UT Austin vs Brown MSCS

[nvseal]

Well, all my results are in. I need to decide between Brown and UT Austin for a CS MS and am looking for opinions. I am looking to specialize in AI with a specific focus in NLP. I also have plans to pursue a Phd after the MS. Currently, I am leaning towards UT Austin simply because of the rank of the school both in computer science and AI; however, Brown is also an intriguing option because of its location (I've never lived in that area so it might be an interesting place to be) and Brown is near MIT and does a lot of work with MIT research groups -- so it would be great for face-to-face networking. So what are your thoughts? My gut says that UT Austin's prestige in the CS world may be a better option if I want to get into top Phd programs in the future.

[nobody2008]

That makes two of us. I am more interested in Computational Learning Theory specifically Deep Learning though.

[Amogh]

Well, all my results are in. I need to decide between Brown and UT Austin for a CS MS and am looking for opinions. I am looking to specialize in AI with a specific focus in NLP. I also have plans to pursue a Phd after the MS. Currently, I am leaning towards UT Austin simply because of the rank of the school both in computer science and AI; however, Brown is also an intriguing option because of its location (I've never lived in that area so it might be an interesting place to be) and Brown is near MIT and does a lot of work with MIT research groups -- so it would be great for face-to-face networking. So what are your thoughts? My gut says that UT Austin's prestige in the CS world may be a better option if I want to get into top Phd programs in the future.

instead of choosing based on prestige why dont you take a look at their department sites and see where there'r more no. of active people doing things in the specific subfield you like. or decide based on group size as is your preference. bcos in all its your work that really counts. prestige comes in a distant second

[nvseal]

instead of choosing based on prestige why dont you take a look at their department sites and see where there'r more no. of active people doing things in the specific subfield you like. or decide based on group size as is your preference. bcos in all its your work that really counts. prestige comes in a distant second

That is definitely true and I don't mean to sound as if prestige is my only consideration. I am currently leaning toward UT since I believe more of my research interests are represented there while my two primary faculty of interest at Brown both left the department this year (this is the biggest influence on my thought process so far). Also, Brown is expensive with, from what I understand, slim chances of getting funding as a masters student. While UT doesn't fund masters students, I think the chances of getting some assistance (TA/RA) there are probably better than at Brown. Of course there are other factors as well such as where would I rather live etc. but they are all less important than research interests and positioning for a Phd later.

[Amogh]

That is definitely true and I don't mean to sound as if prestige is my only consideration. I am currently leaning toward UT since I believe more of my research interests are represented there while my two primary faculty of interest at Brown both left the department this year (this is the biggest influence on my thought process so far). Also, Brown is expensive with, from what I understand, slim chances of getting funding as a masters student. While UT doesn't fund masters students, I think the chances of getting some assistance (TA/RA) there are probably better than at Brown. Of course there are other factors as well such as where would I rather live etc. but they are all less important than research interests and positioning for a Phd later.

see you'v answered your question yourself

on a side note, i was wondering if i should take the ms-phd route or the direct phd route cos i come from a university in india that not too many of the top colleges would care to be familiar with. it's a good university down here but not a research uni so very unknown to the world. your comments on why you chose to go the ms-phd route?

Edited March 18, 2011 by Amogh

[frenzydude]

see you'v answered your question yourself

on a side note, i was wondering if i should take the ms-phd route or the direct phd route cos i come from a university in india that not too many of the top colleges would care to be familiar with. it's a good university down here but not a research uni so very unknown to the world. your comments on why you chose to go the ms-phd route?

in my opinion, you should take the ms-phd route. it might be very difficult to get a direct phd in a reputed university.

[nvseal]

see you'v answered your question yourself

on a side note, i was wondering if i should take the ms-phd route or the direct phd route cos i come from a university in india that not too many of the top colleges would care to be familiar with. it's a good university down here but not a research uni so very unknown to the world. your comments on why you chose to go the ms-phd route?

Haha, yes I think I basically have, I just don't want to admit it to myself yet. With regard to the ms-phd route, I come from a completely unknown, non-research university; so as frenzydude said, going straight into a phd from undergrad at a top university is going to be basically impossible in my case. My plan is to spend a year or two as a masters student at a well respected university to prove that 1) I can handle graduate level work 2) network both by getting to know my professors and trying to get involved on projects at universities I would like to attend later and 3) build up my cv by doing research (e.g. at the time I applied I had only one publication in a international, but not well known conference).

Edited March 18, 2011 by nvseal

[Amogh]

Thanks for your input guys..