Anonymous wrote:My kid has a tough choice to make, both of which are great options. I am curious what others think - there may be perspectives we aren't taking into account.
Choice 1 - UMD College Park, accepted computer science and honors, already knows which LLP he is in. Merit aid of 5k per year. Total cost ends up being ~20k per year with remainder of tuition, fees, and room/board.
Choice 2 - Michigan State. Full ride, possible stipend. Major accepted into is Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Honors College.
I believe MSU will allow him to bypass most of his gen ed reqs and get a dual degree, likely in CS.
I FEEL like the obvious choice is MSU but I know that UMD computer science is highly regarded. However it seems like undergrad school matters little especially if one's trajectory is grad school. Also, I know this is his decision, not mine. I just want to be able to support and guide him from a more informed place.
I would love to hear other parents perspectives, particularly from those in positions of evaluating candidates for jobs. How much weight do you give the undergrad college name? TIA!
UMD and MSU are "weighed" about the same. "Evaluating candidates" is hardly relevant because we are talking two wildly different fields. If he wants to do CS, UMD is a no-brainer. If bio, go with MSU. This is a weird question.