Duke or NYU (MS, Data Science)

[sweetchild]

Hi all,

I got accepted to some great data science masters programs and I've narrowed down my choices to NYU's master of data science and Duke's new masters of interdisciplinary data science programs.

Background: At a high level, I come from the social sciences/market research analytics world and am thinking that's where I want to continue applying myself in the future. That said, I am open to exploring other applications of data science during my studies if I find another stream of research that catches my interest. 

Dilemma:

Duke's program feels very comfortable for me. The program is housed in their Social Sciences Research Institute (SSRI) and they seem to value a really diverse class of students beyond the traditional CS, Econ, and Tech folk (which is nice for someone like me who does not have a degree in math, stats, cs, or econ). Overall, I think the research is more aligned to my background and my interests than the research at NYU. They also have been extremely welcoming and attentive to me during the entire application process which I can only hope would carry over into the program itself. On the other hand, the Duke program is entire new and seems to still have not worked out a lot of the kinks yet (a required summer online bootcamp that has not been finalized, lack of solid funding budget, etc.) I'm a bit afraid that my class would be a test run with a lot of disorganization. Also, it's no surprise that Durham is not the metropolis that NYC is. When comparing Duke to NYU I have to take into account the networking and internship opportunities available in NYC that may not be available in a mid-size city in NC. 

Pros: Research fit, welcoming department, price

Cons: New program, lack of networking/internships

NYU's program is very highly regarded and I'm confident I'd receive a great education and has a track record of successful graduates. I'm very drawn to the energy of NY, and all the culture that comes with it. The accepted student body is very heavy on mathematics and computer science and, to be completely honest, I'm afraid I'll be a way out of my league. NYU's program seems to be much more focused on the science of data science, as opposed to the application. Also, I think it goes without saying but NYC is way more expensive city to live in compared to Durham. I haven't received any funding so it would be all money out of my savings at this point.

Pros: Proven program, NYC

Cons: Research interests, price

I know that either program will be a great choice, but I'd love some thoughts on what you all think would be the best move. Thanks!!

 

Edited March 19, 2018 by sweetchild
Messed up title

[brainlass]

Personally, I would really hesitate to go to NYC and pay my own way. Funding at Duke seems like a big pro for you, and from the description you write, it sounds like you would be more likely to thrive there. While you're definitely right that NYC wins on big-city opportunities, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area contains many research institutions and has a strong tech startup scene, so there are probably still good options for you in the area outside of the program itself!

[The Prince of Uncertainty]

@sweetchild  In your post, you have mentioned the 'price' as one of the pros with respect to the Duke MIDS program. The tuition fees is approximately $94K for the entire program, and that is quite expensive in my opinion. Since, you have listed the 'price' as one of the pros, I'm assuming that you must have received substantial financial aid/tuition fee waiver from the MIDS program. But you have also mentioned in the post that one of the problems with respect to the MIDS program is "lack of solid funding budget".  These two points seem contradictory. I would be grateful if you could please kindly let me know if you have received any financial aid from the MIDS program.

[sweetchild]

7 minutes ago, The Prince of Uncertainty said:

@sweetchild  In your post, you have mentioned the 'price' as one of the pros with respect to the Duke MIDS program. The tuition fees is approximately $94K for the entire program, and that is quite expensive in my opinion. Since, you have listed the 'price' as one of the pros, I'm assuming that you must have received substantial financial aid/tuition fee waiver from the MIDS program. But you have also mentioned in the post that one of the problems with respect to the MIDS program is "lack of solid funding budget".  These two points seem contradictory. I would be grateful if you could please kindly let me know if you have received any financial aid from the MIDS program.

@The Prince of Uncertainty I was mostly referring the to price of Durham, as opposed to the price of the program. I agree, the tuition for the program is exceptionally high even compared to other private 2-year programs. However, Durham is exceedingly cheap especially compared with cities such as NYC.

