Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Software Engineers For Applications
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Manhattan Community College, La Guardia Community College, Kingsborough Community College, and New York City College of Technology.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider New York City College of Technology, College of Staten Island, York College, and Columbia.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Mildred Elley School.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Medgar Evers College, Bronx Community College, Wagner College, and York College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider The Graduate Center, Sage College, Roberts Wesleyan College, and Medgar Evers College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Columbia, Colgate, Cornell, and Wagner College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Colgate, Wells College, Clarkson, and Wagner College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Columbia, Cornell, Colgate, and University of Rochester.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Columbia, Cornell, Hunter College, and Colgate.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Colgate, Cornell, Wells College, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Rochester Institute Of Technology • Rochester, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2006)
• 7/8/2011
"A school is what you make of it. I squandered my first 3 years at RIT, and finally broke out of my shell in my final 2 years of undergrad. Grad school has been even more enlightening as I am finally mature enough to understand how to take responsibility of my learning. RIT probably was not always a great place, but I think as it stands now it offers at least a moderate social scene and very interesting and challenging academics."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend RIT to anyone seeking a technical school for CS or SE. They would learn a ton and might have some fun in the process. And no doubt they would enter the work force with a leg up on the competition. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I don't think RIT gets enough respect for its CS department; they are always overshadowed by the engineering programs. RIT CS is nationally known, however, and I think people regard it well. It's certainly not on the level of MIT or CMU, but it is consistently in the top rankings for technical schools in the country. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The faculty in the CS department is very knowledge, although some obviously were hired because they were smart and not because they can teach. The courses can be very challenging, but overall if you look to get solid content out of your classes, in general you will. |
| Instruction | 7 | CS is a difficult field with respect to career preparation, since most jobs in the industry relate to software engineering rather than pure CS. Still, RIT CS prepares its students with in depth knowledge of core CS theory and concepts. The amount thrown at students is anywhere from reasonable to insane, but the teachers are all very knowledgeable and have great information to share. |
| How Difficult | 6 | For those taking the Computer Vision route, that coursework was reportedly very difficult. My course of study tended more towards theory, algorithms and cryptography, which are difficult courses but workloads only rarely became a problem. Generally problems with workloads came from lack of time management skills rather than from too much work given. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most courses incorporate required texts and reading with projects and coding. Some lean more one way than the other, but in general it's fairly balanced down the middle. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Class flexibility is about average, I think. Most classes occur Monday through Thursday, with a few Friday classes and fewer Saturday classes. Online courses are offered more now than I remember in the past. Summer offerings are usually on the skimpy side, with only core courses offered. And being a graduate student, there is not enough diversity in evening classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library has plenty of books, both old and new, relating to CS. It also holds a number of periodicals as well as past dissertations and Master's projects. The computer labs are very good with Windows, Mac, and Linux boxes available. There are cluster computers and test networks for research. Classrooms are plain, but probably don't have enough outlets for the proliferation of laptops and netbooks. I never used the tutors, but my perception is they are a great resource. Professors also make themselves available in the study center. Most professors are very accessible and welcome walk-ins. |
| Social Life | 3 | During my undergrad, the school was a pit. Nothing happened. The school was a ghost town on the weekends. No parties, no festivities, no gigantic frat things. Kids would hole up in their dorms and play Counterstrike for days. Hockey was the only sport that got any attention, and most games did not sell out. It was only a couple of years ago that I think things started turning around, but while I was an undergrad it was a social wasteland. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I found these to be some somewhat lacking, although the career service web search tools are decent enough. I remember not getting much help at all in finding a co-op during my undergraduate. I have not bothered to use them again after graduation, instead preferring to use recruiters. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I get mailings from the RIT Alumni network every once in a while but I don't pay much attention to them. As I'm still pursuing my Master's in CS from RIT, I still kind of consider myself a student rather than an alum. |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Troy, NY
Studying Computer Science/Cognitive Science (completion in 2013)
• 7/10/2011
