<p>I have not confirmed my enrollment yet anywhere, so I am still interested in the question.</p>
<p>The biggest factor in my decision is, “How much is prestige worth?”</p>
<p>I agree that Vanderbilt is far more of a name-brand than UMN-TC (that is why I applied), but to what extent does prestige matter?</p>
<p>The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities has a higher ranking CS department at roughly 1/3 of the cost. Furthermore, the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area has far more CS jobs and internships than Nashville. Looking at any job site will confirm this.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I knew Vanderbilt’s reputation as a top 20 school… and I applied. However, how many of Vanderbilt’s flaws can be swept under the rug in the name of prestige? What sort of benefits do I get from going to a higher-ranked school, despite through a lower-ranked department?</p>
<p>(I am not putting Vanderbilt down here–I am genuinely asking the question if the prestige is worth it.)</p>