Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
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Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
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Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#2CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may...
As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe.
I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, while these other school's immediate graduate salary is lower than CMU, their life time salary is probably going to be higher.
Yes, making $100K out of college is glorious, but that novelty is going to wear off and you'll be like everybody else slaving their life away. While you still can, while the market is still hot, why not aim for something better like creating the next instagram or dropbox? What's the absolute worst that can happen if you fail? Returning to that $100K/year job?
Life after college is like stepping into a casino for the first time and the casino offers you a free roll. It's silly not to give it a shot if you have practically nothing to lose.
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#3CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may... As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe. I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, wh…
I'm not sure I agree, for many reasons.
1 - a lot of grads have loans to pay off, and that $100k/yr job sure helps get it done quickly so you can focus on anything you want without that on your back.
2 - That $100k/yr job can help you meet a lot of great people to work on projects with at a later time. A lot of SCS grads come out having done nothing but stare at code for 4 years (I'm one, and I was saddened by the number of my classmates who made no connections on campus outside of SCS, connections that would be vitally useful in a startup). Working at a great company in the valley can help get you into the startup scene in a way that Pittsburgh might not.
3 - Nothing says you can't work on a startup outside of the 40-50hrs/wk you put in at your 100k/yr job. SCS grads are used to loooong work weeks; a normal work week seems short in comparison, especially right after graduation when you aren't (probably) supporting a family or anything else. That leaves time to make money AND try out some projects.
4 - Not being part of a startup =/= slaving your life away. There's a lot of great, rewarding work to be done in the valley and in the tech industry, it isn't an all or nothing thing with the all being becoming a startup founder. Being part of a company growing quickly and doing cool things can be just as rewarding as being a founder.
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#4CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may... As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe. I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, wh…
> While you still can, while the market is still hot, why not aim for something better like creating the next instagram or dropbox?
I guess not everyone wants to build yet another website/app. A lot of interesting/hard/capital-intensive R&D is done outside of the startup bubble and there are only so many job openings at SpaceX.
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#5CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may... As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe. I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, wh…
I think your chances of succeeding in your startup increase tremendously if you've taken a couple of years to work at another startup, see what is required to make it work, and see what problems you want to avoid, before starting your own. I also think, for CMU in particular, students have less exposure to the Silicon Valley startup culture than Stanford students. Hopefully that is better now than when I went, but being naive about the business side of things can have some pretty negative consequences when you try to start your own thing.
Of course, if you really have an idea you are passionate about you should go out there and make it happen. But maybe find some other more experienced CMU folks to give you some advice while you do it :)
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#6CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may... As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe. I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, wh…
I was on a panel at CMU, as part of a NYC startup tour designed to encourage students to move to NYC and/or join a startup. Of all the schools we went to, the CMU event had the best attendance and students I talked to afterwards seemed the most interested in entrepreneurship.
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#7CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may... As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe. I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, wh…
"Other people in my class aren't doing what I want to do, and this saddens me."
Startups aren't the One True Path of computing, and some people appreciate clocking out at a consistent time every day (or have an eye on a family, or whatever); the Silicon Valley life is not for everyone, and being saddened by other people not choosing your lifestyle is just silly. Why does this matter to you?
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#8CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may... As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe. I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, wh…
SCS grad here, I echo your sentiments. There are lots of CMU grads in startups, though from companies like Dulingo, Homerun, Everlane, Gazehawk, etc. Seems that the school is doing more for the entrepreneurship program which is encouraging.
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#9Its probably worth mentioning that one of the reasons SCS is so above others on that list is that unlike most schools in the US, at CMU CS is a separate school from engineering, and thus reports its own separate numbers. Not that the CIT (engineering) students are doing bad at #4 on http://www.nerdwallet.com/education/grad_surveys/top-salarie... , but CS grads at other top schools likely would see similar numbers if they reported individually.
Re: Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are tops in salary, says nerdwallet
#10CMU grad here, let me chime in a few words if I may... As much as I am proud to hear that Carnegie Mellon SCS grads are making the top $, it saddens me a bit to realize that our graduates are playing it too safe. I don't have the exact numbers, but my guess is that the percentage of CMU grads doing startups is probably at a much lower number rate than other top tier tech schools like MIT and Stanford. As a result, wh…
"Other people in my class aren't doing what I want to do, and this saddens me." Startups aren't the One True Path of computing, and some people appreciate clocking out at a consistent time every day (or have an eye on a family, or whatever); the Silicon Valley life is not for everyone, and being saddened by other people not choosing your lifestyle is just silly. Why does this matter to you?
Maybe he wants to hire them for below market salaries ;)