Some College/Major Advice Please

[ath50]

Do you guys have any examples of the differences in work done by graduates with a BS in CS as opposed to IS?

 

[ajayjuneja]

Hey ath50, congrats

I graduated from CMU with a BS in Comp Sci., the computer science department there is truly wonderful. Great advisors, great professors, extremely talented kids around you (I always said when I gave tours, "Everyone here is smarter than me in at least 10 ways and I'm hopefully smarter than them in at least one." ). Plus, no where else do you get greeted in the hallways by robots!

At the same time, I have a few friends that went to cornell instead. Their undergrad curriculum is very similar, and the rigor is about the same too. Neither school is big on grade inflation, so don't expect to graduate with a 3.8+ unless you're both lucky AND smart.

Also, I would recommend NOT entering IS, you won't learn much of the good stuff that is in CS.

Here's how I would choose between the two:

CMU:
1. If you want to do and be exposed to lots of research when you are an undergrad.
2. If you are mostly sure about your major. Transferring between departments is now easier than it was when I had first started.
3. If you like doing your homework to bagpipes.
4. If you really really like hanging around nerds all day. CMU is full of art nerds and tech nerds, and everyone else doesn't get any respect.
5. If you like Robotics, speech recognition or AI.



Cornell:
1. If you want a better social life with a more diverse group of people to know.
2. If you want to have a girlfriend who is normal.
3. If you like intertwining mech e / ee/ and cs.


----------------------
Job wise, it won't matter at the end. Choose whichever place you feel most comfortable. Teaching wise, the undergrad curriculums are very similar to one another.

Good luck, and PM me if you want more info!

 

[FlyLice]

CS = unemployment

cmu > cornell

cornell > cmu brand name

 

[Deleted member 139972]

I'd say follow what you want to do. See what the majors are about and do that. If you are good at what you love, the money will follow.

 

[ath50]

Originally posted by: frankie38
Congratulations on your acceptance! Cornell and Carnegie Mellon are both great schools!

Before I give an opinion on which CS program is "better", I would like to know your plans after graduating with a BS in CS.

Do you intend on getting a MS in CS? Do you intend on working in the IT field?

If yes, what Industry? Business IT, Defense Dept, Academic, etc.?

My last comment is that the IT business is changing. Outsourcing is a major factor and high paying jobs such programmers and engineers are being outsourced outside the US.

The future for IT business is not that bright. I do think that there is a real need for CS PHD's for research and development.

Didn't really get around to addressing all of this yet. I am very concerned about employment opportunities after, but I'm not sure at this point what field I would want to go into (assuming I do stick with CS/IS). Once again I'm not sure with outsourcing, but it seems that a lot of the outsourcing is just the lower level programming stuff, which I hopefully would not be doing much of, and if I go into the corporate/business world I think I would eventually get a MBA.

I think I want to go with CS. I don't really see myself majoring in any other fields that are too much different. Maybe EE/ECE, or possibly business if engineering is not really working out, but as far as I know, the business schools at Cornell and CMU are very strong as well.

 

[cchen]

sorry to burst your bubble but cornell doesn't have an undergrad business school. none of the ivies do

 

[ath50]

Originally posted by: cchen
sorry to burst your bubble but cornell doesn't have an undergrad business school. none of the ivies do

Wow good call, I don't know how I missed that.

 

[ath50]

Ok, well I did get into Cornell Engineering today. As of right now I'm scheduled to visit CMU again next Monday for some more information sessions etc, just for accepted students.

One area in which I think Cornell seems to have an advantage over CMU is that Cornell has very strong programs across the board, while CMU (not to say the other majors or departments are not good, but perhaps not as standoutish) seems to just be very prominent in CS, ECE, and the arts, and its business school is pretty well ranked too.

This might work for me though, because if I don't want to do CS, but want to stick with Engineering I would probably end up with ECE, and I don't have a particular interest in studying something like English, or being a math major. The field other than engineering which I see myself being most interested in is business, and seems CMU has that well developed, as opposed to Cornell which has no undergraduate business program.

Maybe something like a Computer Science major with a minor in business would work well.

 

[dr150]

Originally posted by: FlyLice
CS = unemployment

cmu > cornell

cornell > cmu brand name

Agreed.

If it's CS related, then CMU for sure!

For any other major, then Cornell.

Regardless, all the CS jobs are going to India, so unemployability is possible. But you'd be a "CMU CS Man" so you'd be more golden and desired come graduation.

 

[dr150]

Originally posted by: ath50
Maybe something like a Computer Science major with a minor in business would work well.

If you obtain a CS/Business degree, you'd be extremely desired.

I'm a Top 3 MBAer....thus I know what I speak of. Those CS/MBA guys wrote their own tickets.

Also learn Chinese if you can while in college. That will put you through a "Stargate."

 

[austin316]

jeez.

Top 3 MBA programs, Cornell and CMU for undergrad. I feel like an idiot on this message board.

 

[Krk3561]

Originally posted by: ath50

Originally posted by: cchen
sorry to burst your bubble but cornell doesn't have an undergrad business school. none of the ivies do

Wow good call, I don't know how I missed that.

Actually Cornell has a major called AEM, which is essentially undergrad business

http://www.aem.cornell.edu/

Undergrad Business Program:
http://business.aem.cornell.edu/

 

[AgentEL]

CMU in CS for sure

 

[Landroval]

I would opt for CMU, given those choices

 

[ed21x]

Cornell, most definitely. I'm not sure about the reputation of CM, but I know that Cornell does a ton of research that ties into other schools throughout the nation, making it one of the most highly regarded universities out there.

 

[Krk3561]

Originally posted by: ed21x
Cornell, most definitely. I'm not sure about the reputation of CM, but I know that Cornell does a ton of research that ties into other schools throughout the nation, making it one of the most highly regarded universities out there.

Ditto, very well put