My son has got admission for Undergraduate Computer Science in following public schools :
i) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ii) University of Maryland, College Park
iii) University of Wisconsin, Madison
iv) University of Washington, Seattle
v) UC Davis
vi) UC Santa Barbara
vii) UC Irvine
He is completing his Grade XII in Indian (CBSE) curriculum.
Can somebody guide us on preferential order to be allocated among above colleges based on different parameters.
What parameters?
Costs?
Location?
Ranking?
Also, does he have direct admission to CS at all these universities, or does he have to go there, complete the basic courses & then apply for the CS major?
Topmost parameters are scopes for career prospect like opportunities for internship, job offers etc. .
Location, weather etc are in next level of consideration…
@FieldOfDaffodils, Yes, direct admission to CS in these universities…
They all have great computer science… what is the net cost after financial aid (if any)?
My slight preference (only if costs are equal) would be U Washington… fantastic city, great school spirit, very strong engineering, and ties to computer industry.
@harvardandberkeley, Thanks for your reply. Any comment on University of Maryland, College Park in comparison to other colleges ? That is also close to capital Washington DC and hopefully will have the advantage.
Can it be kept just after U Washington and ahead of UC schools where my son has got offer…
Why do you want to be close to DC?
Demand for computing skills is very high in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, but much of that demand comes (directly or indirectly) from the federal government. An international student may be at a disadvantage in competing for internships and jobs in the region. West coast schools may have more/better opportunities with commercial firms (as well as better weather). I think the west coast states are more likely than North Carolina to resist increasing pressure on companies to limit hiring to US citizens.
That’s how I see it (although people at some of these schools may tell you differently).
Have you talked to admission staff or faculty about internship and job opportunities for international students? If your son just wants to get a 4 year degree and go back to India, maybe it doesn’t matter.
The CS programs at Washington, Wisconsin, and Maryland seem to have the best reputations
(if the US News graduate program rankings are any indication).
@tk21769, Thanks for the feedback. By the way, my son is having a Green Card.
If he can keep that valid, I am keeping Maryland, College Park as second preference right after Washington, Seattle.
Please advice whether that is correct. My conclusion is based on the following :-
These two are better than North Carolina, Chapel Hill and UC schools from which he has got offer. Only Wisconsin, Madison may be a tad better, for which I am little hesitant due to extreme cold.
It’s also worth noting that the jobs in DC will be defense work often - being a green card holder won’t matter, as the security clearance will often require being a US citizen. Personally, I would see DC as more of a disadvantage in this case. UMD still is very well known in CS though, and will offer jobs in other tech hubs that are bigger than DC, like Seattle, Silicon Valley, and other large US tech cities. When I think tech hubs, DC probably doesn’t come to mind until #5 or #6 really.
As far as your reasoning, I think you’ve got a good ordering. Honestly, all of these schools are solid options, and you can’t really go wrong here. Good luck!
Many thanks for your valuable feedback…
UW