Hey, I was lucky enough to get into both GT and CMU for CS and am having a really difficult time choosing one.
Both are fantastic CS schools with CMU being marginally better. I also believe that I’d fit in better at CMU as I’d like going to a smaller school and I like the vibe of Pittsburgh over Atlanta (I visited both). Although I didn’t dislike Atlanta/GT either, I’m sure I’d be happy at both schools.
The big difference is obv cost. CMU will cost ~$300k to graduate, whereas GT would only cost ~$150k. I’m fortunate enough to have supportive parents who have said they’ll do their best to support me regardless of my choice and I know that if money wasn’t a factor I’d choose CMU. However, is it really worth double the cost of GT? I don’t want to put my family under financial stress for little to no long-term benefit.
Well, you answered yourself. Your picture is correct. No, CMU is not worth $200k more.
Welcome to GaTech, it is an excellent school. Your parents can help you to buy a house with 200k down-payment . Your job opportunities will be the same after both.
Check to make sure your parents don’t need to take loans to pay for you to attend college. If they don’t…and they have the resources to pay for either school, then what a wonderful gift. There are some families () who are able and willing to be full pay…without loans…for college for their kids. If this is the case, give your parents a huge hug and a huge thank you.
I think it’s very commendable that you are thinking of the finances of this…but please do seriously discuss this with your family. For all we know, they have the money in some college account just for this purpose. Then again…maybe they don’t.
Both are excellent colleges for CS. I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice.
Did you get a scholarship? Or are you planning to graduate in 3 years?
Because otherwise GT will cost ~$210k over 4 years.
Still the cheaper option over CMU of course, but I just want to make sure you have calculated your costs correctly b
Then add to $200k difference another $100k salary for the year you will start to work earlier. Now you have 300k difference… GaTech is generous with AP credits. You can also take classes in summer at your local school or CC and transfer them!
Look up Oscar database GaTech in Google to see possible transfer credits.
I am GaTech alumni and have a senior there now
Your experience (for you) might be better at Ga Tech or where you end up might be better. And it’s not just these two schools.
Your family will try to make CMU work you indicate above. Try means difficulty - either loans or cutting back, etc. and you have no idea that it’ll be superior for you.
Really not a question here.
Ga Tech is clearly the right answer and if it wasn’t Ga Tech and just a very good school, it’d still be the right answer.
Go to tech, work hard, and knock it out of the park.
I said CMU was marginally better since its consistently ranked better for CS, has a higher median salary post graduation, and I just liked the campus and surrounding city better than GT when I visited. It also has nicer dorms and food options in my opinion. I also did my research on both colleges and I definitely prefer the small-school vibe of CMU (having gone to a small HS and MS). Thus, for me, CMU is definitely better.
However, you probably are right that GT is the correct answer. I think I knew that too, just needed other people to convince me against CMU since that was my first choice for a while and I do really like the school.
Not a specific course plan, but I have a bit under 3 semesters worth of college credit that transfers to GT, so I am confident I can graduate in 3 years.
Rankings are great to sell magazines and advertising but they don’t necessarily paint an accurate picture and certainly not to an individual person.
CMU may be better…or may not be.
Just as others may be - it depends on the kid, the situation, their level of commitment, etc.
No doubt it’s a fantastic school but is it better for you than Ga Tech in this case - how would you really know?
US News might but you don’t.
Now you have a good feeling it is based on what you wrote above - you like the dorms, the food, and smaller campus better.
And that I can appreciate.
Now - then your family again, has to decide, is it worth the strain on them to make you happy (with no loans)?
Only they can answer - and I’d go with that!!!
They do have a very good job board - cleaner than Ga Techs which doesn’t work (that I could find). But note 179 reported but only 140 reported the salary - and note the distribution (I’m looking at CS) - and note where the roles are (many pricey places).
I’m certainly not saying it’s not better - I’m just saying when people make a statement, they don’t really know - but I appreciate you’ve done research around the environment to feel it’s better.
Be careful with this. It may not work out and it also may not be recommended for best job placement in CS, due to many top internships coming after junior year of college, and only offered to current students not graduates. Just because you can graduate in 3 years does not mean you should.
If your parents are happy to be full pay and do not have financial limits, then pick CMU as it clearly fits you best from what you described.
You may want to map out a 6 semester schedule to ensure that your credit covers enough subject requirements and shortens prerequisite sequences to 6 semesters or fewer for your intended study.
I can’t tell you what makes sense financially. But the four years my son spent at CMU were among the happiest of his life. The alumni network is strong. When a planned summer internship fell through after sophomore year and alum helped get him one at Nvidia. The next summer he was put on the fast track for a Google internship. If he’d had loans he could easily have paid them off in a couple of years with his starting salary. He loved the nerdy culture. These days you might also want to consider the political situation.
Be careful with graduating in 3 years. Someone said this above.
There is another thread on CC that discusses how graduates even in CS are having are hard time getting entry level jobs and a big takeaway is that the top way to get employment is through internships.
. Your job opportunities will be the same after both.
) who are able and willing to be full pay…without loans…for college for their kids. If this is the case, give your parents a huge hug and a huge thank you.