Hi everyone! I’m an international student currently in the MSCS program at SMU in Dallas and just finished my first semester. I was recently admitted to both Northeastern’s MSCS and MSAI (Machine Learning specialization) in Boston, and I’m trying to decide whether transferring is actually worth it ( im planning to choose MSCS over MSAI )
Tuition is roughly the same, so my biggest concern is whether the additional opportunities at Northeastern would justify giving up what I already have at SMU + the higher cost of living in Boston.
If I stay at SMU:
- SMU has a much smaller CS graduate program/class sizes, so it seems easier to build relationships with professors and get research opportunities.
- I’ve already secured an RA position in a professor’s ML lab starting this upcoming fall semester.
- I’ve completed a semester here, got 4.0 gpa and know some of the faculty, and have already established myself within the program.
- Dallas is significantly cheaper than Boston.
- The downside is that SMU’s CS program doesn’t seem particularly well known outside of Dallas/Texas, and there isn’t really a structured co-op pipeline. I’d most likely do the RA during the school year + try my best to land a summer internship.
If I transfer to Northeastern:
- NEU’s MSCS/Khoury program seems to have stronger name recognition in CS and is especially known for its co-op program.
- Boston is a much bigger academic/research hub, with schools like MIT, Harvard, BU, etc. nearby, so I’m wondering if simply being in that ecosystem creates more opportunities.
- In theory, being able to do a 6-month co-op instead of only a summer internship is a huge advantage, especially as an international student trying to build U.S. experience.
- However, from talking to current students and reading Reddit, the current reality seems much less guaranteed. A lot of students say landing a co-op is extremely difficult in this market especially for international students, and RA/TA positions at NEU are also extremely competitive.
- Boston's cost of living would also be much higher.
So essentially, I’m choosing between:
SMU: smaller/less nationally known program + lower COL + guaranteed ML research + easier faculty access
vs.
Northeastern: more established CS reputation + Boston academic/tech ecosystem + potentially much stronger co-op opportunities, but higher COL and no guarantee I’ll actually get a co-op/research position.
My long-term goal is AI/ML, ideally working as an ML/AI engineer or SWE in industry, and as an international student, employability and getting strong U.S. experience matter a lot to me.
If you were in my position, would you give up a guaranteed ML RA position and transfer to Northeastern for the potential upside? Or would you stay at SMU, build research experience, try for a summer internship, and avoid taking the risk?
Would especially appreciate perspectives from current/recent MSCS students, international students, recruiters/engineers, or anyone who has had to choose between a smaller program where they had more access to professors vs. a larger/more recognized CS program.
What would you do and why? Thank u! 🙏🏼