Recommended college environment?

[AulusAemilius]

I'm in highschool, looking at colleges/universities, looking to major in computer science. I have picked out a few, mostly based on the quality of their CS department (according to news rankings) and lack of humanities requirements (except science/math) a strong second.

Do you think the different environments (huge public universities versus small private universities) impact anything significantly, in terms of forming relationships with people? It seems to me the public schools offer education that's just as good (undergraduate, anyways), but at lower costs.

[themadkat]

I'm in highschool, looking at colleges/universities, looking to major in computer science. I have picked out a few, mostly based on the quality of their CS department (according to news rankings) and lack of humanities requirements (except science/math) a strong second.

Do you think the different environments (huge public universities versus small private universities) impact anything significantly, in terms of forming relationships with people? It seems to me the public schools offer education that's just as good (undergraduate, anyways), but at lower costs.

If you are looking to get a broad liberal arts education, nothing beats a smaller school and the caliber of students that go there. The teachers will probably be only a little better at a small private school, but the quality of students can shift dramatically. On the other hand, if you just want a narrow, focused education, there may be nothing wrong with a state school. And if money is a concern you should definitely consider a state school unless, of course, you want to compete for scholarships at the private schools, of which there are many offered. I will note that although you know you want to pursue as CS career, good writing and communication skills are valuable in all fields, so you may not want to be so quick to dismiss the humanities.

[AulusAemilius]

Money is not an issue, but I can't help but 'penny-pinch'. I don't desire a liberal arts education, and don't think humanities classes in college will improve my writing as much as independent practice (and reading good books) do/will. In CS there are usually group projects, which helps communication skills.

What I don't know (from lack of any experience) is what social environment is desired. I'm introverted and a student of Objectivism... even if just .25% of people at a state university are wonderful people, that could be a hundred people, so I don't know whether going to a small private school makes any difference in forming life-lasting (and perhaps opposite sex) relationships. At private schools people are generally more academically inclined, but I imagine it's possible for one to work just as hard at a public school (which I intend to do).

Edited September 1, 2008 by AulusAemilius

[eriatarka]

in my experience CS tends to attract a fairly introverted and 'nerdy' crowd which are 80% male, so it might be an idea to take a few humanities classes just to meet people who have less narrow interests (doubly so if you have an interest in partying and suchlike). I went to a university which was entirely science based, and the social life there was terrible - thankfully it was in a very large city so it wasnt too difficult to meet people outside the university.

Edited September 1, 2008 by eriatarka

[BrassDragon]

I'm a CS student at a large public school. I wish I could give you some useful advice, but I probably can't. I was in the same bind you're currently in a few years ago - I knew basically nothing about colleges and universities, and also basically nothing about what I really wanted in terms of social atmosphere, etc. I think I made a good choice, but I don't know what would have transpired anywhere else.

I'd be interested to hear what schools you're considering.

[AulusAemilius]

The state universities are:

University of Illinois (Urbana Champaign)

Georgia Institute of Technology

and Penn State University, because it's in my home state.

All three are probably safety schools. The privates I could try to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, and Stanford (my SAT's are very borderline and my academic record is good).

As of right now my first choice is UIUC.

Edited September 2, 2008 by AulusAemilius

[BrassDragon]

Those are all excellent choices of places to go to study CS. I can tell you've done your research.

I go to UNC. The CS department has built up several peaks of excellence; the professors are really wonderful; and there aren't very many undergrads doing CS, so you get a lot of attention and there's sort of a "small town" atmosphere. I love it. So I'd recommend UNC for CS to anyone considering it, but not over UIUC, Carnegie Melon, MIT or Stanford.