"I was very pleased with the school. However, President Shirley Ann Jackson is ruining it slowly. She keeps increasing her rate of pay at a similar rate to her increase in the budget."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's one of the best schools in the country for computer science. Furthermore, they do a good job of preparing you for a job. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | RPI has one of the best computer science programs in the country. It's definitely not the top-ranked school but it is considered a “new ivy.” |
| Program Quality | 10 | RPI is one of the best schools in the country for Computer Science. However, it's very difficult in terms of the workload. |
| Instruction | 8 | Many of the teachers here are phenomenal. However, certain professors are terrible. Names such as Hardwick or Carothers come to mind. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The workload is very difficult as it's time consuming and challenging. However, it is rewarding and not the hardest major compared to engineering or the hard sciences, I suppose. But it's very difficult compared to any of the liberal arts. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of the work is done for computer science that is hands-on involves coding projects and the like, but the vast majority of classes are very book-heavy. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There are summer classes but I never took them. There are also courses held later at night but for the most part, classes are held during the day on weekdays. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They're decent without question. The libraries have all that's needed for most classes. Additionally, with few exceptions, the professors are very easy to reach. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school has a program called the Center for Career and Professional Development. This program helps students get jobs, perfect resumes, and sets up career fairs. It helped me to get my internship at National Instruments, which is where I currently work. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I worked for a program called RenXchange on campus that called alumni up and discussed the current things going on on campus. Additionally, my fraternity has a phenomenal alumni networking program that goes above and beyond what the college provides to help get jobs and internships. |
Polytechnic University Of NYU • Nyc, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 7/24/2011
"It wasn't a bad school, but without the reputation of an Ivy League school it's just like any other school. It was pretty expensive, too."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The reputation of the school really matters, especially if it's going to be your final degree. The cost of this school would have been as much as a better school. Also, the school had too many international students, so networking was difficult. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I'm a decent developer with a varied background. I've no problem learning new programming languages and am willing to adapt. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The classes and the education were decent. However, it wasn't an MIT or a CMU, so the diploma doesn't have that “wow factor.” |
| Instruction | 6 | Teachers were surprisingly good. A few may have had language barriers, but a majority of them have been in the field for many years. They brought good experience to the lessons. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I can't say that the program was easy. The topics in the field are generally difficult, so doing well was hard. However, I'm sure it would have been a lot easier if one only wanted to receive a passing grade. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The field demands a mix of the two. Having only text books without the hands on experience is useless, and vice-versa. The school's program reflected that. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | It was pretty flexible. The school realized that many MS students also had jobs, and so they provided a lot of the classes in the evenings. They also allowed some classes to be held virtually over the internet. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | As a part time student, I didn't make good use of the facilities. However, it's a small university in a crowded metropolitan area, so space was limited. |
| Social Life | 5 | It was mostly a commuter school so interaction was mostly limited to the class room. Many students were also international students, so language barriers were frequent. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I was already working at the time I was getting my MS, so I didn't use the school's career center. However, I've heard decent things, and do get an occasional email regarding job opportunities. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | For now it's average. The school isn't a fancy name like MIT or RPI, so there's no real legacy. The lack of a legacy makes alumni less likely to reconnect with recent grads from the same school. |
RPI • Troy, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1987)
• 9/26/2011
"Overall, I received a good education from RPI. The social scene was not great and I didn't enjoy Troy, NY at all, but the classes were good."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My recommendation would depend on the person applying. If they were a woman or were interested in a more typical college social scene, I might urge them to consider a different school. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | RPI has a good reputation in the US for computer science and engineering. While it doesn't have the top-tier reputation of MIT or CalTech, its engineering and computer science graduates are respected. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The courses provided me with the technical skills I needed for my career. There was a wide variety of course electives to choose from. |
