Hey,
I am having a hard time choosing between these two schools. I am set up in a position where the price difference between the schools does not matter, so please help me look at it from just a standpoint of education.
My preferred major is Computer Engineering, but William and Mary does not have this major, just computer science. I would prefer to study computer engineering, so I guess my questions is: do the benefits of going to a more recognized college such as William and Mary outweigh the negative that I am going to miss out on Computer Engineering as a major?
I apologize for any mistakes in formatting or location of this thread that I may have made since I am a first time poster. Thank you in advance!
No point in attending (or even applying to) a school that doesn’t have your major.
You’ll have no issues with a GMU education or frankly an education from any accredited school in computer engineering, assuming the job market stays hot.
W&M’s computer science department does not appear to offer much in the way of similar course work:
If you prefer a computer hardware emphasis, then GMU computer engineering is a better fit. However, if the software and theory emphasis typical of computer science majors is your preference, then a computer science major at either W&M or GMU is a better fit.
If you want to focus on hardware, then GMU is your best choice. (Did you get into the Honors College?)
The W&M will NOT focus on that at all. So while getting into W&M is a big deal (congratulations!), if you can’t study what interests you, it’s pointless. You can feel statisfied you got into W&M and choose another college.
It’s not that I want to specifically focus on hardware. I just want a major where its a mix of hardware and software. Is George Mason’s Comp Eng program something like that?
You can look at the curriculum for your potential major at each school, and think about which one covers what you want to study.
If you want to study both hardware and software, it sounds like George Mason is your choice!
My husband works at a well-known Bay Area software company and has worked with a number of George Mason graduates; in his opinion it’s a good school that produces capable engineers, and it was one of the schools that he suggested to our son.
Would you think that going to William and Mary and then transferring to VT is a good choice if I am specifically shooting for VT? Would the extra rep that WM has influence VT admissions?
No. And you don’t want to go to school looking to leave. You want to go thinking you’ll love.
The ‘prestige’ or name of the school carries little weight in this major.
Also you need to study what you want. So W&M doesn’t fit.
If you want to be at Va Tech then go to a CC and transfer in. Also check with va Tech on transfer requirements. At some schools majors like CS are basically not able to be transferred into.
I don’t know a lot about William & Mary, but in general I think it’s not such a good idea to go to a school with the intent of transferring out right away.