There are a few aspects including the college being ranked as #1 in the country for undergraduate teaching coupled with the opportunities and prospects Atlanta.Other than that GSU has a reputation for being the one of the most innovative universities in the country alongside Princeton and it also allows you to engage in undergraduate research programs.So overall, I really liked it.
Course Curriculum :
The course curriculum is really nice and keeps up with the industry standards. On top of that we have an option to engage in undergraduate research, something that you don't generally see even in other good colleges.
Exams :
My scores: TOEFL 112. SAT was optional this year so I did not appear for it. In general the anything above a 1350 is a good enough score alongside atleast a 100 in 7 band in TOEFL of IELTS.
Placement :
There is a lot happening around the campus all the time. You have plenty of job fairs and company Orientations. You also have a dedicated career center and a thing known as college to career incorporated in the curriculum. Last month there was a massive job fair where more than 500 companies including too tech companies participated.The placement process is smooth and you get a a pretty good salary as per your major which in case of computer science is around 70-80 thousand USD per year.
Internship :
I am currently working for CETL@GSU. It's an on-campus job under the tech department. They pay me around $10 an hour and international students are allowed to work for a maximum of 20 hours a week so the stipend among varies anywhere around 740-770 a month after taxes depending on the hours that you get.
Fees :
40-45 thousand dollars after the scholarship. More than a 100K before scholarships.
Scholarship :
I got the Campus Atlanta Scholarship which is basically a out-of-state waiver so I'm paying the in state tuition which is quite cheap as compared to the out of state one. I was automatically considered for the scholarship, I just had to appear for an interview about certain things on my resume and how that scholarship was gonna help me.
Faculty :
The faculty to student ratio is quite good. The professors are knowledgeable, friendly and approachable. Other than that I think you get really nice exposure to different kinds of classes where you are allowed to explore and choose your professors. I think the one person that has left an impact on me has to be my Introduction to Psychology Instructor Sharlene Fernandes because of the way that she breaks down complexities and makes me want to learn more about it.
Campus Life :
The campus life is definitely top notch. Downtown Atlanta is happening and you get events and activities all the time. You have pretty good places around and some really nice restaurants as well. (P.S. - You get some great Indian food there.) Campus infrastructure is definitely one of the best ones that I've seen. The libraries are up to date with modern technology. You have 3 free wifi networks throughout the campus including a guest network. There are lots of sports activities and clubs. You get free tickets for every game in the college stadium band it's fun.
Hostel :
In my opinion one can go in for on campus housing for the first year but beyond that it's just throwing money away. Because the wait-list was full, I chose to stay off campus where I'm paying around 550 USD including utilities for a shared room. Food and groceries is another 100 (generally)with makes it around 650 USD a month which is a decent deal considering the cost of apartments after the pandemic. On an average you can expect to spend around 500-650 if you are planning to share a room and anywhere around 900-1000 USD for a single room. But you can always cover these expenses yourself with on campus jobs.
