UW- Seattle vs UW- Madison (Computer Science)

I am an international student. I intend to major in computer science and have been accepted into both universities.

For me, the obvious choice would be UW Seattle as it’s CS program is renowned for being one of the best in the country. However, I have heard that only around 40% of freshman are accepted into the CS major after their first year. I’m worried that I won’t be among these 40% as I have very little programming experience.

UW Madison seems like the safer option as I am confident I can get the cs major. I have visited Madison and quite liked the city. Does anyone know if its computer science program is any good?

The cost of attendance is around the same for both.

Since I am an international student, the biggest factor for me is employment opportunities in the US after graduation because it is my dream to work as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. Do top tech companies recruit at UW Madison? Can anyone tell me about the opportunities for internships and connections with employers at these universities?

Side note: I have also been accepted into UNC and Penn State but I don’t believe their cs program compares to UW Seattle and UW Madison.

No direct admits at either CS program?
If not, then they really are comparable.
Both CS programs will be difficult to gain admission to, but not impossible if that’s your goal.

UW represents better local internship possibilities, but U Wisconsin has a great mid-Western traditional campus and would still provide you with a wonderful CS education at a program with a significant reputation.

Travel-wise, Seattle should be much easier to get to than U Wisconsin, which should factor into your calculations.

@hop: Last time I checked, the CS major at UW-Madison is absurdly easy to declare for.

And CS there is definitely in the top 20 and recruited by all the famous software companies.

Your main issue is that it’s very difficult for an International to get a work visa in the US straight out of undergrad regardless of where you go to school.

That’s what I’ve heard as well. However, the OPT visa allows STEM students to work for up to 3 years without needing sponsorship. Perhaps during that time, my employer can apply for an H1B visa on my behalf?

I’ve heard it’s not that difficult to declare the CS major at UWisc. Travelling to Madison is not an issue as I have family there. Thanks for the help

I would go where you will be in CS.What I found with two in CS is that while kids can get their internships through on campus recruiters, my kids and most everyone they know got them on their own - through the many online postings companies put up these days. The recruiting lines at the school events can be long and you can spend hours and talk with one company. Trying to get to Facebook or Google there is like a running of the bulls at most schools. CS is hot these days, you won’t have a problem out of any school. Both schools are well regarded. The visa, well that is another issue which I won’t launch into…good luck!

At Wisconsin, you can declare the CS major after earning a C or better in one CS course:
https://www.cs.wisc.edu/advising

At Washington, getting into the CS major is more competitive:
https://www.cs.washington.edu/prospective_students/undergrad/app_review_process
https://www.engr.washington.edu/current/admissions/admitstats