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Ask YC: Best undergraduate college for hopeful startup entrepeneurs

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Re: Ask YC: Best undergraduate college for hopeful startup entrepeneurs

#11
post #9
post #3

Harvard. Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Mark Zuckerberg.

Sergey Brin went to the University of Maryland. Larry Page went to Michigan. Marc Andreessen and Max Levchin went to the University of Illinois. This not to say some schools aren't better than others, but when people do great things it's usually because of who they are rather than where they went to college.

my thoughts exactly.

Re: Ask YC: Best undergraduate college for hopeful startup entrepeneurs

#12
post #8
post #4

Whichever college allows YOU to grow creatively, socially, and intellectually. This college is not necessarily Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, or Somestate University. As far as a degree, whichever you enjoy the most. Don't focus on the product; rather, HOW you reach it.

...A not-so-subtle way to make one look "wise" without an accountable response. Not useful.

So you'd rather spend four years of your life at a school which stymies your growth rather that nourishes it? I'd much rather make a decision to spend four precious years based on whether or not I feel like I would benefit, not because Bill Gates did.

Re: Ask YC: Best undergraduate college for hopeful startup entrepeneurs

#13
post #9
post #3

Harvard. Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Mark Zuckerberg.

Sergey Brin went to the University of Maryland. Larry Page went to Michigan. Marc Andreessen and Max Levchin went to the University of Illinois. This not to say some schools aren't better than others, but when people do great things it's usually because of who they are rather than where they went to college.

Well, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a top 10 (arguably top 5) ranked CS department, and Michigan is no slouch, either.

I agree with the gist of your point, though. The school you attend is considerably more important for grad school.

Re: Ask YC: Best undergraduate college for hopeful startup entrepeneurs

#14
post #12
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...A not-so-subtle way to make one look "wise" without an accountable response. Not useful.

So you'd rather spend four years of your life at a school which stymies your growth rather that nourishes it? I'd much rather make a decision to spend four precious years based on whether or not I feel like I would benefit, not because Bill Gates did.

No, I'd rather keep discussions mature. It "feels good" to devolve into diatribes, and trust me, if you know me, I HAVE... but the question here is "what undergrad schools should I consider."

Back on topic, empirically, I know many people involved in startups with _some_ connection to Stanford, probably more so than any other single school. I know many people from UC Santa Cruz, too. Both may be because these are the two nearest good universities near Silicon Valley.

Not so many from San Jose State University. Maybe stay away from that one.

Re: Ask YC: Best undergraduate college for hopeful startup entrepeneurs

#16
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I recall, Stanford accepts roughly 1% of applicants to the Computer Science program, compared with just over 10% for the University as a whole, making it one of the most competitive programs in the nation. On a side note, my alma mater, the University of Southern California, accepts roughly 25% of students as a whole, and a slightly lower percentage of computer science students (though I can't find specific…

From what I recall, Stanford accepts roughly 1% of applicants to the Computer Science program, compared with just over 10% for the University as a whole, making it one of the most competitive programs in the nation. That may be true for Ph.D. students, but not for undergraduates. Undergraduate applications are reviewed without regards to major. You'll have an equal chance of getting in whether you express interest in…

You're right, in that I cannot find anyone claiming the significantly lower figure for CS admissions in particular. Even at 10%, it is among the most competitive programs in the country. Both Williams and Amherst, the top two liberal arts colleges in the US, have over 15% admissions, while Yale and Harvard come in usually between 8% and 10%.

On a side note, I have some doubt that the admissions process is truly blind to your stated major of interest. These schools do have a desire to maintain balance between their programs.

Re: Ask YC: Best undergraduate college for hopeful startup entrepeneurs

#17
post #14
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you'd rather spend four years of your life at a school which stymies your growth rather that nourishes it? I'd much rather make a decision to spend four precious years based on whether or not I feel like I would benefit, not because Bill Gates did.

No, I'd rather keep discussions mature. It "feels good" to devolve into diatribes, and trust me, if you know me, I HAVE ... but the question here is "what undergrad schools should I consider." Back on topic, empirically, I know many people involved in startups with _some_ connection to Stanford, probably more so than any other single school. I know many people from UC Santa Cruz, too. Both may be because these are th…

Gordon Moore (Intel) and Ed Oates (Oracle) both attended SJSU at some point in their careers. I think they turned out ok...
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