p>
<p>After all, thank you very much for your advice.</p>
Like you said UMass’s CS program is ranked slightly higher. (http://■■■■■■■.com/6nzpl9u) (Umass Amherst #25 CS, TS CS #29)
Whereas in the National rankings TS is ranked #71 and UMass Amherst #76.
So ultimately you could say it’s a tossup! (So I pick whichever sounds better)
PS- I have a friend in the AI CS program at Umass, it is VERY challenging for him and he is a solid student. (2200+ SAT) So please don’t take CS lightly. lol (The AI program is Ranked #12 in the US)
(http://■■■■■■■.com/mp2dhm5)
@Halcyon77 Your response is very helpful ! Thank you very much.
Truly, for these two universities you could choose on quality of life issues (weather, travel time and ease of transportation to and from your home country, urban/suburban university setting, ease of travel to other places you want to visit, access to particular ethnic food, etc.). You also should contact the career center at each campus and ask specifically about internship and job placement for international students who are restricted in employment by the CPT and OPT regulations. The work experience you gain through internships will be decisive in your future employability.
I’d pick UMass for its Honors College along with top-ranked CS. The perks of the Honors College will make the difference in your experience (and I love the Twin Cities! But here, email UMN-Twin Cities to make sure an invitation to their Honors Program is not forthcoming - or that you weren’t supposed to apply yourself!.. and if the choice is UMN without Honors or UMass with Honors, I’d pick Umass with Honors). Plus the town of Amherst and the opportunity to take classes in the consortium are great, too.
I got into UMN- Twin Cities. And honestly, the difference in rankings is so infinitesimal that you should consider them in your decision. Minneapolis gives you access to more opportunities than Amherst will. However, Amherst has more of a college town feel to it.
I don’t see that Minneapolis will really give the OP more advantages (and I live in the Twin Cities and have a degree from U of MN). Either school will have companies recruiting for CS majors (if the OP can work here).
Thank you for all of your responses! They really help me.
@MYOS1634 I have already asked Minnesota about their Honors College. They said that the results will come out in March, so I think I have to wait until then to make my decision.
@CaliCash @intparent Thank you for your information. I think I should e-mail Minnesota to get more details about the job and internship opportunities which are available for international students.
I don’t see how they would have different answers. Either you can work in this country or you can’t. The colleges themselves don’t arrange your internships, you do that yourself. Neither is going to have “more” job or internship opportunities for international students, I think. You need to research employment law for the US as a whole for your type of visa.
@intparent Oh I see. Actually I cannot work in many jobs in US with my visa so I don’t consider that much as an important factor. And about the internships, I only know about Google, Microsoft and Facebook, 'cause some upperclassmen who are my friends from high school got their internships there.
There are thousands of companies and organizations that offer internships opportunities to college students here in the US, especially CS majors.
Both universities will have large networks to help you find internships and on campus jobs (to which you’re restricted) should be possible at (on) both campuses because they’re large. You can check out each career center’s resources (their website should be a good indication).
@intparent While the rules are the same no matter where a student is studying, some career centers and academic departments are more successful at placing their students in CPT and OPT internships in jobs just because of the individual connections between those career centers and departments and potential employers, and because some employers are more willing to take on students who have those work restrictions. A fair number of employers do not take on CPT or OPT students at all. That is why @ampharos needs to communicate with people at both universities to find out what their success rates has been with placing international students who major in CS.
Good luck trying to pin down either college on specifics or statistics.
Hi
I am exactly in the same situation and have to take a call by end of April . Can the OP let me know which college was finally selected and the reason .
PS
I have a partial tuition waiver of 12 K from Amherst which should make it cheaper - say 28 K vs 40 K of UMN