Best for computer science: GMU, UMBC,VCU, or Towson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a great computer science program, you should really look at GMU.

The others are not really known for their computer science program from what I understand.

You may have to focus on just a couple of your other questions because you gave too many in your initial post.

Is this first child who’s a senior? Do they have any gut feel on which of these they’d like to attend?

You forgot one of the more important questions, are they in-state in Virginia or Maryland?

Thank you. My first child is a junior and thinking about at schools to apply to. We are in VA but can afford OOS tuition in MD. DD is mixed. I am white and my husband is black. DD likes these schools due to their diversity as it pertains to black people. She understands that the students in the CS major won't be particularly diverse.

UMBC has a good CS program, but it's more of a commuter school, which you said you didn't want, I think.

UMBC used to be a commuter school but no longer so. If you are biracial, apply to their Myerhoff program. The nomination process happens earlier than EA so keep an eye out for that. I know several kids who came out of UMBC CS and got great jobs out of school in DMV area.

It’s still very much a commuter school compared to most colleges out there. Good point about the Meyerhoff program, but it’s super selective. The kids that get in there have stats that are competitive for much more selective schools.

Yes, UMBC Meyerhoff program is for kids who are high stats. I think that because MD (especially HCPS and MCPS) have a whole bunch of high stat kids in magnet programs etc, and college admissions are crapshoot for the demographics in many STEM focussed HS program that these kids flow over to UMD if they don't get into MIT. Because of that now UMD CS program is super high ranked and so these same kids are flowing into UMBC, because the UMBC Honors College (and Meyerhoff) gives them the support and opportunities they need. Still, a bi-racial student has a greater chance of getting into Meyerhoff so she should certainly try. Also, it is not only a diverse college but extremely supportive student and staff body.

[Anonymous]

GMU and UMBC both have strong CS programs. Neither are great on the overall college atmosphere / experience. Go to whichever is in state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a great computer science program, you should really look at GMU.

The others are not really known for their computer science program from what I understand.

You may have to focus on just a couple of your other questions because you gave too many in your initial post.

Is this first child who’s a senior? Do they have any gut feel on which of these they’d like to attend?

You forgot one of the more important questions, are they in-state in Virginia or Maryland?

Thank you. My first child is a junior and thinking about at schools to apply to. We are in VA but can afford OOS tuition in MD. DD is mixed. I am white and my husband is black. DD likes these schools due to their diversity as it pertains to black people. She understands that the students in the CS major won't be particularly diverse.

GMU is the most diverse university in the Commonwealth. DD felt very safe there (lived in dorms all four years). She had a job with Microsoft for Computer Game Design before graduation and is still there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a great computer science program, you should really look at GMU.

The others are not really known for their computer science program from what I understand.

You may have to focus on just a couple of your other questions because you gave too many in your initial post.

Is this first child who’s a senior? Do they have any gut feel on which of these they’d like to attend?

You forgot one of the more important questions, are they in-state in Virginia or Maryland?

Thank you. My first child is a junior and thinking about at schools to apply to. We are in VA but can afford OOS tuition in MD. DD is mixed. I am white and my husband is black. DD likes these schools due to their diversity as it pertains to black people. She understands that the students in the CS major won't be particularly diverse.

UMBC has a good CS program, but it's more of a commuter school, which you said you didn't want, I think.

UMBC used to be a commuter school but no longer so. If you are biracial, apply to their Myerhoff program. The nomination process happens earlier than EA so keep an eye out for that. I know several kids who came out of UMBC CS and got great jobs out of school in DMV area.

It’s still very much a commuter school compared to most colleges out there. Good point about the Meyerhoff program, but it’s super selective. The kids that get in there have stats that are competitive for much more selective schools.

Yes, UMBC Meyerhoff program is for kids who are high stats. I think that because MD (especially HCPS and MCPS) have a whole bunch of high stat kids in magnet programs etc, and college admissions are crapshoot for the demographics in many STEM focussed HS program that these kids flow over to UMD if they don't get into MIT. Because of that now UMD CS program is super high ranked and so these same kids are flowing into UMBC, because the UMBC Honors College (and Meyerhoff) gives them the support and opportunities they need. Still, a bi-racial student has a greater chance of getting into Meyerhoff so she should certainly try. Also, it is not only a diverse college but extremely supportive student and staff body.

Yes, I’ve worked with several Meyerhoff graduates and from what they describe the program seems amazing. Super high percentage of their grads go on to get PHDs as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonder why UVA and VA Tech are not the contention of top CS programs. Are GMU CS program is that superior irrespective of the rankings?

No, GMU CS program nowhere near as good as UVA/VT/UMD, but those schools are a lot harder to get into.

