buddy16cat

Well I am not the one insulting people saying "you don't sound like somoene that could ever get into an elite CS program". He doesn't know me nor my record. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from my undergrad and will have a 4.0 with my master's. He is the one that associated a "small, liberal arts university" somehow unassociated with a "good university" which is a flat out insult. Despite US News Rankings, some colleges have a lot of prestiges associated with regardless of major. I see what you mean though about using rankings when you just don't know anything a college. But his comments did reassure my thinking that where you went to college has a lot to do with admission. There is no way someone that went to a "small, liberal arts university which aren't good" would sound like someone worthy of UIUC. That is not giving blunt truths, that is hurling insults just to make him feel better about himself. It doesn't matter about UIUC, I didn't get in and they don't recommend applicants reapplying unless their profile changes significantly. I will have a master's but still don't want to apply again. Where did you go Eigen? What is this "better respected, poster."? His opinion is better because people on the Internet message board liked what he said. This is my first thread on this discussion board, which this is, an Internet message board. I guess I should take serious to what everyone says on the Internet who have some ranking on a message board. Some people troll. Now that I know this not a very helpful board, I won't post another thread. Internet is big, I am sure I can find a message board that is more helpful.

For someone that doesn't care about ranking, you sure do make judgements based of them. For many people who's lives don't revolve around colleges and their magazine rankings, they tend not to look at state college systems all that differently. I can say I don't have a negative view of a college because it is a small, liberal arts university, I actually have a good view of this. It means their students are not a number in a stadium sized class and receive better administrative services. Go ahead call me immature but if I am attacked by some Internet troll because of my opinions, I am going to say something back. Since you are still influenced by US News Ranking, yes they do have a good reputation for CS. So does Carnagie Mellon where one of my classmates at community college attended and is a more well known in my area. Professors and students told me about Carnagie Mellon but since I was not familiar with colleges on the other end of the state I didn't apply. I applied at a couple colleges in the city where I live and this career college in MI. Illinois does have a high ranking at US News but they are not as well known as others. I never really intended on going as far as I did in college. If I did it may have influenced where I chose to apply. I also was unaware of college rankings since I went to trade skilled and worked in a skilled trade before returning to college. If I was aware, I may have made different undergraduate decisions, or may have not. How many employers follow CS magazine rankings that weren't CS students? If I went to Penn, it would probably trump Illinois despite what a magazine said depending on where you want to work. Illinois may outrank Ivy League colleges but many of their students and faculty attended Ivy League school. It seems a colleges overall reputation and prestige definately trumps US News rankings. U of I only has three campuses, they are no U of California. They have on campus more than Rutgers.

Yeah I have to take the GRE again. The GRE won't get you in but can keep you out. I know what you mean though about ranking. Many colleges choose not to be ranked and if your department does not offer a PHD they will not be ranked. Many colleges in my area and others offer only a master's in CS and they are not included in the CS ranking even though they may have a good CS master's program. Plus many employers aren't exactly going through the department ranking when looking for candidates, they just like familiar names. Plus the person hiring may not know anything about your chosen field and doesn't need to. There are other things to consider like a location you want to live at since you will be spending a great deal of time there. I am definately done with any long distance education and will just stick to my local area.

Hey emmm, I was wondering about the state school you went to. Is it like the one I mentioning where one campus is " a small liberal art college that won't get you into a good university like UIUC" even though we are talking about the same university system that all share the same name? This kid doesn't know what he is talking about obviously. The diplomas are identical except one word but one is "good" and the other is not good because it is a "small liberal arts college". Where I live we have colleges like Swarthmore College that are "small liberal arts colleges" that are far better than UIUC. I guess were back to prestige having more presidence over education received. UIUC is just a state college on the prairie in the Midwest, not some "elite school". I guess we just have better state colleges here in the Northeast where no matter what campus you go to you are a Rutgers or Penn State student.

You are now being ignored, grow up. Find someone else to lash out on, smart-ass punk. Troll elsewhere. UIUC is just a midwest, public university and hardly someplace truly elite like Harvard or something. You are not CS but if they are anything like you at UIUC with the serious social issues I am totally relieved I never have to go there.

That is something I didn't consider. Isn't it better for a college to admit candidates from their state since they also get state funding for the student? I think I just didn't apply to enough programs to really get into somewhere but I thought it better to wait, get some work experience, and shoot for a higher GRE score for those that require it. I just applied to UIUC since I am already at a U of I campus, whether they consider it or not.

I am actually not from a small college. I went to a career college for my undergraduate which was definiately not research based. The campus where I getting my masters though is a small campus of the University of Illinois versus the large flagship campus, UIUC. Like I said if I knew I was going to apply for a PHD program, I probably should have went to more of a research university for my undergrad rather than a professional college. Many applicants though do cause a lower acceptance rate making the department more exclusive. I do know it is difficult to get into many PHD programs today and get funded. Different colleges tell you different things. Some say that if you don't need funding it does help you to get admitted, others fund all candidates. Anyhow, I didn't get in, for whatever reason and I won't be applying there again. They don't recommend re-applying unless your statistics changed. I will have a master's but would rather attend elsewere in a different location.

