Paying for Berkeley over UMD for Comp Sci - Worth it?

[Anonymous]

umd.

[Anonymous]

What kind of student are we talking about? I started at cal and was miserable. The engineering school is ultra competitive and extremely hard. I transferred to umd and never looked back.

The difference to me is that Maryland carries no weight if I had wanted a west coast job when I graduated. It is well respected in the mid Atlantic, but not well known in California.

[Anonymous]

CS major here, with degree from a top-5 CS school.

If your DC is really into computers (they can already program and they get it), then Berkeley. If not, then UMD.

Berkeley people go into SV startups, which hire the best of the best. UMD will provide your typical programmers, like peopel working on gov't contracts and so on. Not bad, but not pushing the technology envelope.

Whoever said UMBC, ignore that. UMD is much better at CS than UMBC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If 100% certain that DC wil, stick with computer science, UMD is a better choice even at same cost. I get Silicon Valley, but there is a shop off Rte 198 that knows a thing or two about computers too.

If any chance the major could change, then Cal.

Umm... yea, but the majority of high tech jobs at the most "fun" and interesting, hip companies are in SV, especially for a recent college grad. If you are a young single person in high tech, you want to work for one any one of the companies in SV. The perks there for a single person is great. You will have tons of fun, and sorry, but MD weather cannot compete with CA weather. Skiing, surfing, sailing, desert down south, forest up north. If it weren't for the cost of living, it would be paradise.

California is a big state that is best compared to the east coast from Boston to DC. I'll give you the weather and natural beauty, but Northern California is insular and boring compared to NYC and the East Coast. Palo Alto (aka"shallow alto") is so boring that most young people now endure a commute from San Francisco. San Francisco is great for gay men, but for others - not so much. So for the outdoorsmen, Cal is hard to beat. For the urban dweller, I'd choose the East Coast.

[Anonymous]

I had an opportunity between Berkeley and UMD also. Berkeley hands down. It was an amazing 3 1/2 years. The weather, food, people were amazing. It also taught me so much independence. I would love to take my kids there sometimes to show them the campus.

[Anonymous]

Berkeley of course! Look- Berkeley is nationally and internationally known to be a great school. I've had people from California ask me if umd is a good school. I don't know anything about it. Based on reputation and name alone- ucb

[Anonymous]

Yes. Worth it. No brainer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of student are we talking about? I started at cal and was miserable. The engineering school is ultra competitive and extremely hard. I transferred to umd and never looked back.

The difference to me is that Maryland carries no weight if I had wanted a west coast job when I graduated. It is well respected in the mid Atlantic, but not well known in California.

well there ya go. Umd is for those who cant cut it at Berkeley.

[Anonymous]

For the posted who suggested UMBC -
I'm conducting interviews today of Comp Sci and Information Sciences majors for entry level IT jobs at my large consulting company.

The jobs we interview UMD grads for have a higher starting salary and are client facing, partner consulting track jobs. The jobs I'm filling today with UMBC grads are staff augmentation coder and tester roles with lower salaries, not partner track.

I am not originally from the area and don't know if this designation made by the recruiters at my company is fair or based in data - but the discrepancy is there.

I agree with the posters who say Cal has more national name recognition. UMD is a great school, based on my coworkers who went there, but I never knew a UMD grad until I moved to DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the posted who suggested UMBC -
I'm conducting interviews today of Comp Sci and Information Sciences majors for entry level IT jobs at my large consulting company.

The jobs we interview UMD grads for have a higher starting salary and are client facing, partner consulting track jobs. The jobs I'm filling today with UMBC grads are staff augmentation coder and tester roles with lower salaries, not partner track.

I am not originally from the area and don't know if this designation made by the recruiters at my company is fair or based in data - but the discrepancy is there.

I agree with the posters who say Cal has more national name recognition. UMD is a great school, based on my coworkers who went there, but I never knew a UMD grad until I moved to DC.

This is interesting. Not necessarily fair but good to know nonetheless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd kick ass at UMD then go to Cal for grad school.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If 100% certain that DC wil, stick with computer science, UMD is a better choice even at same cost. I get Silicon Valley, but there is a shop off Rte 198 that knows a thing or two about computers too.

If any chance the major could change, then Cal.

Umm... yea, but the majority of high tech jobs at the most "fun" and interesting, hip companies are in SV, especially for a recent college grad. If you are a young single person in high tech, you want to work for one any one of the companies in SV. The perks there for a single person is great. You will have tons of fun, and sorry, but MD weather cannot compete with CA weather. Skiing, surfing, sailing, desert down south, forest up north. If it weren't for the cost of living, it would be paradise.

