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ami_pagli · 05-10-2008, 05:02 AM

hello guys,
i've got accepted in cs,phd program for fall-2008 in several universities but only two of them have funding

. one is drexel university with $1850 monthly TAship and another is university of texas, san antonio (utsa) with $1500 monthly TA/RA. none of them is high ranked in cs and thats put me in dilemma. which one to choose?

can anyone please help me?

MDK · 05-10-2008, 11:47 AM

What are the other universities?

ami_pagli · 05-11-2008, 12:53 PM

1. univ of florida - 40% tuition waived
2. suny buffalo
3. u of new mexico
4. louisiana state univ

CalmLogic · 05-11-2008, 08:15 PM

How long does the TA at Drexel/UTSA last? It seems Drexel is like Stanford in that they require 45 credits based on their quarter system rather than 16-week semesters. The quarter system does seem intriguing.

In deciding between Drexel and UTSA, I would probably base my decision mostly on course attractiveness and estimated length of funding relative to estimated length of stay.

MDK · 05-11-2008, 10:33 PM

Since you are a PhD candidate , I presume you will be able to manage some source of funding by the second semester, either as RA or TA but you should be able to finance yourself at any university by the second semester. Therefore I would vote for University of Florida or Buffalo since they have better reputation in addition to being ranked among Top CS universities.
Sincerely, if you can fund yourself for the first semester (either via loan or personal money) you should definitely go to UF or Buffalo. Your PhD is something gonna stay with you for good, and the reputation of the institute plays significant role specially if you want to work in academia.

CalmLogic · 05-12-2008, 12:57 AM

Oh, I didn't realize we were talking about PhD. I have MS on my mind more than usual now

So I agree with MDK. UF all the way unless maybe Buffalo meets your research interests more. A PhD is like a marriage. You don't want to settle.

OTOH:

Quote:

If you are fairly certain but not positive you want to obtain a Ph.D., you should probably still apply to the Ph.D. program. Entering a Ph.D. program is not a prison sentence. Should you enroll in our Ph.D. program and then later decide that independent research is not for you, you may leave the program and receive the M.S. degree if you have fulfilled all of the requirements for that degree.

A Guide for Applicants to Graduate Study in Statistics

However, if you are pretty sure that you want to be a reseacher for most of your career, then going to Drexel or UTSA when you have acceptance at UF is like deciding to date the girl next door for the convenience when you could go out with a smarter, prettier girl.

ami_pagli · 05-12-2008, 01:46 PM

if i had enough money to go to ufl or buffalo i don't think i'd ever write this post.
thanks for your reply though.

CalmLogic · 05-12-2008, 06:27 PM

Yes, it is all about the money for affording a better reputation.

We were assuming you could get a loan and that, even with a loan, your visa would clear. If your parents aren't willing to sign away the family farm as collateral (a coloquial American expression), then, yes, UTSA or Drexel may be your only choice unless you reapply next year after publishing more research. Alternatively, considering that may people aspire to complete a PhD and never do (for various reasons), maybe what is holding you back from getting a loan (assuming you can get one) is because you aren't sure you want to be a hot shot researcher/professor.

Anyway, as MDK also points out, it shouldn't be hard for a PhD student to get funding after a semester or two, so it seems the loan for UF would only be for 1 year at the most. That's maybe 20k with the partial tuition waiver and living expenses and maybe 10k for just one semester. That's a bargain compared to the people spending over 50k for an MS at GA Tech.

Financially, I'm sure there are PhD students that feel they need to go to UTSA for the stipend, walk away with the MS, and then apply for a PhD elsewhere. Ethically, this may not be as morally dubious as it seems since UTSA also gives RA stipends to MS students:

UT San Antonio MS CS full waiver + $1000pm (2007 post at Edulix)

So going to UTSA or Drexel is not necessarily problematic, especially if there is a good chance you may decide later on to work in industry, doing something that is not traditional research. Since UTSA & Drexel are paying to you to be one of them, maybe you have nothing to lose except time. The important point is that you should not complete your PhD at UTSA or Drexel if you want to work in academia.

