Help me! CS @UIUC VS GATECH

[lovelypiggy]

I know that UIUC has a big name, especially in CS...

But (1) the winter in UIUC is too long and cold. I am not sure whether I am strong enough to "enjoy" it. Yeah, I hate winter!!

(2)It is in middle of nowhere.

Now, my problem is whether the big name of UIUC worths years of sufferring in chill wind and lonely town.

Or is GATECH better for me?

My research lies in distributed systems, and I guess both univerisities are great and perfect fit for my interest!

Thanks...

[timuralp]

I think you're really making a bad judgment of these schools if the only things you're considering are: rankings, location, length of winter (related to location, obviously). What about research? Which area are you interested in? Which faculty do you want to work with? How many are in your field? Ultimately you're going to grad school to study and do research. I'm not saying location is irrelevant, but I'd say it should factor in after these other questions... Oh, well, just my 2 cents on this

[husky07]

go to UIUC, big names matter when you're trying to get a job at the end.

[beenaround]

The job market doesn't work this way. No one gives you a job on the basis of your school's "name". On the industry side they care what you can do -- ideally as demonstrated with real artifacts you built -- not what school you went to. On the academic side the "brand" of your faculty adviser and other letter writers is important, but that's why the previous comment about research area matters so much. Illinois has strong faculty in some areas, but GA Tech's are stronger in others. Picking a grad school based on name, rank, etc. is a sucker's bet.

[lovelypiggy]

The job market doesn't work this way. No one gives you a job on the basis of your school's "name". On the industry side they care what you can do -- ideally as demonstrated with real artifacts you built -- not what school you went to. On the academic side the "brand" of your faculty adviser and other letter writers is important, but that's why the previous comment about research area matters so much. Illinois has strong faculty in some areas, but GA Tech's are stronger in others. Picking a grad school based on name, rank, etc. is a sucker's bet.

I think you're really making a bad judgment of these schools if the only things you're considering are: rankings, location, length of winter (related to location, obviously). What about research? Which area are you interested in? Which faculty do you want to work with? How many are in your field? Ultimately you're going to grad school to study and do research. I'm not saying location is irrelevant, but I'd say it should factor in after these other questions... Oh, well, just my 2 cents on this

Hi, guys, thanks..

Actually, I do consider the research in the first place.

I will major in distributed systems. Both are great! Perhaps the professor at UIUC is not famous as the one at GATech since he is somewhat new in the academia, but consider the potential, who knows...

So now I focus on the soft factors such as location, weather and atmosphere... I really cares about weather over anything esle. By "anything else" I mean "other soft factors". :shock:

[black_wizard]

I think I'll also give a piece of my mind here. I have a friend who is a PhD candidate at UIUC. He also works in the field of distributed system. And he considers the work being done there just "awesome".

Though I don't really have a first hand idea of Gatech, I would surely bet it's damn good.

Just my two cents.

[mo7aisen]

I believe UIUC is better particularly if you want to have a good job after graduation.