California is a big state that is best compared to the east coast from Boston to DC. I'll give you the weather and natural beauty, but Northern California is insular and boring compared to NYC and the East Coast. Palo Alto (aka"shallow alto") is so boring that most young people now endure a commute from San Francisco. San Francisco is great for gay men, but for others - not so much. So for the outdoorsmen, Cal is hard to beat. For the urban dweller, I'd choose the East Coast.

I find DC and NY area way more insular than SV area. And I do find a lot of people in DC area boring, too. So I guess it depends on what you mean by "boring". West Coast lifestyle and culture is definitely different than East Coast. West is far more laid back. Dress code in the workplace in SV is really laid back. Personally, I loved it. I didn't have to think about what to wear and spend $ on work clothes. So, I guess if you prefer a more formal culture, then stay in the East Coast.

If you love the outdoors, it's definitely the place to be. Yes, SF is a mecca for gay people, but there are tons of heteros there as well, believe me. It is a huge mix. I have kids so I wouldn't want to live in SF, but when dH and I were dating, DH had a great apt. in SF. It was a lot of fun. We would go skiing every other weekend. Then in summers, drive down the coast.
Yea, I miss it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of student are we talking about? I started at cal and was miserable. The engineering school is ultra competitive and extremely hard. I transferred to umd and never looked back.

The difference to me is that Maryland carries no weight if I had wanted a west coast job when I graduated. It is well respected in the mid Atlantic, but not well known in California.

well there ya go. Umd is for those who cant cut it at Berkeley.

It's just different.

Berkeley Friday night: "Want to go see a movie?" "No, I have a test on Wednesday, I am studying this weekend."
Maryland Friday night: "Want to go see a movie?" "Sure, let me finish up this assignment and I'll meet you there."

Berkeley test studying: "Want to work through this problem set together?" "No, all classes are weeder classes on a curve, helping you is hurting me."
Maryland test studying: "Want to work through this problem set together?" "Sure, let's invite Sarah too."

It's not a friendly atmosphere in the engineering school. My classes in other departments were great (easy, too), but not engineering. If you want to succeed there, you need to be ready to do things solo, at least in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If 100% certain that DC wil, stick with computer science, UMD is a better choice even at same cost. I get Silicon Valley, but there is a shop off Rte 198 that knows a thing or two about computers too.

If any chance the major could change, then Cal.

Umm... yea, but the majority of high tech jobs at the most "fun" and interesting, hip companies are in SV, especially for a recent college grad. If you are a young single person in high tech, you want to work for one any one of the companies in SV. The perks there for a single person is great. You will have tons of fun, and sorry, but MD weather cannot compete with CA weather. Skiing, surfing, sailing, desert down south, forest up north. If it weren't for the cost of living, it would be paradise.

California is a big state that is best compared to the east coast from Boston to DC. I'll give you the weather and natural beauty, but Northern California is insular and boring compared to NYC and the East Coast. Palo Alto (aka"shallow alto") is so boring that most young people now endure a commute from San Francisco. San Francisco is great for gay men, but for others - not so much. So for the outdoorsmen, Cal is hard to beat. For the urban dweller, I'd choose the East Coast.

I find DC and NY area way more insular than SV area. And I do find a lot of people in DC area boring, too. So I guess it depends on what you mean by "boring". West Coast lifestyle and culture is definitely different than East Coast. West is far more laid back. Dress code in the workplace in SV is really laid back. Personally, I loved it. I didn't have to think about what to wear and spend $ on work clothes. So, I guess if you prefer a more formal culture, then stay in the East Coast.

If you love the outdoors, it's definitely the place to be. Yes, SF is a mecca for gay people, but there are tons of heteros there as well, believe me. It is a huge mix. I have kids so I wouldn't want to live in SF, but when dH and I were dating, DH had a great apt. in SF. It was a lot of fun. We would go skiing every other weekend. Then in summers, drive down the coast.
Yea, I miss it

IMHO Northern Cal and So Cal lifestyle are very different. I find SoCal very cool - hip trendy. NoCal? Not so much. More Granola/Hipster. Californians tend to stay within the state and they have nothing like the flow of people from around the world that you see in Manhattan of even DC. Don't get me wrong, I think SV is great for careers - it's just boring as hell.

[Anonymous]

If he is a really bright kid, UMD undergrad, and then another school for graduate level.

You really need a master's in comp sci to not be a drone.