Waterloo vs UCSD MS CS

[goms9]

Hi,

 

I'm a new joinee here.

 

I got admits for MS in CS from Waterloo n UCSD for MS (CS).

my area of interest is systems/networks

 

My dilemma:

 

1)Waterloo is giving me funded offer upto 35k/yr.

Its probably the best in Canada.

 

2) UCSD systems/networks group is renowned and among the top 10 in US.

But UCSD is offering no financial aid.

I am an international student and would not able to afford UCSD without a loan. I have some past internship's in area of systems,there is slim chance of ra after 2-3 quarters though no guarantee.

 

Some past posts suggest that Canadian univs are good option's as compared to US.

But I am not sure what will be Waterloo standing against UCSD?

 

Secound, Can somebody comment on jobs/salaries MS ( Canada Vs US)?

 

Thirdly, If I decide to go for phd after MS which univ seems better choice?

 

 

Thanks

[feyvazi]

I think UCSD is much better in terms of future job. The salary for MS in Canada is about 50K but Google in the US pays about 80K. If you want to pursue a PhD later both schools are good but it is a higher chance that you do a good job at UCSD. To correct you, UCSD is ranked 16 and it is not among the top 10. You can pay your loan easily by finding a good job after graduating from UCSD.

 

The weather in Waterloo is harsh but San Diego has almost the best weather throughout the US. Waterloo is one of the top 2 in Canada but I think it will be among top 30 if it is compared with the US schools.

[CalmLogic]

Regarding salary, I see that feyvazi is correct that it is significantly less in Canada (especially when factoring the currency conversion):

 

PayScale - Salary Search: Software Engineer (Canada)

PayScale - Software Developer Salary, Average Salaries (USA)

 

Something like 40% of Canada's doctors and 25% of financiers and IT professionals eventually immigrate to the U.S.

 

Some occupations (like software and doctors) do much better in the US, while more blue-collar occupations (oil-workers, etc) may find Canada better.

 

Do Americans make more money than Canadians? (mortgage, gated community) - Canada - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Still, I would go to Waterloo. I couldn't pass up that funding offer assuming it covers living expenses and assuming UCSD is not good/great for MS funding. The way I see it, you could always get a second MS degree (like in statistics) or a CS PhD later for a better chance regarding U.S. H1B visa issues, which are a problem even for people with U.S. MS degrees:

 

Madhura Godbole speaks four languages. After receiving a second master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago last summer, she develops software to produce blood thinners for heart patients.

 

But it’s luck, more than her impressive resume, that the Indian-born engineer needs this week, as she enters a fierce annual competition for a small number of visas given to highly skilled foreign workers.

 

...An H-1B is no guarantee of long-term stability either.

 

Ajay Jain, an Indian engineer who works for a Chicago-based software company, said he hopes to gain permanent residency before his H-1B visa expires in 2011. He has been frustrated by a 7-year backlog in that process, he said.

 

Like other Indian professionals he is considering returning to his home country, where the economy is booming and there are plenty of opportunities for U.S.-trained entrepreneurs.

“I can make use of my education in India if the United States is notwilling to accommodate me,” Jain, 30, said.

 

High-tech visa scramble relies on luck of draw - Chicago Tribune (April 2008)

 

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/graduate-admissions/88540-h1b-issue-factor-calculating-roi-expensive-tuition.html

I just hate the idea of paying for an MS degree when you don't have to, especially in this economy. And if that loan would be secured by your parents home as collateral, all the more reason to play it safe.

 

It's also much easier to become a Canadian citizen than a US citizen. But, of course, the US is still way more popular than Canada. If your primary goal is to become a U.S. permanent resident, my understanding is that your best bet is to get a PhD later on to become a professor at a U.S. university.

 

So, in summary, I would rather go to Waterloo with funding than even Stanford without funding:

 

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/computer-science-admissions/97332-please-evaluate-my-profile-choice-colleges-post631761-2.html#post742927

 

(BTW, on the western side of Canada, the weather is less cold and is warmer than Toronto even in much more northern areas like Edmonton, Alberta.)

[goms9]

thanks CalmLogic & feyvazi for the reply.

 

@feyvazi

your job comparision is really insightful. I think that may be one of the reason y Students flock to US over Canada.

 

As regards to UCSD, I was indicating to specific ranking of ucsd in systems/networks

 

"The Jacobs School’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) was ranked 9th in the nation for computer systems, and rose significantly in the computer science ranking to 13th in the nation, up seven places since 2002."

Source:

UCSD Receives Top 10 Rankings in Bioengineering, Bioinformatics and Computer Systems in U.S. News Survey of Graduate Programs [Jacobs School of Engineering: News & Events]

[CalmLogic]

Thirdly, If I decide to go for phd after MS which univ seems better choice?

Waterloo, since you won't have to work in industry first to pay off the loans. That way, you can focus on doing publications, an MS thesis, and/or research-related internships rather than having to work on projects and industry-oriented internships for making your industry resume look better. (And during the start of your MS, you would have less stress hearing bad news about the economy. As someone who also lives in the US, that's all I hear when I watch TV, so I stopped watching and reading the news.)

 

The way I see it, you have nothing to lose by going to Waterloo since it's a "free ride," and you could always go to the US later for graduate education.