| Instruction | 9 | For the most part, the professors were very knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy teaching. Occasionally, classes were taught by graduate teaching assistants, and the quality of that instruction was not as good. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The classes were challenging and included a fair amount of work. Projects often required a lot of time outside of the classroom. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My education was fairly centered. Some work in some classes was more book learning oriented than others. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I found the class schedule to be flexible, and I was able to take classes that didn't interfere with my work schedule. At the time I attended, there were no online options, but I assume that has changed. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Computer resources and labs were very good. I found my professors to be highly accessible. |
| Social Life | 3 | There was a large gender imbalance at RPI, which made social events less fun. The school did not have a very active social life outside of drinking. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I already had a job when I attended RPI for my Master's degree. As such, I didn't take advantage of the school's job placement services. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The school is good at providing information on what is new at the school. However, most of the communication seems aimed at getting me to contribute. |
Pace University • New York, NY
Studying Finance (completion in 2009)
• 11/18/2011
"I learned much more than students in other majors would."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I'd recommend it if the world of finance recovers. Otherwise, there's not much there. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | The finance program has a good reputation. The school of arts brings down the ratings with all the weak students. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I learned a lot of math. Financial theory was also interesting. |
| Instruction | 8 | Career services were rather useless. Most students got what they wanted out of it. I feel like I got more than most. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Some parts were too easy. I think they were trying to keep it easy to ensure a high graduation rate. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There's a lot of math in finance. Marketing was more hands on, as we had to do actual sales pitches. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Many classes are offered only once per year. Many required classes overlap. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | There are a few bad apples but were mostly good. |
| Social Life | 8 | A lot of commuters. There are also a lot of clubs though. |
| Placement Services | 7 | Career services are useless. The majority of the staff are idiotic with absolutely no good suggestions. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Alumni events are interesting. Some people who come to them are interesting as well. |
Alfred State • Alfred, NY
Studying IT (completion in 2011)
• 11/25/2011
"I'm very satisfied. I'd like my children to learn in Alfred State."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It would be the right choice. I'm proud I'm an alum of Alfred State. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Alfred State is progressing every year. It keeps its traditions, but never forgets about progress. |
| Program Quality | 10 | It was great. I learned a lot of things and I had a great time while studying there. |
| Instruction | 8 | I had some really good teachers. I felt a great support coming from them. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was really difficult. I was always busy working on my homework. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was book learning. I enjoyed it, because I like reading very much. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I think it was flexible. Although I had much to learn, I always had time for fun with my friends. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | It has everything that a school needs. Computers, libraries, labs, etc. |
| Social Life | 10 | I'm an easygoing person, so I had contact with almost everyone in school. I attended almost every event and enjoyed it. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They really help their students find great jobs. 97% of alumni have well-paying jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Alfred State's alumni program is really developed, and it helped me to keep in touch with everyone with no trouble. |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Troy, NY
Studying Computer Engineering (completion in 2010)
• 12/23/2011
"Most of what I do in my career, especially the programming languages and techniques that I use, was self-taught and not learned within class. I learned most of what I know working a job as a Systems Administrator during school. I did not learn $50,000/year worth of information."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The school is way overpriced, and climbing, with a horrible administration. RPI does not care about academics, they care about money from research. Student life is horrible, the dorms are ancient, the professors don't care and the administration is borderline corrupt. You will go into massive debt going here, and you won't learn anything. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | RPI is considered one of the best engineering schools in the country. Whenever someone has heard of RPI, they know them for their engineering. |
| Program Quality | 1 | The school did not offer most of the classes that I had any interest in taking. Out of eight "concentration electives", they would only offer one or two. The school cared much more about research than they did about instruction. |
