Best Program - CSU In-Person vs GT Online vs Harvard Ext?

juillet
Sun, 17 Jul 2016 21:13:00 +0000

So one question is, why don’t you take some time off after college to get some work experience? With a 2.8 you won’t be able to get into most master’s programs and will sort of have to take what you can get, which is an undesirable position to be in. However, your undergrad GPA becomes a bit less important once you have some years of work under your belt, especially if you can take a few graduate courses as a non-degree student and ace them. With a statistics degree and a minor in computer science I’m sure you can find a relevant job in California, work for a while (ideally 2-3 years) and then go back to school in a position of more strength. Georgia Tech’s OMSCS even says it on their website:

Preferred qualifications for admitted OMS CS students are an undergraduate degree in computer science or related field (typically mathematics, computer engineering or electrical engineering) from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; significant professional or other work experience with supporting recommendations may qualify as an adequate substitute for the appropriate academic credentials

I take that to mean that it’s pretty unlikely for someone straight from undergrad to be admitted with a 2.8 GPA, but a software developer with 5 years of great experience who had a 2.8 GPA in undergrad might have a better chance.

I also get the sense that the Harvard Extension program might be better suited for a working professional who’s trying to get a master’s in their free time while they work, not for a full-time student straight from undergrad.

To answer your question, it’s actually pretty hard to rank-order the impact of programs especially when you’re talking locally. I work at a big Seattle-area tech company (no points for guessing which). There are a lot of Georgia Tech grads, but I know more people working here with UW, WSU and even CWU degrees than I do with, say, Penn or Cornell. Part of that is location - the kids who went to East Coast schools may have been more likely to want to stay on the East Coast - but part of that is location, by which I mean the Washington kids are from around here and maybe did internships here during the schools year or something. My company has connections to all of the Washington state universities, and they invest a lot in trying to connect with local students because they know they don’t have to convince those students to move to the area - they already live here.

So yes, Harvard has a bigger ‘name’ nationally, but 1) not necessarily in the tech arena - I see more Cal Poly sweatshirts around here than Harvard ones, and 2) CSU-F and Cal Poly Pomona may actually have more tenterhooks into the tech community in California specifically, because you’re local and can build connections and networks. Networking is soooooooo important; I don’t think undergrads even realize how important it is. Even if you never do an internship during graduate school, you can join the area tech networking groups and go to events and stuff like that.