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Owego

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    2013 Fall

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  1. Owego

    Chicago, IL

    Hi, I'll be going to Uchicago beginning this summer and am apartment hunting. Does anyone have recommendations on where to find a cheap + somewhat safe studio? Also, how is UChicago's graduate housing? Is that a good option or am I better off trying to find something on my own?
  2. I come a sociology background, but realized last year that I wanted to join the tech industry, and do so as fast as possible. I'm really interested in data science, but could also see myself being a software developer. I've applied and been accepted to 2 CS professional programs. The first is the MCIT program at UPenn. It's 2 years and seems to have a very good placement rate. The second is the MS in CS program at UChicago. It is the one I'm more interested in because it's only 1 year (4 quarters, 11 courses total). But I'm worried that one year and no internship wouldn't be enough to get a job. Would someone mind taking a look at the program and tell me what they think? It would be: 2 immersion/intro course 5 core courses listed here: http://csmasters.uchicago.edu/page/core-requirements And 4 electives of my choosing Could somebody with little experience be able to get a job in silicon valley after going through this program?
  3. I got accepted!!! but to answer your question, no it is not mandatory, but it is the only info session before I'd have to choose programs. I'm probably won't attend though. I figure I can still visit the school in the spring when the flights are cheaper/more numerous and the weather is better.
  4. Not sure if this question is better suited for this forum or the computer science forum, but I'll give it a shot here. I come from a sociology background have have almost 0 formal computer science experience, but I've been accepted into two computer science programs that don't require any prerequisites. My final goal is either a PhD in computational social science or to work as a software developer. The factors floating through my head are as follows: 1. Time to degree- Uchicago=1 year (11 total courses) Penn=2 years (10 total courses) The one year nature of the Chicago program is very appealing. It would allow me to get the skills I need and get on with my life quickly. This is especially appealing if I do wind up going for a PhD. However, If I want to get a job as a software developer, I feel like the condensed program will hurt me as I won't have time for an internship or anything like that. 2. Ranking in the field- Penn seems more highly respected in computer science, but Chicago may be up and coming. 3. Recruiting- I don't know the answer to this one to be honest 4. Title of Degree- Despite similar coursework, the degrees have different names. Master of Science in Computer Science seems like it would look better on a resume than Master of Computer Information Technology 5. Quality of Program- When people mention they want a master in computer science, but don't have a background in computer science, Penn is almost always suggested. Chicago does not seem to be mentioned as often, but this could just be due to a lower profile. Also, the MCIT program has a 20% acceptance rate... while Chicago does not publish their acceptance rate, one random website I stumbled across listed it at 80%. That figure could be completely gibberish, but all around I have reason to doubt the quality of Chicago's program. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice? I'm leaning towards, Chicago since it is only one year and that is probably better if my end goal is computational social science.
  5. So I applied to a program back in early august back in early November and was told to expect a decision in 3-4 weeks. After not hearing from them for over 2 months, I finally decided to shoot them an emails 2 weeks ago to see what was up. The woman apologized and said they basically closed down do to illness and weather, but she reassured me that they would review my app sometime that week. I'm still waiting. The info session for the program is in 5 days and I would need to buy a plane ticket to attend it. This is driving me crazy!!!! Anyone have words of wisdom?
  6. Would it be better to email or call?
  7. I originally applied to a program in early November and was told I should expect a decision in three to four weeks. There was also a caveat that the winter applicant deadline was coming up soon and they would get priority in the review process (I'm applying for the summer term and applied 6 months in advance of the deadline). It's now been over 8 weeks and I'm still waiting. Mostly I'm just impatient, but there's also an info session coming up soon and I want to know if I should make plans to attend. Would it be alright to contact them and see if they've made any progress on my app?
  8. So at the end of this school year I will be leaving my current city where I am a research assistant for a professor. I plan to apply to PhD programs in 1-2 years. I'm sure he would write me a great recommendation, but maybe it wouldn't be as good if he wrote it in 1-2 years. Would it be appropriate to go to him before I leave the job and ask him to write a recommendation that he would keep on reference until it came time to apply?
  9. Thanks for the resources. I'm keeping my options open about what I want to do, but a PhD in Sociology is a strong possibility.
  10. I have an undergraduate degree in sociology and am about to embark on a masters program in computer science. I like computer science but sociology (specifically population studies) remains my true passion. I want to find a way to marry the two subjects and use my computer science skills to make me a better sociologist. I've been reading up on computational sociology, but it doesn't seem as useful to population studies as it is for other sociology disciplines. There is something called Agent-Based Computational Demography, but it doesn't seem very mainstream. Any thoughts on other ways computer science can be married with population studies?
  11. A fair assumption... Sociology.
  12. I may be starting a computer science masters program this summer. Due to my limited math background (statistics, but no calculus) I'd start off with a math "catch up" course that would run me $5,000. The name of the course is "math for computer science" and it requires precalc but no calc. It's possible to test out of this course, but I clearly wouldn't at this point. However, I'm wondering if taking a calculus at a community college this spring could get me up to speed and allow me to test out. It would be a much cheaper option than the catch up course, and I'm also wondering if it may look better to admissions committees if I ever apply for a PhD in the future (not a PhD in computer science, but something in the social sciences). Any thoughts? I have no idea how well calculus would align with "math for computer science."
  13. I'm about to enter a masters program and may move on to a PhD program in a few years. A few of the pjs programs I'm looking at strongly recommend calculus and perhaps even linear algebra but I've never taken them. My masters program unfortunately won't let me take calculus as a part of the program. I could always take calculus this spring since I don't start my masters until the summer. It would be possible to take it at a state university, but the easiest and cheapest option would be to take it at the community college next door to my house. Is this acceptable? I worry that PhD programs won't look fondly on community college courses, but would it really make a difference as long as I learn the material? These are interdisciplinary social science programs that I'm interested in. Another option is to take both calc and linear algebra at the community college, which would allow me to take an advanced linear algebra course as part of my masters program. I'm thinking that if I do well in that, it would validate the previous community college work I did... Posting from my IPotato, so please excuse the incoherence.
  14. That's a private school!! (Eminem voice) Sorry OP, I don't have anything valuable to say but I saw the title and couldn't resist making an 8mile reference. Good luck with your search.
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