Help DC decide for CS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is good at handling high peer pressure from CMU, then go for it. Not only the name, but also the network. For big tech companies, internal referral is one of the most effective ways to land a decent job. The cost (tuition/scholarship) gap will be paid off in a few years if the kid is competitive. You may check software engineers compensation package from FLAG to confirm.

What's FLAG? How is it different from FAANG?

FLAG: facebook, linkedin, amazon/apple, google

FAANG: facebook, amazon, apple, netflix, google

No big difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is good at handling high peer pressure from CMU, then go for it. Not only the name, but also the network. For big tech companies, internal referral is one of the most effective ways to land a decent job. The cost (tuition/scholarship) gap will be paid off in a few years if the kid is competitive. You may check software engineers compensation package from FLAG to confirm.

What's FLAG? How is it different from FAANG?

FLAG: facebook, linkedin, amazon/apple, google

FAANG: facebook, amazon, apple, netflix, google

No big difference.

Why no FLAANG?

FLAANG: facebook, linkedin, amazon, apple, netflix, google

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congratulations on getting accepted into these fantastic schools. CMU SCS is super hard to get in. If your child has a true love for theoretical CS then this it the program bar none. It simply is one of the best CS programs on par w MIT, CalTech and Stanford. Given that you can afford the program, the only other advice I could think of is to assess the workload and pressure a program like that would bring. DH graduated from CMU w EE and ECE double major in the 90s. He has great respect for those SCS kids. To him it takes a certain type of genius to get through the rigor. But when you do, you seriously can create just about anything including the next programming language or push the boundaries of true AI/ML. I went to UVA CS and had the good fortune of studying w the late Rancy Pausch. If you Google him and watch his last lecture, you will know what CMU CS genius looks like. He was intense when he taught at UVA but I am a better person after that experience.

Michigan and GT CS are not easy but they will definitely be less intense and tend to have more focus on application than the CMU SCS program. Both are bigger state schools if that makes a difference to you DC. CMU CS has about 200 kids per incoming class.

No experience on Wisconsin. Full ride might be tempting but in the end where your DC can learn the most per his/her interest is the key.

Your DC is very fortunately to have supportive parents and to have schools recognize the unique talent your DC is. Very happy for you all. It is a good position to be in especially during this admission season.

Oh one last note, at CMU SCS, your DC probably won’t have much of a chance to double major. Each major is so intense and tough, double majoring and finishing in 4 years is just not feasible. So if You DC wants to branch out, it may not be so easily done at CMU.

Sorry for the long response. Our DS is in a similar boat w CMU, Michigan, and a few other places. So I know a fair amount about these two programs. Good luck to your DC!!

The prestige goes a long way. DH is very successful out of college and has been. To him, the workload is not easy to get through and he went to Sty in NYC. If the student loves ECE work and is willing to work hard and you can afford it, then go for it.

Any input on CMU ECE? Is it worth paying full price for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congratulations on getting accepted into these fantastic schools. CMU SCS is super hard to get in. If your child has a true love for theoretical CS then this it the program bar none. It simply is one of the best CS programs on par w MIT, CalTech and Stanford. Given that you can afford the program, the only other advice I could think of is to assess the workload and pressure a program like that would bring. DH graduated from CMU w EE and ECE double major in the 90s. He has great respect for those SCS kids. To him it takes a certain type of genius to get through the rigor. But when you do, you seriously can create just about anything including the next programming language or push the boundaries of true AI/ML. I went to UVA CS and had the good fortune of studying w the late Rancy Pausch. If you Google him and watch his last lecture, you will know what CMU CS genius looks like. He was intense when he taught at UVA but I am a better person after that experience.

Michigan and GT CS are not easy but they will definitely be less intense and tend to have more focus on application than the CMU SCS program. Both are bigger state schools if that makes a difference to you DC. CMU CS has about 200 kids per incoming class.

No experience on Wisconsin. Full ride might be tempting but in the end where your DC can learn the most per his/her interest is the key.

Your DC is very fortunately to have supportive parents and to have schools recognize the unique talent your DC is. Very happy for you all. It is a good position to be in especially during this admission season.

Oh one last note, at CMU SCS, your DC probably won’t have much of a chance to double major. Each major is so intense and tough, double majoring and finishing in 4 years is just not feasible. So if You DC wants to branch out, it may not be so easily done at CMU.

Sorry for the long response. Our DS is in a similar boat w CMU, Michigan, and a few other places. So I know a fair amount about these two programs. Good luck to your DC!!

The prestige goes a long way. DH is very successful out of college and has been. To him, the workload is not easy to get through and he went to Sty in NYC. If the student loves ECE work and is willing to work hard and you can afford it, then go for it.

Any input on CMU ECE? Is it worth paying full price for?

The prestige goes a long way. DH is very successful out of college and has been. To him, the workload is not easy to get through and he went to Sty in NYC. If the student loves ECE work and is willing to work hard and you can afford it, then go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is good at handling high peer pressure from CMU, then go for it. Not only the name, but also the network. For big tech companies, internal referral is one of the most effective ways to land a decent job. The cost (tuition/scholarship) gap will be paid off in a few years if the kid is competitive. You may check software engineers compensation package from FLAG to confirm.

