#UIUC (In state; CS + Econ) vs. Northeastern (Data Science + Econ)

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proven willow
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Got alot of info already, but would appreciate anything and everything. Thanks

Schools: UIUC (In-state) vs Northeastern
Intended major: CS + Econ @ UIUC; Data Science + Econ @ NEU

UIUC (LSA)
School 1 Pros:

  • Top rank for CS; pReStIgE.
  • In state tuition (~35k)
  • Really strong post-grad numbers for STEM; both industry and Grad school. CS @UIUC is just goated.
  • Heavy research focused school

School 1 Cons:

  • Unsure about C.S. ATM, I can't say for certain whether or not I like C.S. There's a chance I really enjoy CS as I like math + statistics, on top of econ. But if I don't, not only will I be taking difficult classes, but also switching majors will be difficult. Transferring to engineering is hard and switching to other, non-Stem majors @ UIUC isn't exactly ideal.

  • Public School. I think I'd prefer a smaller, private school than a large state school. Also, the large school makes it harder to switch majors. And it's probably harder to get opportunities since I'm competing against the pure C.S. + CS/math/stats + CE ppl (tbh, unsure about this last claim but that's what I've heard)

  • Located middle of nowhere.

  • It seems like 100 people from my class are going here....

Northeastern (Khoury aka C.S. School)
School 2 Pros:

  • CO-OP. Will likely total to around 1 year of industry experience split up into two 6-month, full-time sessions. Also get paid anywhere from $20-30/hr.

  • Private School. Really easy to switch majors, even to pure CS because I'm already in their CS school.

  • Great urban area (Boston)

  • Honors Program + $35k/year scholarship. Tuition on par with UIUC in-state. The pros and cons for honors are:

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Honors Pros:

  • Nicer, newer first-year housing: semi-private rooms (two double bedrooms sharing a connected bathroom) with ac.;
  • Unique honors and smaller class sizes
  • Study abroad program with all fees paid for
  • Bank of money ($6k) towards any global experience

Honors Cons:

  • More work to get honors label
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School 2 Cons:

  • Not as well-known for STEM.

  • Their DS + Econ is a brand new major and it’s the combination that I’d enjoy the most at this specific moment. But I can always change.

  • Potential 5th year due to CO-OPs; although there's opportunities to take courses over breaks and/or test out of core classes

  • Really independent school. Being such a experience focused school is a great thing but it requires alot of independence from the student, which is something I'm kinda lacking. Like doing CO-OP for 6 months means living in a potentially brand new city having to deal with the 9-5 life, and being on your own for housing/food. Also, co-ops can result in difficulty in getting that college social life experience since you might be in a different city by yourself, or at least working in Boston while others take classes.

Tiebreaking considerations:
UIUC: how hard is it to get internships/job opportunities. Ik that UIUC has alot to offer but they also have alot of students who are likely stronger STEM kids than me that take up those positions.

NEU: the co-op experience and being independent. Also, the ability to make friends and socialize @ the school with it being so career driven. This is probably the most worrying thing, along with low PrEsTiGe

Additional:

  • money isn’t a factor but it’s always nice to have cheaper expenses and more income
  • I’m about 70-30 in terms of choosing to go into industry vs grad school right after undergrad. There’s also a possibility of going to grad school after couple years of industry experience, but I haven’t really thought about it as much.
leaden herald
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uiuc imo