uWaterloo vs. uGuelph? (Better school program vs. Personal Preference): CS

[SareBear]

So I am thinking of attending either the University of Waterloo or the University of Guelph for Computer Science in a year's time. According to most people I talk with I should get accepted to both schools if I maintain my marks where they are, but I'm unsure which to take.

I've always heard that uWaterloo is the better school, with an amazing coop program and mathematics and Computer Science program, possibly the best on this side of the world, one of the best in the world.

However I'd honestly prefer to be at the University of Guelph. I liked the campus more and I felt such a better connection with the school. I know Guelph also offers coop with its CS program and it's virtually the same as uWaterloo's coop for Computer Science.

I really feel like I'd be happier at the University of Guelph for several reasons, some of them personal too, but I also keep hearing the uWaterloo is the place to be for my education. So which school should I choose? The school that has the more accredited program (uWaterloo), or my personal favourite (uGuelph)?

I'm really stuck in a rut, I'll definitely be going for coop at both, since some people say that the work experience is more important than the degree itself, but I'm really torn for what I should do. I'm not going to sacrifice my marks, but I'm kind of hoping I am not admitted to uWaterloo since I hear it's competitive, then I can tell myself I have no choice but Guelph, but I feel I'd take Waterloo if I got it just from everything I've heard about it -_____-

Any advice on what is the best direction to go would be greatly appreciated, thank you very much everyone!

[Tony]

Do your best, apply to both schools (and some others just in case. UofT and UBC are other popular CS picks), then see what happens. Your preferences could change over the year. It would be advantageous to leave yourself with the most options, and spend the time understanding what you want to accomplish.

That being said, I don't think you've got some of the facts quite right. Both programs are similarly accredited (that is, both grant a recognized degree). Coop is definitely not the same though. I would encourage you to do your own research, to see what schools companies that you admire hire from. LinkedIn or Facebook searches (basically anywhere that will give you a list of people with their school and employer) are good places to start.

[Panphobia]

I personally go to the University of Guelph and I have to tell you that there is a big problem in finding good co-op placements. If you have dreams of interning at google, facebook, amazon, or any big company, don't go to Guelph. Those big companies basically throw out non-Waterloo and non-Toronto students' resumes. Throughout the 3 years I have been here only 2 people have been hired at one of those companies. Computer Science is pretty much standardized everywhere so you will learn pretty much the same things. But I do think that Waterloo has a bigger selection of courses you can take, because of the compsci department being much bigger.

[SareBear]

Hmmm. Well that's very interesting to know. I'd really like to learn more about how the co-op programs at each University are different then. I can do my own research too but if anyone has information on what the co-op at either or both schools work I would really appreciate it. The only information I can really find are on each school's own website, where each school obviously claims they're both the best -___- I can never trust those sites.

Information such as the types of jobs and how easy/hard it is to get hired at the positions would be most helpful. Thanks for the replies!

[Tony]

The jobs are the same, in a way that there exist positions that companies are looking to fill by a University student (with the exception of working for a University itself, it's not a requirement to be from a specific school).

Similarly the easy/hard is also exactly the same -- it's a job interview, and you have to show your skills/potential.

The difference is in opportunities presented. UWaterloo commands very strong reputation with many successful graduates in the industry. So while some Guelph students will be better than some Waterloo students, in practice the companies have figured that Waterloo gets results and might have two recruiters in total -- one for UWaterloo (or maybe UW+UofT), and one for the rest of Canada.

[Chist]

I applied to the Computer Science Program at both Waterloo and Guelph this year. I didn't get accepted into Waterloo, and decided to go to Guelph this September. I got the same feeling when I toured the school, as in I felt at home there. I'd recommend taking this into account when you choose which school you'd like to attend, since it will be your home for four years! I also felt that the staff at Guelph really cared about making sure that you receive the education and coop experience that you're paying for... just something that helped me to decide! Be sure to research the structure of the program as well, as you might find that one suits you more than the other! If you have any questions about the program at Guelph I can try and help you as much as possible once I actually start in a few weeks !