<p>I have UVa CS PhD offer with full funding.
Also an offer from CMU INI in MS information security.</p>
<p>My research field is information security. Prestige and rigor are my top priorities (I'm an international), and I'm looking for a PhD. CMU's MS will just assure my ascension into CMU's PhD (of course I can take a couple years of job in the middle).</p>
<p>Now UVa is covering my expenses, but for CMU I need around 80,000 for the masters (maybe have to work a year to payback my debts after I finish?). The MS is 3 semesters, and 100% job placement with an average of $100k salary.</p>
<p>This decision actually decides for me whether I'll be settling down, living my life and pursuing a PhD, or working my ass off for three more years until I settle down in a much better PhD program :D</p>
<p>Thanks folks</p>
<p>The UVA CS program is not that great, however abhi shelat (who would probably be your advisor) is AMAZING. I would contact him and see if what he says interests you. If money is not a problem, CMU would be a better experience for sure. However, if money is a problem, I’m sure you can get a great job going through UVA CS, but you won’t get the same experience as at CMU.</p>
<p>@Hazerlob, can you elaborate?
Abhi Shelat contacted me personally regarding this. I was also interested in Davis Evans (he seems like an awesome advisor, too). Generally the UVa folks respect me a lot more and are much more interested in me than CMU people.
Money is a little of a problem, I would only need $20k more to attend CMU, the rest I have as savings.</p>
<p>So basically you’re going with CMU too.
Thanks</p>
<p>David Evans is definitely great as well, but abhi is a genius and would be the one capable of getting you where you needed to go.</p>
<p>The CS department has had at least 3 professors in the past 5-10 years leave without being replaced, putting their students in tough places (mid thesis with no new advisor covering the same thing). They have started getting funding to replace at least one of them and also hire some lecturers to relieve the teaching duties but it’s a work in progress, basically. They are pulling stunts like punishing tenured professors by making them teach intro courses when their funding is below average, lots of sexual harassment (maybe not an issue if you are a guy) and backwards thinking among many of the older professors.</p>
<p>There are a lot of great people that work in CS and I wish all of them were like that but they’re not. I worked for the CS department for a long time and had tons of friends in ugrad and grad so I know the stories. I think it is in an upward trend but it is no CMU so don’t expect it to be.</p>
<p>I hear grad study (specially PhD) is all based onyour advisor, is that true?
Is sexual harrasment by the professors or the staff? How friendly are helpful are staff there? Cuz that means a lot for a grad.</p>
<p>BTW have you heard or worked on the Helix project? Cuz that sounds interesting.</p>
<p>I’ve been trying to IM you on yahoo, but you’re not available.
Thanks</p>
<p>Oh I never use yahoo.</p>
<p>Harassment all by tenured older professors against younger women.
The staff are great actually! The faculty is hit or miss.</p>
<p>Your study is definitely 100% your advisor… after the 1st year. For the 1st year everyone is mixed up. I haven’t heard of that project.</p>
<p>Good luck making your decision… 
abhi is really great so it might be ok with him as your advisor, but just know that it’s not CMU.</p>
<p>I have a few friends that worked for Evans during undergrad; from what they say he seems like he’d be a really good graduate adviser.</p>