I think people dramatically overestimate the value of CMU social connections. The value of a CMU Comp Sci degree is that you've proven (to yourself and everyone else) that you can get one. The program is essentially one "weeder" course after another to identify the people who don't belong (21-127 Concepts of Mathematics, 15-251 Great Theoretical Ideas of Computer Science, 15-213 Introduction to Compute Systems, 15-410 Operating Systems, 15-451 Design and Analysis of Algorithms). Every course is the "hard" version of ever other course (e.g. "Welcome to Operating Systems, you'll be writing a kernel that runs on an X86_64 processor. Your hint is 'pusha/popa.' Go."). While it was horrifying the whole way through, I think that it built a resiliency in me that wouldn't exist otherwise. It's incredibly hard to replicate that through online classes.
I remember my first day of "Intro to Operating Systems". Prof said "You will write a simple OS for x86 in Modula-2. I know none of you have ever touched Modula-2, but there's a recommended book and a TA session once a week. We will not be doing any M2 tutorial work in class. Now Lession 1...". Most people figured it out.