| Instruction | 1 | Most of the professors were foreign researchers who did not care about teaching. Assuming you could understand them, they were horrible teachers and had TA's do most of the work. The school forced them to teach so they could get research funding, and their lack of interest in teaching showed. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Work load was very high, and there was a lot of homework and projects. The subject material was challenging, which included advanced mathematics and physics courses. Of course, the work was more difficult than it should have been due to professors not knowing how to teach the fundamentals. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some classes, such as the math and physics, were all book learning. Many classes, such as microprocessor systems, embedded control, electric circuits, database systems, computer science, computer networking, etc had labs in addition to the book material. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | There were no online or weekend courses. There were some summer classes, at $1000 per credit. All classes were during the week, mostly during the day with some labs at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | Most of the buildings are extremely old, and the new buildings are off limits to undergraduate students and are only used for research. Much of the lab equipment is out of date. There are some decent tutor programs, but professors were typically too busy doing research to care about helping their students. |
| Social Life | 2 | A poor male-female ratio (3:1) made the social experience rather awkward. Most parties were held at fraternities, which I didn't want to get involved in. There was not much to do in the city, and residents disliked the college students. |
| Placement Services | 7 | They have two career fairs each year with a wide variety of companies recruiting. The career development center offers many services to help with resume critiquing and interviewing skills. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Many donations come from alumni. The alumni association is very active in providing institute updates. They ask for donations quite often, however. |
State University Of New York At Geneseo • Geneseo, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 12/28/2011
"I received a good education from a school with a great reputation. Geneseo was an affordable college (state school) that offered all of the challenging courses of private universities. I feel the school prepared me well for my future and I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 years there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The computer science major is no longer offered. Other students are not able to pursue my career at the college. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | The program was cut in 2011 due to financial issues. Prior to being cut, Geneseo was not known as a technology school, but rather as a liberal arts school and therefore didn't have a strong reputation. |
| Program Quality | 4 | The program was very small and didn't offer many electives. The professors were out of touch with current technology trends and still teaching courses on compilers. The program was so small and unprofitable that it was cut in 2011. However, because it was such a small program there were lots of opportunities to get one-on-one time with professors and receive recognition for good work. Lastly, because the number of CS majors was small, it was very easy to get a job at the college's technology department. |
| Instruction | 4 | I learned a lot of fundamentals about programming and computers, but wasn't taught using many current technologies. I was only taught Java and had to learn other languages on my own. In addition, courses in managing information systems, applied information security, IT project management, etc. weren't offered. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The assignments I was given were challenging and required a significant time investment. They significantly improved my problem-solving skills and my confidence in being able to solve a difficult problem. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a mix of hands-on and book learning. Homework usually included reading out of a book and completing a "hands-on" lab assignment. Labs were also mandatory for some courses. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Some summer and night classes were offered, but the offerings were limited. Few, if any, online classes were offered and no weekend classes were held. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The professors were very accessible and a CS tutor was available Monday-Thursday nights. Students often helped each other out on difficult assignments. There were ample computer labs, UNIX systems and distributed systems for CS students to use. |
| Social Life | 10 | I thoroughly enjoyed Geneseo. I participated on an athletic team and had a very large group of close friends because of it. Students at the school had a good work-life balance. I was able to do very well academically while still maintaining a strong social life. |
| Placement Services | 2 | Job placement, when considering students who continue on to graduate school, is very strong. However, when excluding graduate school, job placement is low. Most students continue their education after graduating rather than looking for a job. The career services was very limited and career fairs were small. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The CS program was very small, thus there weren't many CS alumni to reach out to. In addition, Geneseo is a liberal arts college which is not very focused on getting students jobs. Instead, it focuses on preparing students for graduate school. A good portion of alumni are teachers, professors or in medical professions - none of which seem helpful for my career path in IT. |
New York University • New York City, NY
Studying Computer Sciences/Economics (completion in 2004)
• 12/28/2011
"My satisfaction comes from the career placement and support options. All of the classmates I knew who studied CS had jobs lined up before graduating. This is impressive in light of the burst of the dot-com bubble."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | While the school may not be the best learning environment to develop a CS background, it provides sufficient experience for the workforce. The school's recognition and career support paves the way to a smooth transition into the workforce. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school is not known for its Computer Science department. Many of the computer science students enter the business world after graduating. Many, like me, also double majored to make ourselves better suitable for the business world. |
