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USA vs Canada vs Netherlands


rkarthick

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I am in a unique state here.

 

I have got the admits from the following universities...

 

1. Indiana University, Bloomington, USA (Aid: 1500 USD)

2. University of Western Ontario, London, Canada (Aid: 25K CD)

3. Vrije University, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Aid: 5500 Euros)

 

My interests are in doing research in distributed computing and either get into research in Industry or continue pursuing my PhD.

 

Indiana and Vrije looks good in distributed systems as they have a long track record of research. But the fees is pretty daunting, as is any US university.

 

The department looks nice in UWO too. The aid is too good to ignore. I have been inducted directly for the thesis option.

 

My question is, at the end of the day, will the "name" of the school we go to, count for research? I am strongly inclined towards UWO because of the financial aid. Will choosing UWO over IUB or Vrije be a wise decision?

 

Thanks!

-Charisma :)

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I'd choose UWO - even without that sweet financial package! UWO (aka. Western) is - actually - well known and has a great international reputation, better than Indiana or Vrije Universiteit's, and their highly selective admissions process (broadly speaking - not sure about your specific program) attracts some of the best students in Canada and beyond. I doubt your other choices can claim such selectivity.

 

I'm a Canadian who shelled out the big bucks to attend an American Ivy for undergrad. Fantastic experience, but I wouldn't have tossed that kind of money at Indiana. I now live in the Netherlands and plan to attend Erasmus Univ. Rotterdam for an MSc.

 

If you were choosing programs based only on school location, I'd absolutely pick Amsterdam. It's a great place to live. But I don't know how easy it would be for you to go on the North American academic job market (yes, the Canadian schools also participate) with a doctorate from VU Amsterdam, if that's your plan.

 

If you're serious about doing research in computing, you'll have plenty of opportunities near London, ON - especially in Waterloo or Guelph (both 1.5 hrs. away) or Toronto (2 hrs.) as a student or after you graduate.

 

My 2 cents. Good luck with your decision!

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