I am not asking if it matters to go to a top school for computer science. I know that attending a top institution where the big tech companies recruit is an advantage for one’s tech career. However, in this day and age, the cost of school is astronomical.
Here is my situation:
I have received a scholarship at Rowan University, a state school in New Jersey, that will cost me approximately $10,000 for the entire four years (for the sake of fair comparison between the costs of schools, I am ignoring potential increases in tuition as well as the cost of books).
I also have received a full tuition scholarship to my two year community college. After attending there, I can then apply to some other school. However, by choosing this route I will lose the scholarship to Rowan. But, by choosing this option, I have the possibility of transferring into a top university for computer science if I indeed get accepted to a top school.
Starting at a top school in computer science (such as Carnegie Mellon, or Georgia Institute of Technology) as a freshmen is not an option for me due to costs. I have already made that decision.
So my question is: Should I go to the state school (Rowan), or should I try to get into a top school for computer science (after attending community college)? If I choose the former, I will avoid debt, but most likely not have a job at a big tech company after graduation. If I choose the latter, I will have a large amount of debt, but potentially have a job at a big tech company.
Is the long term benefit of no debt better than the long term benefit of attending a top school with a large amount of debt?
Thank you, I appreciate your time in writing a response.
Steve jobs went to reed college and left after a year
Bill gates and Mark Zuckerberg went to Harvard and left early
Michael dell went no where
I am not saying a great education isn’t worth it. That’s not at all true and it’s hugely important tfor the average person. But it really doesn’t matter long term what the college certificate has printed on it. It’s what you learn coupled with your perseverance, talent aNd natural ability
Go to Rowan and be the best you can be. If your any good you’ll find success and jobs will be at your fingertips
If Rowan’s only $10,000 for 4 years, it sounds like a smart decision to go there. When I worked on Wall Street, we had all kinds of programmers in our department who went to local public universities like the SUNYS or Montclair State. There’s no need to graduate from a so-called “top” university. Once you’ve worked for a couple of years, your work experience will matter much more than your school.
Another vote for Rowan. My son is a freshman there. They are doing a great job there and the school is rising. You will have access to brand new facilities and plenty of opportunities for internships. Debt free is huge! I wouldn’t pass up the scholarship for a”what if”. Good luck!
Another way to look at it…by going to the Community College and doing well, you save the $10k per year of Rowan and can apply that to the school you transfer to. NJ has several transfer options for moving from CC to a 4 year college, suggest you look into those options.
If you have the grades/scores to apply to transfer to a top school and also apply to transfer to Rowan, you will likely get into Rowan. In addition, you don’t mention which CC but Rowan actually has a guaranteed transfer program from certain CC. They also have a transfer tuition scholarships specifically aimed at community college grads.
So…IMHO, worst case in going to the CC is that you end up with the Rowan degree after all. Can’t really compare the net investment without knowing more about your situation. For example, does the $10k at Rowan include housing/meals? Will you qualify for financial aid at any point? etc.
This is a no brainer. Go to Rowan. Often the preparation of community college for computer science leads to delays in taking key courses and it ends up needing to take more than 4 years.
HMom16, I will more closely consider what the situation would be by attending a community college that may have connections to a state school. Thank you for your input.
For computers, it doesn’t matter all that much where you graduate from. If you already have a scholarship, then take it. If you go to community college and find out you don’t have the grades for GA Tech, you’ll probably end up at Rowan University anyway.
First: What do you mean by “big tech companies”? Google? Facebook? What are the odds of obtaining entry work there regardless of where you go to college?
It wasn’t that long ago that the Big Tech Companies were start-ups. Innovative start-ups is where the action is, whether it’s on the hardware side or the app side. If the innovation works, capital flows until it is a big tech company or it is quickly absorbed by one of the existing big tech companies.
What it comes down to is you. Learn the fundamentals, do a lot of side work as a hobby, meet collaborators. Keep a project list on a spreadsheet: Name the project, identify the issue, list the obstacles, list the remedies, list the results, list the people who’ll vouch for what you did. Eventually, if you do those things, you’ll become a go-to person in your field and Big Tech will search for you.
Are you aware of the tech companies in the Marlton/Mount Laurel area, or the FAA R&D center in Atlantic County? Some of the biggest tech companies in the world have divisions in those areas. Do you understand that the very reason you received generous grant money was to slow the brain-drain out of NJ, since NJ schools - for all the perceived problems - are perennially among the top-rated in the country?
Limiting your college debt will expand your options. If I were you, I’d choose Rowan.
I agree. Thank you all for the advice, and for the time everyone spent in their responses!
And SpacemanEd, what you said about keeping a list and actually doing something reminds me of the significance of applying what I know now. It reminds me to not just go to school, but to actively take on projects in my field of study and network with people in my free time. You have great advice! Again, thank you!