| Program Quality | 5 | As a computer science student, I expected to have access to dedicated CS computer labs at the school with complete IDE software. Instead, we shared labs with the rest of the university. The business students, however, had their own computer labs. The instruction of the courses varied. Some courses were especially challenging, which helped me develop my problem solving skills. Most courses, however, were very basic and little programming know-how was developed. |
| Instruction | 4 | From high school, I learned C/C++ and was a proficient programmer. My university, however, utilized Java for most courses. Despite graduating with a high GPA, I walked away with weak Java foundation. I would not be able to enter the workforce as a Java developer. The university, however, did offer a wide selection of CS courses. |
| How Difficult | 3 | While the honors classes were difficult, most of the courses within the program were rather simple. Assignments could be completed within 2 hours and did not require students to fully understand the theory to accomplish the task. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Despite not having a CS computer lab, the lectures and assignments provided much of the learning experience. I own perhaps 5 CS textbooks throughout my undergraduate CS career but only read one of these books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Many of the required courses are taught during the fall semester only and few are at night. This limits flexibility in schedule. There are also very few online options with the college. Summer options are available, but due to the high tuition, is rarely practical for those who are on schedule for graduation. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Certain facilities and resources are second-to-none. This includes the amazing library - bigger than most libraries within New York City. The school also owns a lot of real estate, so classroom space is generally not an issue. Advisors and free tutoring services are readily available. My only gripe is with the non-existent CS computer lab. Although university-wide labs exist, with the large number of students, a dedicated lab for CS would have been helpful. |
| Social Life | 10 | The university frequently sponsors social events and clubs. Throughout the year, the school holds block parties to allow students to unwind and socialize between classes. Individual clubs often gather in lounges and the school frequently sponsors food services. Wherever you find food, college students aren't far behind. |
| Placement Services | 10 | My university is considered a Tier 2 school to major firms looking to hire recent graduates. That means that more prestigious Tier 1 schools, like MIT and CMU, will receive the first wave of job recruiters. But what my university lacks in prestige, it makes up for in sheer size. As such, NYU has the ability to hold multiple job fairs and host specific recruiter events. These events are open to all students. This is how I landed my job. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni network actively notifies students of relevant industry events. However, the full benefits of the alumni network requires payment of alumni membership fees. |
Syracuse University • Syracuse, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2006)
• 12/25/2011
"Syracuse helped me refine my understanding of software development and gave me some of the more advanced skills I have today. However, I do wonder if I would not have eventually learned this in the industry, as I found that right after I graduated, my skill level jumped up exponentially."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would note that while it was not a poor choice for a program, there are far better alternatives for less money (e.g. I could have chosen Rutgers). My summary would basically be that you pay high end prices for a mid-level education. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Unfortunately, my school has become known for sports and partying. While there are students there that are definitely there for study, it has slowly been slipping down the road of a diploma mill. Towards the end of my time there, I noticed a good deal of grade shading. |
| Program Quality | 6 | I have found that a lot of schools are dropping C++ as the major language in favor of Java, and are dropping compiler design courses. It pleases me to see my school holds these to their standard. However, I found our algorithms instruction to be a little weak. |
| Instruction | 7 | We were taught the basics well and the project load was fine. I think we were taught a more relevant curriculum than other schools. The one thing I think our school could have done better was to provide the direct correlations between some of our more abstract material and the real world. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The C-based classes were taught by a very strict teacher so the assignment quality had to be very high. I also found the self-selected (but required) engineering core classes to be quite demanding in terms of volume of material learned as well as work output required. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a pretty solid mix of concept introduction from books/readers that would always translate into smaller assignments and then larger projects. Towards the end of our time there, we would be in cross-school classes on teams that would be entirely project-based. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Most core classes had at least two offerings per semester so you could create a schedule that worked for you. Occasionally you would run into a course that was only offered in either the spring or fall semester which made things complicated but these were the rarity. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The computer science labs were updated during my time there from the ancient Solaris 9 machines to a decent distributed network. Prior to the upgrade, I would say our facilities were awful as build times for certain projects could run into the hours. But after the upgrade, I would say things were slightly ahead of the curve for the time. |
| Social Life | 6 | There were a good number of students there and most were friendly. The social scene was quite vibrant (sometimes a little too much) and having good sports teams always help a school unify around banner and build team spirit. |
