Stanford EE (MSc) vs Princeton EE (PhD)

[qwop]

I'm in a pretty interesting situation right now, and would like to hear your comments on this.

I got two admits this year: One is from Princeton EE, PhD, fully funded for the next 5 years. The other is from Stanford EE, which is terminal MSc (even though I applied for the PhD) and has no guarantee of any funding whatsoever. If I were a normal happy EE student, I would gladly take the offer from Princeton and be done with it. But...

The problem is that I'm heavily CS-inclined, and I recently decided that I should pursue a CS PhD (my dream undergrad major) instead of being stuck with EE and trying to include CS components in my work. Both Stanford and Princeton are ranked great among CS PhD graduate schools, and I would consider them equal; if, and only if, one was not located right next to the freaking Silicon Valley.

I would probably be able to fund myself for the duration of the MSc at Stanford, and then reapply for the PhD there (I really want to pursue a PhD). After the PhD, I think I would like to work at a private research company (the whole graduate admissions process, especially the interviews, made me disillusioned about my idea of staying in academia). Now comes the tough question: Considering the fact that I can afford the MSc at Stanford, would it make sense to take the risk and go for the MSc because of the possible opportunities in the Bay Area? Yes, it's ridiculously expensive to study in Stanford unfunded, but I feel the expected gains calculation is not as straightforward as it looks here.

Some additional facts:

I think it's fairly easy to do a EE-CS switch in Princeton. (But then again, my problem is mostly with the location.)

One of the depth areas in Stanford EE MSc is Software Systems, so I can basically take almost all of my classes from the CS department there, be successful (I'm mostly confident about this) and make a good case for a CS PhD.

There's no thesis requirement for Stanford EE MSc, so if I find an advisor I will probably have to do research at my own expense. Stanford's own website says that most of the financial aid is reserved for PhD's. I do not expect to find funding, but I do expect to be able to continue with my PhD.

I'm an international student.

TL;DR: Is it worth the risk to go to Stanford EE MSc rather than Princeton EE PhD if all I want to do is a CS PhD?

[wfr0001]

If I were you, I would choose Princeton.

 

Since your goal is a PhD, the decision should be obvious.

[EngiNerd-12]

I personally would go with the PhD offer at Princeton. I was also offered the M.S option at Stanford, but since PhD is my ultimate goal, I am going to decline it. Princeton is great for CS, and is also an Ivy League, so you will have opportunities regardless. The Princeton offer sounds amazing (and set funding for 5 years is a great deal that I would find hard to decline).

[tarrman]

One of my friends was choosing between Princeton and Stanford EE a few years ago (he was fully funded at Stanford), and he decided on Princeton. He finished up his Ph.D. a few years ago.

Here are a couple of things to consider:

 

1. Princeton focuses on more theoretical work in the EE dept.; moreso than most universities. If that's what you're interested, great! But if not, you're gonna have a harder time finding a good research fit. I've also heard it isn't that easy to switch departments, but it is easy to collaborate. Princeton's endowment is strong enough that many advisers are very flexible with what you do research on, and it is easy to strike up collaborations with other professors in other departments (and often encouraged).

 

2. You'll have to reapply at Stanford to get in to the Ph.D. program, and you aren't guaranteed admission. Don't underestimate the amount of work that will need to go into this.

 

3. Even if you do get in, you don't know what kind of funding you'll have. Palo Alto is one of the most expensive places in the country, and it'd be very easy to go into debt there.

 

4. This may just be hearsay, but I've heard that your performance on the quals at Stanford determine who you get to work with i.e. if you perform in the top 5%, you can work with the more well-known professors. At Princeton, you're almost guaranteed to work with the professor of your choice. My friend cited about 85%-90% success rate in getting your first pick.

 

5. Don't let other people tell you that you don't have a chance of getting into academia. If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything. Coming from Princeton or Stanford greatly improves your chances of scoring a faculty position. If that's what you truly want, don't give up so easily.

 

6. Most of the opportunities and advantages in the Bay area come from start-ups. If you're looking to join a company to do research, both schools offer great opportunities (along with many others). I don't foresee you having significantly "greater chances" by living in Silicon Valley. Princeton has many connections with companies like Qualcomm, IBM, Microsoft Research, etc, and you could easily score multiple summer internships during your time there.

 

You're choosing between two great schools, neither of which is substantially stronger than the other. Of course Stanford is more well-known and carries a better reputation, but not enough to justify declining a fully-funded offer from Princeton (and they pay EXTREMELY well). The only way I could justify going to Stanford is if the research fit was much much better than at Princeton. I suggest talking to some professors at Princeton about their research and also about your interest in CS.

[ak48]

One of my friends was choosing between Princeton and Stanford EE a few years ago (he was fully funded at Stanford), and he decided on Princeton. He finished up his Ph.D. a few years ago.

Here are a couple of things to consider:

 

1. Princeton focuses on more theoretical work in the EE dept.; moreso than most universities. If that's what you're interested, great! But if not, you're gonna have a harder time finding a good research fit. I've also heard it isn't that easy to switch departments, but it is easy to collaborate. Princeton's endowment is strong enough that many advisers are very flexible with what you do research on, and it is easy to strike up collaborations with other professors in other departments (and often encouraged).

 

2. You'll have to reapply at Stanford to get in to the Ph.D. program, and you aren't guaranteed admission. Don't underestimate the amount of work that will need to go into this.

 

3. Even if you do get in, you don't know what kind of funding you'll have. Palo Alto is one of the most expensive places in the country, and it'd be very easy to go into debt there.

 

4. This may just be hearsay, but I've heard that your performance on the quals at Stanford determine who you get to work with i.e. if you perform in the top 5%, you can work with the more well-known professors. At Princeton, you're almost guaranteed to work with the professor of your choice. My friend cited about 85%-90% success rate in getting your first pick.

 

5. Don't let other people tell you that you don't have a chance of getting into academia. If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything. Coming from Princeton or Stanford greatly improves your chances of scoring a faculty position. If that's what you truly want, don't give up so easily.

 

6. Most of the opportunities and advantages in the Bay area come from start-ups. If you're looking to join a company to do research, both schools offer great opportunities (along with many others). I don't foresee you having significantly "greater chances" by living in Silicon Valley. Princeton has many connections with companies like Qualcomm, IBM, Microsoft Research, etc, and you could easily score multiple summer internships during your time there.

 

You're choosing between two great schools, neither of which is substantially stronger than the other. Of course Stanford is more well-known and carries a better reputation, but not enough to justify declining a fully-funded offer from Princeton (and they pay EXTREMELY well). The only way I could justify going to Stanford is if the research fit was much much better than at Princeton. I suggest talking to some professors at Princeton about their research and also about your interest in CS.

you've sold  me quite well on princeton, tarrman! 

[compiler_guy]

choose Princeton - Fully funded and great rating.