Hello,I am an international transfer student who want to major in computer science(undergrad) and hopefully get a job after graduation. Which school should I choose? I have the following important considerations:
1.Which school can help me better equipped with the ability to enter into the industry and get a well-paid job,which one has a better reputation in silicon valley?
2.The cost is very close,so it is not an important factor. But it is obvious to notice that UNC does not have a engineering college, does this fact will have a detrimental influence on my future CS study and work?
3.Which school has a better study environment and a more competitive atmosphere?(I want to compete with smart and diligent students)
I am very anxious to make a final decision now.
Thanks !
These are all great schools. In SV, I hear the most good things about UT for CS. UT has the added benefit of being in Austin, which has a healthy number of tech company headquarters and offices nearby. It is also a fun, lively city to be in for college.
Note that Austin has its own cluster of computer companies, Chapel Hill is one corner of the Research Triangle, and Maryland is next to the government and the cluster of companies doing work for the government.
Madison has two formidable research parks as well as many start-ups in the area, though Austin probably has an edge for C.S.-related activity. They really are all excellent schools. Perhaps the lack of engineering at UNC could be a factor, but not a direct one; as ucb mentioned, it is an integral part of the Research Triangle. C.S. at Maryland is one of its top departments.
For overall atmosphere, I would favor Austin and Madison; Chapel Hill is also a great place to attend college, a little smaller. I would rate all three above Maryland.
@anhydrite Thanks very much!
@ucbalumnus How about UW-Madison? Is their CS department strong and good for me to attend undergrad schoo?
@anhydrite Wisconsin and UNC, which would you prefer?
Wisconsin, at least according to U.S. News grad rankings in C.S., is above UNC-Chapel Hill; Wisconsin is tied here with Cal Tech at 11. I always advise to take rankings with a grain of salt, but if you keep them in perspective, they can be useful:
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/computer-science-rankings
I am probably biased, as I did choose Wisconsin for undergrad. But I had plenty of strong choices as well. Honestly, for C.S. between the two, I would probably choose Wisconsin, and for other majors, UNC. For what it is worth, I like UNC very much also.
I also think it is good to ask questions and figure out what the different schools are like, but it is better to come to your own decision in the end. Only you can make that, and once you do, you should feel good about it.
@anhydrite Your answer really makes sense. Thanks!
Why are you looking at state schools if you are an international student? You would have to pay a private school tuition to attend a state school. You might as well just look at the more expensive private schools.
10 of the Top 15 CS programs are at publics. And lots of internationals.
i can’t speak for the other schools, but UT Austin is great for networking and is known for the caliber of its STEM education. however, i dont think the student body as a whole would be very diligent since many of its students are transfers from community colleges in texas or less-renowned texas universities.
@sahar1811 I have given up Austin because it is hard for me to enroll into some CS classes because I am math major now. There are just too many students competing for CS courses.
@informative, do you know what the transfer acceptance rate is at the elite privates? The OP can’t choose a school that doesn’t accept him.
Even the most expensive out-of-state public schools are lower cost than the most expensive private schools.
For example:
Michigan: $58,346 (upper division)
UCLA: $54,810 (off campus) or $58,776 (dorm)
Columbia: $66,604
NYU: $70.974
USC: $67,212
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I think informative’s post was just not very informative for the OP. These are acceptances, and to highly ranked programs that the OP can afford. He is close to a decision already, if he hasn’t made one.
I didn’t reach a final decision. I am waiting for my transfer credit evaluation report…
UT of Austin is well represented in Silicon Valley. The only Wisconsin grad I knew was my boss but he went there for Masters degree and his father was a well known Ex- CEO of a large computer company in Silicon Valley.