| Placement Services | 2 | My school did very little to help us migrate into the working world. I was incredibly disappointed by the lack of relevant contacts outside of the immediate area. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | My school's alumni network is little more than a group of people attempting to fund-raise from their alumni. In all honesty, I find it rather insulting that after the amount of money I spent, they badger me so frequently for donations. |
Columbia University • New York, NY
Studying Computer Technology And Applications (completion in 1987)
• 12/30/2011
"The program was a good fit for my needs. The instructors were good and provided important information that is still useful to me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This school was a great place to study. They are very focused on ensuring that you get useful skills from the classes. If you live in or around New York it should be on your list to consider. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school has a good reputation in general. I would assume that it carries the same for this area of study. |
| Program Quality | 8 | At the time it met my needs for improving my technical skills. It helped me advance in my career. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instructors had real life experience in the field which they shared with us. Often those were more valuable than the technical skills learned. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The work was appropriately challenging and provided important core skills for that time (C programming, SQL database, business analysis). The courses were more in-depth than broad in their approach. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Mostly hands-on work with appropriate amounts of book learning. The book learning was complementary to the course work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The course I took was intended for people who were working and all the classes were held in the evenings. Resources needed were available at all hours. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | All the tools used were current at that time. I had no issues with any of the resources. My instructors were always responsive when I needed help. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was not that involved in school-related social activities. There was plenty happening nearby that kept me socially engaged. |
| Placement Services | I know they had this available to me but I did not use it. I found work on my own and did not use it. | |
| Alumni Network | I have not really used those services. At the time I remember seeing many job offerings and I know they have some alumni benefits. |
University At Buffalo • Buffalo, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2009)
• 2/22/2012
"I was very satisfied. I received a degree and education that allowed me to get my foot in the door at a great company. I also had a good time while I was there...I even miss it at times."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program can be difficult, but it does give you a good foundation and makes you realize that at times, you will need to push your limits. It gets you used to doing this, that's for sure. |
| Program Reputation | Aside from what I know, I haven't heard much. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school gave a good, strong foundation for my field. The only downfall was not having as much emphasis on real-life, day-to-day skills. |
| Instruction | 9 | Many of the instructors were very good, and the quality and amount of the material was good. Certain professors seemed more concerned with research than teaching, though. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The work in the higher classes was very difficult at times. However, it was not to the point of not being able to pass, if you tried hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Book learning was the core of the learning, with labs taking up some of the time. More real-life applications of material would have been good. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | In the beginning, it is easier to make a custom schedule, but when you get into the higher-level classes, sometimes only one spot is offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The libraries were always good to study in and program with classmates, if you had laptops and internet for VPN. Labs were provided, but the machines were very outdated and slow. |
| Social Life | 7 | I wasn't all that social when I was in school. I know there were many opportunities to be social; I just never really took them. There was always something going on on campus, though. |
| Placement Services | I did not use the job placement services, but I hear they are good. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I do not work with the alumni network much. I do hear from them from time to time, so they do try. |
Baruch College • New York, NY
Studying MBA (CIS Concentration) (completion in 2005)
• 3/17/2012
"For the amount of tuition that I paid, I am satisfied with the school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Before suggesting Baruch College for MBAs in the Information Technology concentration, I would suggest New York University. If cost is a issue, then Baruch is preferable. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | Baruch is known for its Accounting program, but it is not well known for its MBA or Information Technology programs. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Though I took the Computer Information Science concentration, I noticed that it did not prepare me for a Project Management career. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors were good but there weren't that many options or courses to choose from. If they had courses like PMI modules, that would have helped, as would system architecture courses. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I was doing the MBA program part-time, so I had to work through assignments late into the night. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We did have many labs for the software and financial trading courses. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | In this respect, Baruch College was good. Their MBA school was on Lexington St and I could get there by taking the PATH from Jersey City where my office was. Classes start after 5 PM so I could get off from work and go straight to class. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They had good resources. We were training on trading simulators using Bloomberg and Reuters terminals. We had Microsoft products that we could download and use for our educational purposes. |
