USC vs UT vs GaTech

[comohacerhumo]

Hey everybody! This is my first topic. I am an international student and have been admitted to these 3 university to the MS program in Computer Engineering/Embedded Systems. I have reasons to like all these universities. I really prioritize the city where the university is located and the whole social life. I think having a good social life make this whole experience better. I am not very interested in research as a matter of fact. I am more interested in the whole startup scene.I also wouldn't like to have less after-school opportunities just because of this. Take into account that all the information I gathered is from people I have talked to and posts that I have read.

 

-USC: It is in California. Nice weather and I believe that social life is great and that there is a nice EE entertainment industry. It is close to the bay area. Public transportation is bad although the university is in downtown and I would probably be living near campus. California vibes. Has good startup scene due to its proximity to the bay area.

 

-UT: It is in Austin. Nice and fun city. I was told that it could be hell during the summer. I was also told that there is a growing startup scene. They call it the new Silicon valley. I am not sure about this one. I really don't have any more pros except that I would be living in totally different type of city that I am used to. 

 

-GaTech: It is in Atlanta. All the people I talked to weren't very excited about the city. Public transportation is not great either. The programs is ranked the highest among the three. I was told that has very strong connections with the industry and the program it is more practical. A degree from this university could give me the highest chances to secure a job in the bay area (?).I also heard there is a good startup scene. Weather is fine. City is cheap.

 

I must say that my ultimate goal would be to live and work in the bay area. I wish I had the opportunity to visit all of them but unfortunately I have to decide blindly. So do you guys have any extra information that would help me to make a decision?

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited April 5, 2014 by comohacerhumo

[kcyc]

Choose UT or GT, usc is super expensive.

 

At UT CS, facebook hosts a hackathon and if u do well, you'll get noticed by fb/get internship? All big companies visit GT and UT often though.

 

GT should have a  more diverse student body, more out of state/international.

 

UT EE building (super old) will be torn down and undergo construction in the next few years. May make things inconvenient. GT buildings seem nicer

 

Austin is smaller more run down city, but less travel to get to places. Buses run often enough here. If u like bigger cities go with Atlanta.

 

You should look at research labs that may interest u.

Edited April 5, 2014 by kcyc

[comohacerhumo]

Thanks for your reply kcyc. 

 

Yeah, I like how UT is relatively small and you don't need to travel too much to get to places, but I am also worried about the weather. Extreme hot could be annoying and I don't specially like that type of weather. Like I said I am not very interested in research labs, but more in the overall experience. 

 

Money is not a problem since I have a scholarship. Is there other reason you would discard USC? Is it too annoying to get to places in LA where distances are greater? Why

[Annita]

USC is a great school - just know that it's very difficult and inconvenient to get around LA without your own car. And the area around USC can be quite sketchy, especially at night.

By the way Austin is an AWESOME city. Great food, lots of culture, really really nice people. I'm a native Angelino (from Los Angeles) but if I were to move, Austin would be in my top 5 places to live in the US. I did hear it gets really hot but I still think it's worth it. It's an up-and-coming city that's become very popular with young people in the last few years. And housing is way cheaper than the Bay Area (SF, San Jose).

Edited April 9, 2014 by Annita

[kcyc]

LA is a much nicer city, more developed, so many theme parks, hollywood, las vegas close by. Almost always sunny, and not so hot as Texas.

 

But for engineering reputation and strength I think u should choose GT or UT. Austin has a vibrant startup scene. esp during sxsw when so many ppl and companies came to meet and launch.

 

Sorry, can't seem to narrow it down for u!

[ShortLong]

So I went to undergrad at UT in Aerospace, I am currently in grad school at GT, and I interned for six months in LA.

 

I'm surprised no one has this, but LA is not actually that close to the bay area. It is about a six hour drive, so that should not factor in to you going to USC. 

 

Austin is a really awesome city, it is smaller than LA or Atlanta, and in my opinion a lot more personality, but it is still pretty big. It is called the live music capitol of the world, and there are a ton of music festivals. There is also hiking and a lake to go canoeing and such. It has the best public transportation of the three cities, but I did not live near USC, so it might be better in that part of LA. UT has a much larger campus than GT, and some of the engineering buildings are run down. As someone else mentioned, they just recently started a huge construction project on their ECE building and the engineering complex. The summers are really hot in Austin. It gets to be pretty miserable sometimes, but at least it is not humid like Houston.

 

I really like Atlanta too, but GT is very much a tech school. Only about 30% of girls on campus. It is a very intense school. Midtown is right next to campus where there is a large young adult population. Atlanta is supposed to be pretty hot too, but I moved here last August. 

 

I would recommend UT, there is a huge start up culture there too.