UVA vs VT for CS

[Anonymous]

USNWR ranks VT higher for CS. UVA has more prestige. Which would you pick?

[Anonymous]

In the end, it is up to your kid to choose. My son was accepted to VT, UVA, UMD CS with merit... but he chose UVA to go not my choice.

[Anonymous]

VT

[Anonymous]

Wherever your kid wants to go without your influence.

[Anonymous]

UMD is ranked highest in CS if that matters to you. Your kid will get a fine job from any of these places. If your kid wants to pursue academia, then I would choose UMD.

[Anonymous]

The one they get accepted at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD is ranked highest in CS if that matters to you. Your kid will get a fine job from any of these places. If your kid wants to pursue academia, then I would choose UMD.

This is OP. Yes, add UMD for CS to the mix. Merit received at UMD. DC is pretty easy going and could be happy at any of the schools. Not sure DC wants academia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The one they get accepted at.

Accepted at both

[Anonymous]

CS coursework is going to be the same. Have them use other factors.

[Anonymous]

From a hiring manager viewpoint, I would put UMd, UMBC, UVA, VT, and GMU all in the same bucket. Equally happy to hire from any of those schools (and also equally from many others).

What WILL make a difference to me at hiring time is which upper-level CS (or ECE) electives the student chose to take. That choice of electives will drive which actual CS skills the student will have. Most CS/ECE hiring managers are looking to hire people with specific skills and are equally happy with a wide range of colleges. Students need to carefully select their upper level electives.

Contrived example: someone with a concentration of AI courses in their electives is not interesting to me, regardless of school or GPA, because I do not need AI people. Some other company, one which is looking for AI will want them. Someone with Linux/C programming and familiarity with real-time/embedded systems is very interesting to me from any college and with almost any GPA.

[Anonymous]

UVA because reputation and other majors are much better there, in case your kid changes their mind (very common). Besides CS coursework isn’t rocket science at VT. A kid can do certifications on their own to demonstrate mastery for jobs.

[Anonymous]

Are they IN at both?
-useless discussion otherwise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wherever your kid wants to go without your influence.

This. We've lost our minds around here. It's the kid's life!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From a hiring manager viewpoint, I would put UMd, UMBC, UVA, VT, and GMU all in the same bucket. Equally happy to hire from any of those schools (and also equally from many others).

What WILL make a difference to me at hiring time is which upper-level CS (or ECE) electives the student chose to take. That choice of electives will drive which actual CS skills the student will have. Most CS/ECE hiring managers are looking to hire people with specific skills and are equally happy with a wide range of colleges. Students need to carefully select their upper level electives.

Contrived example: someone with a concentration of AI courses in their electives is not interesting to me, regardless of school or GPA, because I do not need AI people. Some other company, one which is looking for AI will want them. Someone with Linux/C programming and familiarity with real-time/embedded systems is very interesting to me from any college and with almost any GPA.

I don't worry about specific skills when hiring- a broad base of math/cs knowledge and raw intelligence have, to me, been a much better indicator of success. I can't imagine picking one candidate over another because candidate #1 took database design, while #2 took a machine learning class. Intelligence and hard work wins in the end. Hire accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Totally different schools. Just go wherever the DC likes and they will have equivalent career opportunities.