_silverSpoon

Hi, I needed help/advice… I applied for MS for Fall 2014 season last year to some universities in US. I wanted to know input about which university should I choose? I have admits from: 1. UIUC University of Illinois Urbana Champaign CS MCS Professional Masters of Computer Science program (non-thesis program - 3 semesters) 2. Cornell University CS MEng Master of Engineering program (non-thesis program - 9 months) 3. TAMU Texas A&M University, College Station, TX CS MS program (thesis program - 2 years) I don’t know if I would want to do PhD in the future after I complete my Masters and pay off the loan. So, I want to keep the option for going to PhD open, if possible. I'm confused as to which university should I choose. I've equal inclination for both thesis and non-thesis programs. But, I think I'll be ruining my chances if I go for TAMU MS (thesis) and then don't get PhD into a better college. Query#1: What is the return on investment(ROI) of TAMU compared to UIUC/Cornell? Will an MS CS thesis from TAMU make my profile better to get PhD from a better university in the future? However, if I choose Cornell/ UIUC, the brand tag and my hard work will always get me a great job. Query#2: If I choose a non-thesis program, which of the two ( UIUC and Cornell ) is better? I am also mentioning my analysis for UIUC and Cornell so far: UIUC - PRO: Internship and TA opportunity - PRO: More projects done as part of courses - PRO: Cheaper ( i-20 57k) - Around 25lac INR - Will get a job a bit late. - Public IVY league - Have some time to settle down and plan degree according to ones liking. - CON: Will have to take Courses just to complete breadth requirement. Cornell - CON: No internship and TA opportunity - CON: Only one project - CON: Costlier ( i-20 67k) - Around 35lac INR - Will get a job 6 months earlier. Can make up for the additional cost. - IVY league - Hectic from day one. Need to be well prepared and should have planned course structure well in advance. Have to start looking for fulltime job soon. - PRO: Can tailor courses as I please. Please reply with your opinions/feedback. Let me know if you need more information. Thanks, Jatin Ganhotra