I actually have not heard anything back about funding yet. So no news there

[Coaster]

@sweetchild What's your order of preference including the schools you're waiting for?

[MrsPhD]

Duke has one of the best Stats departments in the country.

I have a lot of friends who have done some PhD in social science at Duke and a lot ended up working in industry (data science related). They had no problems getting a job. 

Those are my two cents.

[sweetchild]

Thanks @MrsPhD, @The Prince of Uncertainty, @brainlass for your replies! Just in case anyone wanted to know, I'm accepting Duke's offer. I'm so excited!! And so relieved to finally have made a decision

[brainlass]

44 minutes ago, sweetchild said:

Thanks @MrsPhD, @The Prince of Uncertainty, @brainlass for your replies! Just in case anyone wanted to know, I'm accepting Duke's offer. I'm so excited!! And so relieved to finally have made a decision

CONGRATS!! I'll be attending Duke as well for a different program. Maybe I'll see you there someday.

[The Prince of Uncertainty]

@sweetchild Congratulations :-) I believe Duke is a great choice, even though the tuition is expensive. While giving acceptance in the portal, did you have to pay any deposit amount for confirming your place in the program?

Regarding my current state, I'm in talks with financial institutions whether they can provide an education loan for the MIDS program. Haven't heard anything concrete from these financial institutions till now. And haven't heard anything with respect to the financial aid from MIDS either. My chances of going to Duke are hanging by a thread. That's how life is, i guess :-) 

Wishing you great success in the program :-)

[sweetchild]

6 hours ago, The Prince of Uncertainty said:

@sweetchild Congratulations :-) I believe Duke is a great choice, even though the tuition is expensive. While giving acceptance in the portal, did you have to pay any deposit amount for confirming your place in the program?

Regarding my current state, I'm in talks with financial institutions whether they can provide an education loan for the MIDS program. Haven't heard anything concrete from these financial institutions till now. And haven't heard anything with respect to the financial aid from MIDS either. My chances of going to Duke are hanging by a thread. That's how life is, i guess :-) 

Wishing you great success in the program :-)

Thanks! And no, there is no deposit (which I also found strange).

I'm surprised you haven't heard back from MIDS about financial aid yet, but I do assume that you must have to hear something next week, what with the April 15th deadline and all. I know you can't just wait around and not prepare, but it's possible that your financial aid package could include some type of student loan, so you may not have to rely on the external banks in the end (trying to figure all this out myself). Good luck!

[The Prince of Uncertainty]

@sweetchild I'm an international candidate, so, i'm not eligible for any federal loans. One has to be a citizen of USA to be eligible for these loans.  You mentioned "student loan" in your reply, i believe you were referring to the federal loans? And I'm not hopeful about any scholarship from MIDS either, because in the recent interactive session in FB, it was understood that they have budget constraints. If they wanted to give me some aid, they would have done that by now. How were you notified about the financial aid decision? someone from MIDS communicated that to you or the graduate school notified you?

[sweetchild]

On 4/6/2018 at 12:05 PM, The Prince of Uncertainty said:

@sweetchild I'm an international candidate, so, i'm not eligible for any federal loans. One has to be a citizen of USA to be eligible for these loans.  You mentioned "student loan" in your reply, i believe you were referring to the federal loans? And I'm not hopeful about any scholarship from MIDS either, because in the recent interactive session in FB, it was understood that they have budget constraints. If they wanted to give me some aid, they would have done that by now. How were you notified about the financial aid decision? someone from MIDS communicated that to you or the graduate school notified you?

Yes, sorry, I did mean federal loans. I was notified about my financial aid package through an official letter (via email). Although previously I had been in contact with Dr. Nechyba directly and he seems very open to discuss need. To your point, yes I've also heard that they have a very limited budget as a new program so funding is tight.

[TheMostPowerfulApplicant]

Data science is a great field. Hope you'll make lots of $$$ later!