Stanford or U of Wisc - Madison?

[Brat]

By the time she graduates there may be another big idea on the horizon, it might be hers.

It is amazing how ideas come to the surface. One of the stories about a company called PlaySpan is that the idea percolated from the founder's son's comment about games. PlaySpan Marketplace Many a software engineer makes more money from app residuals developed at home than their salaries.

[steelyman]

It will be interesting to learn which she chooses eventually, if you choose to post it. UW seems to me to be the logical choice for graduate school, but it wouldn't be smart to work for or in Wisconsin, given the current climate.

[clifp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Hi Brat, That's true. She likes the idea working for Goggle someday. It's very competitive to get in, however. I have no doubts that she can get into any company or government agencies if she's determined. Spanky

One additional suggestion is to talk to the recruiting office at both Universities and see what companies have recruited there over the last three years. Most megacorps tend to have limited number of schools they recruit from, and stick to them over time. My guess is that most of the major tech firms recruit at both places, but some of the firms like Twitter may only go to Stanford.

[NW-Bound]

One of my brothers worked for Google. He said that they had so many applicants that it was difficult to choose; they all had 4.0 GPA from good schools, so they looked for achievements outside of just course work.

My brother came from a "lousy state U", but as you guess it, he had work experience. He came to Google not by applying but by invitation from people he worked with in another job. After a few years, he recently left on his own as he did not want to live in CA.

I am not a Comp Sci, but from what I know from the media and what my brother told me, Google is a fine place to work. It's not just the compensation, but the corporate culture is something I applaud. The competitiveness means it is however a place for young turks, and perhaps older people would survive only by getting into management.

Although my brother was proud of their motto "Don't be evil", I still gave him a hard time regarding the recent news about how Google was not beyond the game of "Dutch Sandwich" to pay several billions less in corporate taxes.

[clifp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Although my brother was proud of their motto "Don't be evil", I still gave him a hard time regarding the recent news about how Google was not beyond the game of "Dutch Sandwich" to pay several billions less in corporate taxes.

Now come on tax avoidance is as American as Apple pie. Frankly it is area that American have much to learn from the Italian, Greeks, Turks etc.

[GregLee]

Stanford. It'll give her a little extra edge.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound One of my brothers worked for Google. He said that they had so many applicants that it was difficult to choose; they all had 4.0 GPA from good schools, so they looked for achievements outside of just course work. My brother came from a "lousy state U", but as you guess it, he had work experience. He came to Google not by applying but by invitation from people he worked with in another job. After a few years, he recently left on his own as he did not want to live in CA.

Work experience in area of demand, such as cloud computing, will definitely be interested by Goggle.

Quote:

I am not a Comp Sci, but from what I know from the media and what my brother told me, Google is a fine place to work. It's not just the compensation, but the corporate culture is something I applaud. The competitiveness means it is however a place for young turks, and perhaps older people would survive only by getting into management.

That's really an issue for older technical workers at Silicon Valley. They can either get into management or some other career or face the possibility of termination. Silicon Valley is for the young, energetic and entrepreneurial types.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brat By the time she graduates there may be another big idea on the horizon, it might be hers. It is amazing how ideas come to the surface. One of the stories about a company called PlaySpan is that the idea percolated from the founder's son's comment about games. PlaySpan Marketplace Many a software engineer makes more money from app residuals developed at home than their salaries.

Hi Brat,
She will definitely be interested in entrepreneurship should a worthwhile idea arise.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by clifp Now come on tax avoidance is as American as Apple pie. Frankly it is area that American have much to learn from the Italian, Greeks, Turks etc.

But you see, my brother is an idealist liberal type who does not think there is such a thing as a bad tax. And I understand that the political climate of Google is also quite liberal itself. Hence, I could not pass up this chance to point out to him the irony.

And you know what else I did? I offered him an explanation that would get Google out of the inconsistency between what it said and how it walked.

I said that taxes had to be evil, hence Google had to evade it.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by clifp One additional suggestion is to talk to the recruiting office at both Universities and see what companies have recruited there over the last three years. Most megacorps tend to have limited number of schools they recruit from, and stick to them over time. My guess is that most of the major tech firms recruit at both places, but some of the firms like Twitter may only go to Stanford.

Thanks for the suggestion. It's true that each company restricts recruitment to certain schools. The company for which I work recruits candidates from University of Minnesota, John Hopkins, Duke, Harvard, and Georgia Tech.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Hi Brat, She will definitely be interested in entrepreneurship should a worthwhile idea arise.

She might want to look up the UW office of technology transfer and the local business incubators.

