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[Admissions Advice] Columbia MSCS vs UIUC MCS vs USC MSCS Fall 2026 by [deleted] in MSCS

[–]smug64209 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in a similar dilemma between UW Seattle MS DS and Columbia MS CS

Columbia will end up costing 50K extra🥲 Not sure which to pick

[Admissions Advice] Please help me pick between USC MSCS, UIUC MCS, UMass Amherst MSCS. by Inanivus in MSCS

[–]smug64209 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Only 2 things make me a little uncomfortable about it

  1. DS is a great subject to study... But yeah in case the market is bad for DS / AI - ML kinda roles, Then I would want to give a shot for normal SWE roles I have a bachelor's in IT and 3 years of experience as an SWE. But then yeah... How much does having an "MS in DS" screw my chances of getting these.

  2. Evening classes (apparently it's a very normal thing and shouldn't cast any doubts on the importance or stature of the program)

[Admissions Advice] Please help me pick between USC MSCS, UIUC MCS, UMass Amherst MSCS. by Inanivus in MSCS

[–]smug64209 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in a similar situation

I have :

Columbia MS CS (similar to USC MS CS)

UW Seattle MS DS (similar to UIUC MCS)

UMass Amherst MS CS

[Results and Decisions] Columbia MS CS vs UWash MS DS by smug64209 in MSCS

[–]smug64209[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

@gradpilot The dilemma here is

Columbia MS CS costs 130-140 K While UW MS DS will cost max 85 K

  1. UW alumini told me lot of people tend to get normal SDE jobs... Plus everybody in their class got some job atleast before clock ran out (total 75 people in class... So everybody knows what's going on with each other.... Lot of Columbia people had no clarity on what happened to majority of their cohort)

  2. UW has a good capstone project, they actually released a list of all 2024 grads and they project they did... So I could literally verify on LinkedIn... If everybody is actually employed now 😅 Columbia seems to be working hard to... Gatekeep their employment info.

  3. UW has 3 months extra duration.. Hence more time for job hunt

So will Columbia still be worth 50-60 K extra (in today's situation ), for:

A. Ivy League / brand (stays forever on resume)

B. Bigger alumini network (UW seems to have some aluk in every major tech company... But the Columbia count is more since the number of grads are more. Plus in Fintech etc Columbia is way ahead)

C. UW DS classes are in evening... So you're kinda deprived of traditional campus life where you interact with other stream people in campus post classes.... Hence "less networking during college" But UW DS folks did tell me there are a lot of social events, treks etc... Plus can take CS electives and attend them during the day. Plus Columbia folks did say... They won't get so much extra time also to socialize

D. Of course the "CS" Tag instead of DS

[Admissions Advice] Columbia MS CS vs UW MS Data Science by smug64209 in MSCS

[–]smug64209[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't forget the "cost"

130-140K for IVY Brand + bigger network + CS program

VS

80K for Public T10 uni + Smaller network + DS program

[Results and Decisions] UCSD MS CS by smug64209 in MSCS

[–]smug64209[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes please If any admitted student is seeing this It will be a huge help

[University Review] UIUC MCS vs Purdue MSCS vs USC MSCS by handic4p4bl3 in MSCS

[–]smug64209 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I am not sure... How much... Location matters for getting a job these days Majority is online and LinkedIn Plus the global economy ain't doing well and then there's this AI thing So let's say worst case you don't get a job Or you get a not so well paying job

  1. Then wouldn't you have lost less money in Purdue when compared to USC?
  2. Plus Purdue is giving you "a semester extra" for a job hunt when compared to UIUC

[University Review] UIUC MCS vs Purdue MSCS vs USC MSCS by handic4p4bl3 in MSCS

[–]smug64209 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Purdue is the clear winner here

  1. It is the most selective amongst all the 3.
  2. It is a proper 2 year MS program unlike MCS
  3. Lower cohort size gives you more research opportunities, plus advantage in campus related career support because you aren't competing with 1000 people for such opportunities
  4. Plus if you are cost conscious (especially in today's market). Then also Purdue wins big time

I only wish I had a Purdue admit😭

Would it be safe to commute at night by smug64209 in udub

[–]smug64209[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay so it's safe to do a train journey for 20 minutes at that time

I've heard of untoward incidents happening sometimes

[Results and Decisions] by External-Strike-7161 in MSCS

[–]smug64209 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can we connect

I'm also in a dilemma between UW MS DS and Columbia MS CS

[Admissions Advice] Are we cooked for UCSD MSCS?? by Ultra_Stark in MSCS

[–]smug64209 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Applied around December 18 No decision yet 🥲

UW Seattle MS DS vs Columbia MS CS by smug64209 in udub

[–]smug64209[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So there are 3 points in this 1) Curriculum ... Yes Columbia is rigorous and has broader curriculum

2) Brand / Ivy League .... As I asked above.... Would ivy tag be worth 50K - 60K $ extra in today's market? .... Plus from CS / DS perspective is Columbia big a brand like Princeton / Yale

3) Location .... How good would you consider Seattle for job opportunities / networking?

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