I beg to differ. GMU has an excellent computer science department (and cyber security if that is if interest). I served on one of the zGMU advisory boards I. Those fields. We meet monthly with the hiring personnel and CEO’s if Dulles Corridor and I-270 companies to find out what their hiring needs were and to provide a network of hiring -something that GMU does very well. Go and tour the department. It’s a tough program. Also look at Game Design and CyberSecurity. You’ll also want to visit the Manassas campus because that’s where VSGi (Virginia Serious Game Institute) and many of the computer science and cybersecurity classes are held. Buses connect all four Virginia campuses (there’s one also in Seoul Korea). It’s impressive and yes most diverse campus in Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonder why UVA and VA Tech are not the contention of top CS programs. Are GMU CS program is that superior irrespective of the rankings?

No, GMU CS program nowhere near as good as UVA/VT/UMD, but those schools are a lot harder to get into.

And don't have the diversity the poster said her daughter was looking for.

[Anonymous]

UMD CP has a strong computer science program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD CP has a strong computer science program.

Really hard to get into

[Anonymous]

I have worked at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for 30 years in IT. I can tell you that over the last 30 years, we have hired quite a few graduates from UMBC CS programs and they have done extremely well for NASA. At least from this agency's perspective, a CS degree from UMBC is a plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No, GMU CS program nowhere near as good as UVA/VT/UMD, but those schools are a lot harder to get into.

. -1. Harder to get into maybe, but nowhere near as good is a point blank lie--the grading is based on the name of assignment! Most biased, dishonest professors anywhere.
Went to UVa Eng. majoring in CS and it is HORRIBLE for women unless you are severely obese, European-American, and have never been able to get a date, and only want a career until wedded. Then you will have found paradise and the greatest place on Earth. Top GPA girl flopped GRE and got stuck in a boontown consultant position. Out-of-state girl with serious intelligence got held back a year, but caught up after 3 years of career. Minority girls dealing with physical abuse from bigotry. Took CS grad classes at GMU and none of this happened and GMU undergrad worked alongside me at the same company. 100% GMU grads volunteering to go back and recruit. OP, is your daughter interested in CS (other schools are better) or is she obese, white, and dateless and looking for male attention(UVA is utopia and she'll date up)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a great computer science program, you should really look at GMU.

The others are not really known for their computer science program from what I understand.

You may have to focus on just a couple of your other questions because you gave too many in your initial post.

Is this first child who’s a senior? Do they have any gut feel on which of these they’d like to attend?

You forgot one of the more important questions, are they in-state in Virginia or Maryland?

Thank you. My first child is a junior and thinking about at schools to apply to. We are in VA but can afford OOS tuition in MD. DD is mixed. I am white and my husband is black. likes these schools due to their diversity as it pertains to black people. She understands that the students in the CS major won't be particularly diverse.

.
"Won't be particularly diverse" --> please check your racism at door of the cs class - CS is plenty diverse just may not have as many african americans as you prefer b/c of your racist views

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a great computer science program, you should really look at GMU.

The others are not really known for their computer science program from what I understand.

You may have to focus on just a couple of your other questions because you gave too many in your initial post.

Is this first child who’s a senior? Do they have any gut feel on which of these they’d like to attend?

You forgot one of the more important questions, are they in-state in Virginia or Maryland?

Thank you. My first child is a junior and thinking about at schools to apply to. We are in VA but can afford OOS tuition in MD. DD is mixed. I am white and my husband is black. likes these schools due to their diversity as it pertains to black people. She understands that the students in the CS major won't be particularly diverse.

.
"Won't be particularly diverse" --> please check your racism at door of the cs class - CS is plenty diverse just may not have as many african americans as you prefer b/c of your racist views

Are you slow? The poster said her kid "likes these schools due to their diversity as it pertains to black people. She understands that the students in the CS major won't be particularly diverse. She is talking about black people not diversity as a whole. And the truth is computer science is not diverse when it comes to black people. Stating a fact is not racist. I am a Hispanic female who majored in computer science. It's a bunch of white, asian, and south/southeast asian men. It is NOT diverse when it comes to women of any race, hispanic people of any gender or black people of any gender. These are all facts.

OP of the schools mentioned, I think GMU/UMDBC are best choices and tied. As for VA Tech and UVA and UMDCP, I'd rank UMDCP > VA Tech > UVA for computer science. UVA is the the better school in terms of name drop and in general but UMDCP and VATech have better computer science programs.

[Anonymous]

GMU has come a long way and is no longer as much of a computer school. Particularly for computer science, it rivals those other top schools mentioned (tech, uva, umd cp)

In-state tuition at GMU is very low. I’d be surprised if you got the same amount in aid from the Maryland schools.

[Anonymous]

GMU is very good for CS, and students can just continue internships through their academic study because of the ready connection to tech companies in Fairfax (esp. Reston and Tysons), Government agencies, and proximity to DC.

GMU is often recognized as one of the most diverse colleges and universities. More importantly they have decades of showing no--or very minimal-- achievement gaps for URM on a variety of metrics, including graduation rates. This is fairly rare to find in a college that is not a HBCU. The current president of the college is focused on sustaining and developing further this idea of diversity, excellence and inclusion and has made distinct and meaningful data-driven steps rather than things for show (and he has an engineering background). My vote would be strong GMU.

[Anonymous]

GMU