One of our UH startups was founded by a business student who was intrigued by a material science professor's patent. He obtained a license from UH's OTT (who owned the patent) then wrote a business plan. The professor started mixing samples in the lab and building things out of them. DARPA got interested. When the student won the business plan competition then the angels started sniffing around. Next step was a round of VC funding including a CEO with some gray hairs. Today this "business student" is the COO of the startup and well on his way to his own career, let alone a résumé.

And he still surfs. Without having to wear a wetsuit.

[Brat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Work experience in area of demand, such as cloud computing, will definitely be interested by Goggle.

If cloud's her thing she should arrange an informational interview with 3Par the next time she is in SV.

[JPKlesmith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky DD has been accepted to Stanford and U of Wisconsin (Madison) for graduate study in computer science. UW - Madison (ranked #10 - US News) offers fellowship (worth about $18K per year) + tuition remission while Stanford (ranked #1 - US News) offers NOTHING. The tuition at Stanford is $42,000 per year (almost the same as their Medical School). A master in CS would take about 2 years. That means it would cost about $120,000 to attend Stanford [ ($42K + 18K) *2]. Would you choose Stanford over UW-Madison for the prestige? BTW - Tuition @Stanford for MBA is $52K -- cash cow for the university.

No question in my mind (also being a UW grad, with 25 years in IT Management) -- Go to Wisconsin!! As a manager, I didn't care what school the person came from -- it was more of a "do they have the skills for the job" and "Will they fit into the work environment??"

I suppose Stanford might be OK if you are thinking Silicon Valley, but if you are thinking the rest of the country, Stanford has no advantage over UW. And UW has a reputation for having some of the finest instructors in the area you are looking at.

Hope that helps!!

John

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords She might want to look up the UW office of technology transfer and the local business incubators.

Good idea.

Quote:

One of our UH startups was founded by a business student who was intrigued by a material science professor's patent. He obtained a license from UH's OTT (who owned the patent) then wrote a business plan. The professor started mixing samples in the lab and building things out of them. DARPA got interested. When the student won the business plan competition then the angels started sniffing around. Next step was a round of VC funding including a CEO with some gray hairs. Today this "business student" is the COO of the startup and well on his way to his own career, let alone a résumé. And he still surfs. Without having to wear a wetsuit.

Good for him. Success story such as this is very encouraging.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brat If cloud's her thing she should arrange an informational interview with 3Par the next time she is in SV.

That's a good idea since we visit my mom, brothers and sister in the Bay Area every year during the Xmas holidays.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPKlesmith No question in my mind (also being a UW grad, with 25 years in IT Management) -- Go to Wisconsin!! As a manager, I didn't care what school the person came from -- it was more of a "do they have the skills for the job" and "Will they fit into the work environment??" I suppose Stanford might be OK if you are thinking Silicon Valley, but if you are thinking the rest of the country, Stanford has no advantage over UW. And UW has a reputation for having some of the finest instructors in the area you are looking at. Hope that helps!! John

Hi John,
Your comments definitely help. Your observations confirm my beliefs. When reviewing resumes, I only look for relevant experience and invite each selected candidate for an interview. The personal chemistry and communication skills play the ultimate role of whether the candidate gets an offer. The company for which I work has a set of targeted schools but Stanford is not one of them. One of my observations from phone interviews with top students from prestigious universities, such as MIT, is that they tend to be cocky. They, not all, come across as they can do everything and will be doing you a favor. Obviously, that's my personal bias. My personal preference is someone who is humble, confident, and eager to learn. The "cocky" ones, however, are more suitable for start-ups as they believe they can make the leap into new ideas and new technologies.

[Spanky]

Here's additional info on possible financial assistance:

Office of Graduate Admissions - Sources of Financial Support | Student Affairs
2011-12 RA/TA Minimum Salaries

Info on expenses:
Office of Graduate Admissions - Estimated Expense Budget | Student Affairs

May be ... but not guaranteed? Should she register and find out?

Quote:

Please note that your admission to the Computer Science Master's Program does not guarantee funding. Stanford Master's students can often get assistantships to pay for tuition, but these teaching and research assistantships are arranged only once you are a registered student and are negotiated one quarter in advance.

[Brat]

I suspect that an extra effort will be made for a woman if they want to increase their representation in the class. It is also possible that funds may be available through professional societies.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brat I suspect that an extra effort will be made for a woman if they want to increase their representation in the class. It is also possible that funds may be available through professional societies.

Yes, it is plausible to secure funding from private organizations or professional societies. I suspect it will not be sufficient to cover majority of the costs. We either take out a student loan or money from our savings if going to Stanford is worth the cost.

[Brat]

IF she can get a student load at a reasonable interest rate I suggest you go that route. It conveys that this is a serious decision, she has incentive to put her skills to work. If circumstances dictate you can help pay it off. That is what we did with our kids and after graduation we made the payments.

It also may convey to those offering scholarships that she needs the money.