| Social Life | 5 | Since I was part-time, I did not take part in any activities, but they do have a good basketball team and they have many alumni meet ups. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Though I did not use the school's job placement help, some of my colleagues were placed at Morgan Stanley. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I get emails from the Baruch Alumni and I do contact alumni, but it hasn't helped me to get a senior level job. |
Syracuse University • Syracuse, NY
Studying Electrical Engineering (completion in 1991)
• 3/13/2012
"It was a stepping stone in my career path. Therefore, I am thankful. However, I wish the program was better coordinated and run."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend it to someone who does not have a clear path defined in their mind. However, if that clarity exists, I would recommend that they seek other options that target that path. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | While not an Ivy League institution, the program is fairly rigorous. Many of my classmates moved to the Bay area and got jobs. I would say that 80% of the class got placed in jobs before they graduated. |
| Program Quality | 8 | A good school with a good selection of courses. However, I could have used some guidance/counseling on my career path, making the program more relevant. |
| Instruction | 9 | I had the opportunity to learn from legends in Electrical Engineering like Dr. Harrington and Dr. Millman. Growing up, I always referred to books by these folks, even before I joined SU. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It is a fairly rigorous program with a very small set of core courses. The biggest struggle for me was to pick and work through the remaining courses that were aligned with my career goals and do it in a reasonable manner (not all courses were offered frequently). |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | While lab facilities existed, the curriculum was very much focused on book learning. Labs were rigid and there was not much room at the graduate student level to do experimental work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | As I stated earlier, courses were not offered on a regular basis. Even when they were, many of them were taught by TAs who had marginal knowledge. I took a couple of classes that were nothing more than 3 hour videos. That was a poor experience. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Very good lab facilities were available. When I was there, they got a new lab of Sun workstations and it was immensely better than working on the VAX/VMS mainframe. The Advanced Computing Center provided a venue for further research. |
| Social Life | 8 | Excellent Lacrosse team. The basketball team was good. The football team was average. There were excellent opportunities, both on and off campus, for good social interactions. I headed up a couple of student groups and the school provided a chance to hone up on leadership skills. |
| Placement Services | 7 | While there were job fairs etc, there was very little help with resume prep, especially when you are a student seeking your first job. It was a struggle getting assistance in presenting oneself. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They called me many times until I signed up and donated. However, I have not seen them follow through after that. |
NYU • New York, NY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)
• 4/1/2012
"I got what I wanted out of it, although it did take me a couple of years on the job to get really comfortable at what I do. The bases are solid, though, once you complete the course of study."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Solid instruction and good choice of coursework. Perhaps slightly better suited for the mathematically minded. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | To my knowledge the reputation of the program is excellent. It does attract some people that are there for the village, etc., but if you want to get an education, you can. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Good courses, challenging assignments, and broad exposure to various areas of contemporary computer science. Was a bit too academic for my liking at times. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instruction was overall very good. The relevance to career objectives varied widely among different courses, with some being almost purely academic and not really important for real life challenges. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Difficult enough, but not too difficult. Again, some courses that were mostly theory also tended to be more difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Somewhat bookish overall for my liking. Some courses could have been more real life oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I didn't experience much of a problem changing courses when necessary or re-scheduling. There was sometimes not enough time for preparations for tests. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Excellent labs, libraries, and faculty support. Much better than Columbia from what I heard from friends. Would get a bit overcrowded at times, but it didn't really interfere with coursework. |
| Social Life | 10 | Great place for social interactions of all kinds, both in school and outside of it. Diverse group of students with a variety of backgrounds. |
| Placement Services | It's hard to tell as I never used it myself. From what I heard from others, it was adequate. | |
| Alumni Network | I never had to use it - had a job lined up right after graduation. |
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