05-10-2008, 05:02 AM	#1 (permalink)
ami_pagli Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3	which one to choose hello guys, i've got accepted in cs,phd program for fall-2008 in several universities but only two of them have funding . one is drexel university with $1850 monthly TAship and another is university of texas, san antonio (utsa) with $1500 monthly TA/RA. none of them is high ranked in cs and thats put me in dilemma. which one to choose? can anyone please help me?

05-11-2008, 08:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
CalmLogic TestMagic Guru Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,172	How long does the TA at Drexel/UTSA last? It seems Drexel is like Stanford in that they require 45 credits based on their quarter system rather than 16-week semesters. The quarter system does seem intriguing. In deciding between Drexel and UTSA, I would probably base my decision mostly on course attractiveness and estimated length of funding relative to estimated length of stay. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Admit Profiles, MSCS Admit Chances, CS Internships, TopCoder, Programming Challenges (requires Firefox) IBM and the Holocaust *GRE Computer Science Subject Test:* ETS Booklet (solutions at Yahoo GRECS group), MFT, Titanium Bits, Guide, More Links more CS practice: Stanford Comps GATE CS/IT: GATEForum, Yahoo, Freshers, Q & A, Mock Exams & Solutions, GATEMentor Last edited by CalmLogic : 05-11-2008 at 08:39 PM.

05-12-2008, 06:27 PM	#8 (permalink)
CalmLogic TestMagic Guru Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,172	Yes, it is all about the money for affording a better reputation. We were assuming you could get a loan and that, even with a loan, your visa would clear. If your parents aren't willing to sign away the family farm as collateral (a coloquial American expression), then, yes, UTSA or Drexel may be your only choice unless you reapply next year after publishing more research. Alternatively, considering that may people aspire to complete a PhD and never do (for various reasons), maybe what is holding you back from getting a loan (assuming you can get one) is because you aren't sure you want to be a hot shot researcher/professor. Anyway, as MDK also points out, it shouldn't be hard for a PhD student to get funding after a semester or two, so it seems the loan for UF would only be for 1 year at the most. That's maybe 20k with the partial tuition waiver and living expenses and maybe 10k for just one semester. That's a bargain compared to the people spending over 50k for an MS at GA Tech. Financially, I'm sure there are PhD students that feel they need to go to UTSA for the stipend, walk away with the MS, and then apply for a PhD elsewhere. Ethically, this may not be as morally dubious as it seems since UTSA also gives RA stipends to MS students: UT San Antonio MS CS full waiver + $1000pm (2007 post at Edulix) So going to UTSA or Drexel is not necessarily problematic, especially if there is a good chance you may decide later on to work in industry, doing something that is not traditional research. Since UTSA & Drexel are paying to you to be one of them, maybe you have nothing to lose except time. The important point is that you should not complete your PhD at UTSA or Drexel if you want to work in academia. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Admit Profiles, MSCS Admit Chances, CS Internships, TopCoder, Programming Challenges (requires Firefox) IBM and the Holocaust *GRE Computer Science Subject Test:* ETS Booklet (solutions at Yahoo GRECS group), MFT, Titanium Bits, Guide, More Links more CS practice: Stanford Comps GATE CS/IT: GATEForum, Yahoo, Freshers, Q & A, Mock Exams & Solutions, GATEMentor Last edited by CalmLogic : 05-12-2008 at 08:28 PM.

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05-10-2008, 11:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
MDK Within my grasp! Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 287	What are the other universities?

05-11-2008, 12:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
ami_pagli Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3	1. univ of florida - 40% tuition waived 2. suny buffalo 3. u of new mexico 4. louisiana state univ

05-11-2008, 10:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
MDK Within my grasp! Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 287	Since you are a PhD candidate , I presume you will be able to manage some source of funding by the second semester, either as RA or TA but you should be able to finance yourself at any university by the second semester. Therefore I would vote for University of Florida or Buffalo since they have better reputation in addition to being ranked among Top CS universities. Sincerely, if you can fund yourself for the first semester (either via loan or personal money) you should definitely go to UF or Buffalo. Your PhD is something gonna stay with you for good, and the reputation of the institute plays significant role specially if you want to work in academia.

05-12-2008, 01:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
ami_pagli Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3	if i had enough money to go to ufl or buffalo i don't think i'd ever write this post. thanks for your reply though.

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