isblueacolor

I went to the CS weekend at Brown a few months back and, wow. So okay, Brown is amazing in computer science, no question. But Yale is Yale, and that really good brand name would come with any degree, even if it's a department like Computer Science that isn't as advertised as Brown's is.

Would you consider a CS degree from Brown better than a CS degree from Yale? Yeah, "better" is a dumb word. I just don't know how to choose between the two schools because they're, well, Brown and Yale.

modestmelody

Well I think all of the things that make Brown and Yale different are more important in making this choice, but...

There is no question that Brown Computer Science for undergraduates is about the best their is in the country, up there with Stanford, really, as top.

We do have one of the first undergrad departments with the first (or is it second) PhD in computer science ever having started the department...

We have extensive connections for recruiting and almost universal love for the program by CS concentrators.

tetrisfan

Academically, when you're talking about Brown and Yale, there won't be too much of a difference (or so I feel). What you do need to be pernickety about is the general 'feel' of each place. To determine that, I suggest that you attend the admit days for both places.

Pinderhughes

Brown is the choice here. If you are sure you want to make computer science your life's work, Brown is the superior choice here. Yale has a better brand name for Joe Blow, but for those in Computer Science, Melody is right that Brown's reputation is right up there with Stanford or Berkeley, and superior to Yale's. Just talk to the people at PIXAR. They love Brown's computer science department.

Alumother

As someone in the software business, I would concur that in the "brand name" world, especially for quirky and highly talented coders, Brown wins.

JustinTime

I was gonna make a different board about this, but since our questions are so similar, how about Brown vs. Cornell for computer science? I know there are big differences in the schools outside of the department, but are the computer science departments about equal?

modestmelody

Brown University, as said above here in this thread, for computer science, is about as good as it gets for undergraduate CS. It's on a different level than most other schools. It's one of our best departments, by far, for undergraduates.

VFrizz

Ok, so I read up on Brown in my friend's "College P r o w l er" (why is this word censored?) book, and it said that Brown offers free Photoshop to all undergraduates!! Is this true? And do they even have Photoshop for Macs? Because if they do, I will totally be in Providence next year.

want CS3 SO BAD, ugh!

negru

Too bad Reiss is there.

afan

At the graduate level, Cornell's considerably larger CS department is more highly ranked. As always, the question is what this means for undergraduates. Brown's CS is also excellent, and the choice between the two universities should probably be based on other factors.

modestmelody

I'll differ to Pinderhughes in supporting my statement, someone in the field.

There's a good reason we're top recruits for Pixar, Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc. In fact, we're one of the few places Google actively recruits.

Alumother

Brown v. Cornell for computer science, people would assume the Brown guy is creative and brilliant, the Cornell guy more immediately employable.

But that's just the stereotype, everything is really up to you and the interview, coding test, whatever the process is.

posterX

Both Yale and Brown have very strong departments at the undergraduate level. I know that Yale's, in particular, can be very challenging especially if you pursue a four-year joint M.S./B.S. I know graduates of both who have gone on to do great things and work for top companies, or even start their own. Ultimately, it depends on your own motivation.

More important than trying to evaluate the department over the internet is that you should visit each school for 2-3 days, talk with many professors and students, take some classes, check out the housing systems and the overall vibrancy and excitement of campus. Having visited hundreds of universities around the world, I would say that Yale has a unique 24/7 campus vibrancy that no other place even comes close to matching, but again, it's up to you to decide.

Also, remember that even if you major in CS, most of your classes will be in other fields! And the vast majority of your classmates will be studying fields other than CS. The beauty of college is being able to explore many subjects and many activities, and work with people who are passionate about everything from aasvogels to zumboorukchees and everything in between.

Bottom line is, make sure you go where you feel most comfortable, and most challenged, because that's probably where you will end up doing best for yourself.

wolfmanjack

"visit each school for 2-3 days"

standard posterX

posterX

^The people I knew who did that ended up making much better choices than the ones who didn't (according to them).