wwc@duke.UUCP (William Cohen) (07/18/85)
I will begin graduate school in fall '86, going for a PhD in computer science. I will be concentrating in Artificial Intelligence, a field that I've been involved with for going on three years. I would *greatly* appreciate any advice as to which schools to consider, as well as any information about the relative strengths and weaknesses of schools. The schools I am considering *now* (feel free to argue for or suggest any others) are: - Carnegie-Mellon - MIT - Stanford - Yale - Univ. of Mass. - Univ. of Penn. - Univ. of Texas/Austin - Univ. of Maryland - Rutgers Some specific questions I'd like to hear answered for any of these are: - Who are the AI-types in the department ? Are these people stable (i.e., likely to remain for a few years ?) What are the thrusts of their research ? - What is the general quality of the computer science department ? What is the atmosphere like - high pressure, or more relaxed ? Is a greater emphasis placed on research or teaching ? Is the department oriented more toward the theory/mathematical end of computer science or the result-oriented/engineering/hacker end of things ? In addition to descriptions along these dimensions, information about the more intangible aspects of the program would also be appreciated. - How has the department changed in the last few years ? (This is important, as I have a lot of information and impressions of places that are a few years old.) What direction(s) is it going in now ? Is it generally on the way up, or on the way down ? - How well funded is the program in general and the AI group in particular ? How much of the funding is from the DoD ? ( I have a personal bias against military work.) - What is the requirement for prelims (or other examinations ?) Are they formalities or "weeder" exams ? - What is the mean time to get a PhD in the department ? If possible, info about specific AI faculty would be helpful here. - What is the surrounding world like ? (e.g., are rents expensive, crime horrible, the weather uniformly wonderful, etc.) If you've ever been associated with these places, then please help me out by taking the time to tell me about your experience. Don't feel constrained, either, to answer all the questions above or even a significant subset of them -- any and all comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for your patience and help. William Cohen Duke University ...mcnc!duke US Snail : 1000 N. Duke #40, Durham, NC 27701