What's FLAG? How is it different from FAANG?

FLAG: facebook, linkedin, amazon/apple, google

FAANG: facebook, amazon, apple, netflix, google

No big difference.

Also look into their work culture. Amazon has a poor reputation. Their people use a bottle bc the company gives no bathroom breaks. I suppose software engineers have it better since engineers can invent their own holes on the ground, cans and johns. The really smart CS grads often turn down FAANG companies to go work for less known start-ups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is fortunate to have been accepted to several top schools for CS and was deciding between Carnegie (full pay 57K), U of Michigan and Georgia Tech (both OOS - full pay Michigan at 50K and Georgia at 35K). To complicate things, U of Wisconsin unexpectedly just offered DC a full tuition scholarship and now DC is even more undecided. DC has visited all 4 and likes them equally.

We can afford the tuition but it's also good if we can save it for grad school or even down payment on a house. Do you think spending close to 150-200K in tuition is worth it for the name recognition? Wisconsin is also very good for CS but may not have the same name recognition as the other 3.

I am tempted to advise DC to choose Wisconsin but I am a bit worried that we might later regret the decision. What would you do in our shoes?

CMU for Comp Sci. is a no-brainer. He likely won't need grad school, and the money he'll be making in the field will be more than enough for a down payment on a house.

Congrats to your DC on getting in to all of these great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is fortunate to have been accepted to several top schools for CS and was deciding between Carnegie (full pay 57K), U of Michigan and Georgia Tech (both OOS - full pay Michigan at 50K and Georgia at 35K). To complicate things, U of Wisconsin unexpectedly just offered DC a full tuition scholarship and now DC is even more undecided. DC has visited all 4 and likes them equally.

We can afford the tuition but it's also good if we can save it for grad school or even down payment on a house. Do you think spending close to 150-200K in tuition is worth it for the name recognition? Wisconsin is also very good for CS but may not have the same name recognition as the other 3.

I am tempted to advise DC to choose Wisconsin but I am a bit worried that we might later regret the decision. What would you do in our shoes?

CMU for Comp Sci. is a no-brainer. He likely won't need grad school, and the money he'll be making in the field will be more than enough for a down payment on a house.

Congrats to your DC on getting in to all of these great schools.

Am I missing something? Is the OP's kid a girl?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is fortunate to have been accepted to several top schools for CS and was deciding between Carnegie (full pay 57K), U of Michigan and Georgia Tech (both OOS - full pay Michigan at 50K and Georgia at 35K). To complicate things, U of Wisconsin unexpectedly just offered DC a full tuition scholarship and now DC is even more undecided. DC has visited all 4 and likes them equally.

We can afford the tuition but it's also good if we can save it for grad school or even down payment on a house. Do you think spending close to 150-200K in tuition is worth it for the name recognition? Wisconsin is also very good for CS but may not have the same name recognition as the other 3.

I am tempted to advise DC to choose Wisconsin but I am a bit worried that we might later regret the decision. What would you do in our shoes?

CMU for Comp Sci. is a no-brainer. He likely won't need grad school, and the money he'll be making in the field will be more than enough for a down payment on a house.

Congrats to your DC on getting in to all of these great schools.

Am I missing something? Is the OP's kid a girl?

OP did not say. Does it matter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is fortunate to have been accepted to several top schools for CS and was deciding between Carnegie (full pay 57K), U of Michigan and Georgia Tech (both OOS - full pay Michigan at 50K and Georgia at 35K). To complicate things, U of Wisconsin unexpectedly just offered DC a full tuition scholarship and now DC is even more undecided. DC has visited all 4 and likes them equally.

We can afford the tuition but it's also good if we can save it for grad school or even down payment on a house. Do you think spending close to 150-200K in tuition is worth it for the name recognition? Wisconsin is also very good for CS but may not have the same name recognition as the other 3.

I am tempted to advise DC to choose Wisconsin but I am a bit worried that we might later regret the decision. What would you do in our shoes?

CMU for Comp Sci. is a no-brainer. He likely won't need grad school, and the money he'll be making in the field will be more than enough for a down payment on a house.

Congrats to your DC on getting in to all of these great schools.

Am I missing something? Is the OP's kid a girl?

OP did not say. Does it matter?

No but people are assuming that the DC is a DS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have tread the whole thread but before you do anything contact the admissions contact at all the full pay schools and ask them whether they can provide a tuition discount in view of the full ride ptoviddd by Wisconsin. Do this tomorrow.

This is a worthwhile idea. Don't threaten them though. Just say that your kid is so torn, he loves CMU but feels a bit guilty turning down a full pay offer. Can they do anything to tip the scale? (Only do this if CMU does appeal strongly to your child.)

This works only for peer institutions. Are Wisconsin and Carnegie peers?

