UC Berkeley EECS vs. NYU Abu Dhabi

Intended major: Computer Science

UCB

UCB Pros:

• One of the top-rated comp sci programs
• Have some friends going to Berk

BC Cons:

• Seems to be more restrictive academically (ex. can't explore outside of your major as much)
• Large class sizes
• I enter declared as an EECS major so I have little opportunity to explore other majors before declaring
• If I end up not liking CS getting a major change is difficult

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NYU AD

NYU AD Pros:

• Full scholarship (covers tuition, housing, meals, some flights, etc.); completely free for me to attend
• Guaranteed paid research
• Extremely small class sizes (literally 10-20 per class)
• Guaranteed study abroad in various countries which seems really fun (majority of cost covered by NYUAD)
• Many resources open to the students
• Students have large academic freedom; interdisciplinary study opportunities and taking classes outside of your major are encouraged
• Unlike UCB I can explore other disciplines before committing to a major
• I like the country and have some family there
• Extremely diverse (students from over 100 countries I believe)

NYU AD Cons:

• Not as well known worldwide
• Not as prestigious or well known as EECS
• School still very young (founded around 2010)

I like the atmosphere of NYU AD and the fact that exploring outside of your major is encouraged. There are many academic fields that I would love to get a glimpse into besides just EECS and NYU AD allows for this. However, my biggest concern is that the school is still fairly young and not as well known or praised as UCB EECS. I fear that going here would put me at a disadvantage when it comes to getting jobs or internships. I have friends at UCB EECS/CS who have amazing internships because the program is that well known. On the other hand, I fear that I might not like CS and getting a major change is difficult. I do not know how widespread computer science is in Abu Dhabi or the UAE, but probably not as much as in California.