I am currently 42. Yes, I know some programs geared to non-traditional students at exclusive colleges are easier to get into like Penn LPS and Harvard Extension School. I do think though that if you are self-funded it is easier to get in since you are paying them, well atleast it is far less competitive. I know that I read that many colleges focus less on their PHD programs admitting less students prefering to focus on their un-funded master's programs. For instance UIUC has a professonal Master of Computer Science program that is relatively easier to get in. I read on the statistics survey here that UIUC cut their PHD admission in half. The MCS program, especially the online program benefits them the most since they can charge exclusive, private college tuition for something completely online. I am graduating from the University of Illinois-Springfield for 1/3 the cost. The difference between their diploma and mine? One word, in small print. I would imagine though that their application pool for their PHD is quite large, people apply from all over to go to all the top ranked collleges with Carnagie Mellon, Stanford, MIT, and UC Berkeley being their first pick. But one person did make sense stating "of course they want all qualified students to apply for the money and prestige". I do believe the writer for US News that said "college rankings cause colleges to act badly" but many students base where they apply on these rankings. One thing I can say though they have to give their own undergraduate students first dibs I would think. I should of thought of this when deciding where to attend undergraduate school. But yes, I am definately looking forward to a break from college and most likely won't return unless I get some kind of tuition rembirsement. I have been looking at this Master of Philosophy degree at Penn LPS which looks more like a mini-phd.

double

Why not try a master's program first? I had a 3.95 GPA and I received no funding from any college. Of course there are other considerations. Where did you go to college? a 3.0 at Harvard has a lot more weight than a 3.8 at an average college or 4.0 at a third teir college.

There is also a question of age discrimination. They may be cautious of your application.

Can you delete this thread? There are two. I hit the button twice.

I am currently finishing about a master's degree at a different University of Illinois campus than UIUC but since the director of my program knew Roy Cambell well, I thought there might be a chance I may get admitted if the director gave me a recommendation. My grades are not an issue, I had a 3.95 GPA for undergrad and a 4.0 grad school average. Since I didn't really have the time or money to apply I sent my transcripts to the department and asked how likely would I be admitted and got the answer "you are eligable to apply based on your records". I didn't know what it meant but I know atleast it was some kind of encourage to apply. Of course I got the batch email rejection letter which I am ok about. What gets me is that I think I was encouraged to apply when I believe they had no intentions of admitting me. I believe that they mostly will admit their own undergraduate students, those who attended colleges with better US News Rankings than their own, and those that attended prestigious universities. I believe this based on profiles I have seen of those admitted which match where their faculty went to college. I did attended a low cost undergraduate college with open admission. At the time they didn't require calculus since none of the computer science courses use it since CS has little use for coninuous variables needed to use the tools in calculus. I believe that because I didn't not attend their campus (they act like the other campus doesn't even exist when I talk to them about it) and I attended a non-prestigous college they never had any intention of admitting me. I think they just like to reject a lot of people to keep their US News Rankings high. Their law school is currently under investigation by the ABA for exagerrating statistics to US News. Does my argument make any sense? I really didn't want to attend there because of their location anyhow but it irritates me that I was encourage to apply. Has anyone else though this? That they were encouraged to apply somewhere that would no way admit them?

double thread delete.

Too funny, colleges use template rejection letters no matter who you are. Treat them with the same consideration. Create one email and send it to all your rejects. Many of us are on the receiving end of these letters and sure would like to send some.

That college sounds like a good deal. But of course if magazine ranking is that important to you and you like spending money for reject emails, give the spot to someone who really wants it.

If you look at the US and News and World Report ranking, they don't even rank colleges for CS that do not offer a PHD program so this magazine ranking has more to do with PHD ranking. Outside of this magazine ranking, a Princeton degree carries much more prestige. You also have to consider those that want to hire you won't know anything about CS let alone how some magazine ranks your college in it. From what I understand the MCS at UIUC is easier to get into than other graduate programs. If you can do the thesis that will be required, go to Princeton. I would think that many employers would value their name if they don't know anything about CS programs.

Eh, just disregard this. There is apparently too much emphasis on one magazine's rating of a college and this causes them to behave badly. I know UIUC's law school has dropped several rating spots and is now under investigation from the Bar Association for falsely inflating their admitted student's statistics. Hope it was worth it for them. I sent my transcripts to UIUC and I was told "I am eligible" to apply whatever that means. Obviously they want to reject people with high grades and waste their money to make themselves look good. And of course Roy Cambell had to mention he knew the director of the program I am encouraging me to apply. As an alumni to University of Illinois I will remember this and especially remember the bullsit batch email I got.

I know I am probably just bitter after a rejection letter I received from UIUC and job prospect rejects but I am wondering about CS departments at university systems with a campus that has a high CS ranking. I know from what I read on a blog written by a former US News writer that the college rankings cause colleges to behave badly. I am currently working on a MS in Computer Science at University of Illinois Springfield. Even though the director of this program knows the admission director at UIUC and my GPA is 4.0 with two classes to go, which I currently have an "A" average, I was rejected to UIUC. I know that their is a lot of competition to their MS and PHD programs because they can be funded (MCS is not funded and has a better admission rate). It got me thinking though about other campuses of colleges that have a high ranking. Should you bother with those or will you always be in the shadows of another campus? This has no baring on their program, they may have a good program. You know who I am talking about, UMBC versus University of Maryland-College Park, U of Wisonsin-Stout versus Madison, University of Michigan-Dearborn versus Ann Arbor. I personally can see why some may want to attend a different campus like not having to relocate, a city location like University of Illinois-Chicago, or smaller class sizes versus a stadium sized lecture hall.