Wisconsin has an outstanding program. But nothing is CMU in this space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congratulations on getting accepted into these fantastic schools. CMU SCS is super hard to get in. If your child has a true love for theoretical CS then this it the program bar none. It simply is one of the best CS programs on par w MIT, CalTech and Stanford. Given that you can afford the program, the only other advice I could think of is to assess the workload and pressure a program like that would bring. DH graduated from CMU w EE and ECE double major in the 90s. He has great respect for those SCS kids. To him it takes a certain type of genius to get through the rigor. But when you do, you seriously can create just about anything including the next programming language or push the boundaries of true AI/ML. I went to UVA CS and had the good fortune of studying w the late Rancy Pausch. If you Google him and watch his last lecture, you will know what CMU CS genius looks like. He was intense when he taught at UVA but I am a better person after that experience.

Michigan and GT CS are not easy but they will definitely be less intense and tend to have more focus on application than the CMU SCS program. Both are bigger state schools if that makes a difference to you DC. CMU CS has about 200 kids per incoming class.

No experience on Wisconsin. Full ride might be tempting but in the end where your DC can learn the most per his/her interest is the key.

Your DC is very fortunately to have supportive parents and to have schools recognize the unique talent your DC is. Very happy for you all. It is a good position to be in especially during this admission season.

Oh one last note, at CMU SCS, your DC probably won’t have much of a chance to double major. Each major is so intense and tough, double majoring and finishing in 4 years is just not feasible. So if You DC wants to branch out, it may not be so easily done at CMU.

Sorry for the long response. Our DS is in a similar boat w CMU, Michigan, and a few other places. So I know a fair amount about these two programs. Good luck to your DC!!

The prestige goes a long way. DH is very successful out of college and has been. To him, the workload is not easy to get through and he went to Sty in NYC. If the student loves ECE work and is willing to work hard and you can afford it, then go for it.

Any input on CMU ECE? Is it worth paying full price for?

The prestige goes a long way. DH is very successful out of college and has been. To him, the workload is not easy to get through and he went to Sty in NYC. If the student loves ECE work and is willing to work hard and you can afford it, then go for it.

Is CMU ECE as prestige as CMU SCS?

[Anonymous]

Based on just DH’s experience, it seems to be. I don’t have any stats or links wrt how CMU stacks up to other CE programs. Part of CMU’s ECE requirement is to take programming or CS classes in the SCS. Being able to get through those at CMU takes brains and hard work. So in general ppl do look at DH differently when they hear CMU ECE. And DH looks at anyone w lots of respect when he hears CMU SCS and we know quite a few of these .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is fortunate to have been accepted to several top schools for CS and was deciding between Carnegie (full pay 57K), U of Michigan and Georgia Tech (both OOS - full pay Michigan at 50K and Georgia at 35K). To complicate things, U of Wisconsin unexpectedly just offered DC a full tuition scholarship and now DC is even more undecided. DC has visited all 4 and likes them equally.

We can afford the tuition but it's also good if we can save it for grad school or even down payment on a house. Do you think spending close to 150-200K in tuition is worth it for the name recognition? Wisconsin is also very good for CS but may not have the same name recognition as the other 3.

I am tempted to advise DC to choose Wisconsin but I am a bit worried that we might later regret the decision. What would you do in our shoes?

CMU for Comp Sci. is a no-brainer. He likely won't need grad school, and the money he'll be making in the field will be more than enough for a down payment on a house.

Congrats to your DC on getting in to all of these great schools.

Am I missing something? Is the OP's kid a girl?

OP did not say. Does it matter?

No but people are assuming that the DC is a DS.

Sorry, but can someone explain what DC and DS are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is fortunate to have been accepted to several top schools for CS and was deciding between Carnegie (full pay 57K), U of Michigan and Georgia Tech (both OOS - full pay Michigan at 50K and Georgia at 35K). To complicate things, U of Wisconsin unexpectedly just offered DC a full tuition scholarship and now DC is even more undecided. DC has visited all 4 and likes them equally.

We can afford the tuition but it's also good if we can save it for grad school or even down payment on a house. Do you think spending close to 150-200K in tuition is worth it for the name recognition? Wisconsin is also very good for CS but may not have the same name recognition as the other 3.

I am tempted to advise DC to choose Wisconsin but I am a bit worried that we might later regret the decision. What would you do in our shoes?

CMU for Comp Sci. is a no-brainer. He likely won't need grad school, and the money he'll be making in the field will be more than enough for a down payment on a house.

Congrats to your DC on getting in to all of these great schools.

Am I missing something? Is the OP's kid a girl?

OP did not say. Does it matter?

No but people are assuming that the DC is a DS.

Sorry, but can someone explain what DC and DS are?

Middle-aged DCUM slang for "Dear Child" and "Dear Son".

[Anonymous]

How big are the classes at Wisconsin compared to CMU? Class size can play a huge role in experiences. Also, is DC a boy or a girl? If your DC is a girl, how do girls fare at these schools? Are there supports for females in these programs? Are the professors supportive of females in their CS programs? (HUGE concern for females-- not to be under emphasized-- this is a very real problem) Also, what is the atmosphere like for CS students at these schools. Is the culture one where fellow students scoff at their peers for asking questions when they need help? Maybe your DC wouldn't be bothered by that? That is something huge to consider. CS students can be very snotty and judgmental and not collegiate at some big state schools I know of -- actually one in particular.