Should I attend Cornell University, Rice University, UCLA, or UCSD as an undergraduate?

Comp Sci is very difficult to get into as a major at UCSD. Even though I had extremely good test scores and grades, I went EE to get the classes I wanted. You are almost guaranteed a job at Qualcomm or a host of other quality companies when you get your degree.

The XC and distance program seems to be doing better this year. There is a push on to approve move up to D1 in the next couple of years.

Comp Sci at UCSD might be difficult to get into (take more time to get classes), but UCLA is difficult to get into, period. UCSD and UC Irvine would be alternatives for computer science. Also, if you can afford Cornell, you can afford USC, which has a higher ranked engineering department (graduate) than either UCLA or UCSD.

As far as CS vs. EE goes, consider that almost 50% of capital expenditure for US companies is going into IT, not engineering. Get a double major if you can afford it. I worked for most of 20 years at a large computer company in high speed analog/microwave and IC design, but most of that stuff is outsourced to Asia now. These days it's all about software

Much as I have a personal bias to not recommend it; Cornell would be a great choice.

If you want warm weather, UCLA, just know all the jokes about it being dominated by Asians are pretty much true (friend of mine works there,) still that wouldn't dissuade me.

Good Luck!

Any will do. CS is passe. Genetics is the money major these days. Have fun regardless.

Didn't you have to commit by now?

All schools are interesting in their own way, but for the total package...overall better school, and MAINLY better fellow students...I would choose Cornell if all things were equal. Can't overlook all the time you will be spending talking in and out of class with fellow students. When you are around smarter people, that can be inspiring, and who knows, you might just start a business with one of those smart people. Are there smart people at those other schools? Yes. ALL of them though at Cornell are, and the level is a little bit higher on average.

Here's also why Cornell -

http://adweek.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341c51c053ef01310f84cd3e970c-pi

As an entire package I would say UCSD. I echo the statements about a high probability of getting a job with a major company upon graduation. In addition you are going to be on a team competitive at its level. When it comes to location you won't beat it and as a result it allows for more raining days a year then anywhere else in the country.

Like others have mentioned, it helps to know where you might want to settle down afterwards. Companies like to hire students within their geography because there are more alumni and internship opportunities at those nearby schools.

UCLA and UCSD are both very good, with the former edging out the latter based on name recognition.

It also depends a little bit on whether you want to go into the workforce directly after school or you think you might want to go to grad school afterwards.

For CS, UCLA and UCSD are closest to Silicon Valley, which may be high on the list for where you want to end up. Best of luck.

If your family is in California, there's something to be said for going to school relatively close to home so that it's easy to go back and forth during breaks (esp. compared to Cornell in NY).

You should also consider where you would like to be living/working after you graduate. If you think it is California, then I would lean towards staying in state. Also you may find an opportunity to do an internship (in San Diego) that will lead to a job offer (in San Diego) after you graduate (from UCSD, for example).

If you would like to run track and XC, then that may be an easier undertaking at UCSD as a div. II school--especially if you are planning to do a hard, technical major like CS (compared with UCLA).

The winter weather in Ithaca, NY is pretty harsh compared to Houston or Southern California if you enjoy being outdoors year-round (running or other activities).

The housing situation at UCLA is probably worse than it is at UCSD. Both are in expensive areas, but I think there's better on-campus housing at UCSD and off-campus commuting options at UCSD.

Where do you want to work after you graduate? This is more of a concern for grad school but as an undergraduate in CS you should try to get some contacts while in school to potential jobs.

Do you plan to try to run on the school's track or cross country programs? Or run by yourself?

I know it is really difficult to guess what you'd like to be doing for the next 40ish years, but I would put some thought into where you'd like to end up career-wise. Do you want to write code for a living, or would CompSci be a starting point for another career path? Also, do you think it likely that you'd be on the West Coast forever?

You could not go wrong with any of your choices, but from a branding perspective, Cornell is the name more potential employers outside of CS and outside of California will recognize. Outside of California, people don't always know that UCLA and UCSD are relatively prestigious, but everyone knows about Cornell.

Rice by a MILE. Not even a debate

UCSD and UCLA are world famous engineering and computer science schools. I never heard of those others in the same fields.

Hey, even UCSD Visual Arts majors are better at technology than those other schools, e.g. Nick Woodman :>)

What are you, a Rice homer? That place is horrible. Ran at their facility multiple times, and couldn't stand it. The location is really neat with the buildings around it, but the actual facility itself is pretty bad.

Easy choice dude wrote:

Rice by a MILE. Not even a debate

UC San Diego and UC Irvine are the backbone of research for USAF Space Command, DOE Particle Beam/High Energy weapons programs

yeah riggghhht wrote:

What are you, a Rice homer? That place is horrible. Ran at their facility multiple times, and couldn't stand it.

The location is really neat with the buildings around it, but the actual facility itself is pretty bad.

Easy choice dude wrote:

Rice by a MILE. Not even a debate

You must not have been there recently. It's a great track with a surface suited for distance training. Don't know much about the CS program, but the track team looks pretty decent.

Have you seen what the brojos write? How can anyone that visits this board consider Cornell?

genuine random a hole wrote:

Have you seen what the brojos write? How can anyone that visits this board consider Cornell?

The BrosJo graduated from Princeton and Yale. One of them later worked at Cornell, but his writing skills (to use the term loosely) were obviously shaped at his lesser undergraduate institution.

In any case, CU has put together a piece celebrating its 150th anniversary:

Full disclosure: not every day in Ithaca is as golden-lit as most of those that appear on the video.

NB: brief appearance of The Sport at around the 14:40 mark.

Cornell and Rice are #2 and #1 in Universe for Com Sci.