Cal Poly Pomona Engineering Preparation for Graduate School?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cal Poly Pomona
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<p>Hello College Confidential Community, </p>

<p>I’m currently a freshman electrical engineering major at CPP, and I plan on going to graduate school afterwards. I’ve been doing very well (so far) in my classes, and thought this might give me an advantage when I apply to graduate schools. </p>

<p>I know that graduate schools factor your gpa and research experience and letters of recommendation into their decisions. CPP, however, stresses career preparation over graduate school preparation and doesn’t have as much research -i’m not talking about engineering projects, there are plenty of those- as, say, the UC schools. </p>

<p>Even the math/physics support courses are somewhat abridged. My physics professor told us that if we take an honors physics course it would be closer to the “UC level”, and my math teacher said we are only learning half of linear algebra and half of differential equations and combining them.</p>

<p>My question is, what should I do in order to get into research at a good grad school? Should I stay at CPP and look for research outside of the school? Should I transfer to a CC then a UC? </p>

<p>I would really appreciate some feedback, thank you!</p>

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<p>When I came here as a junior transfer (math major) I looked at the faculty lists because I was interested in taking professors who had gotten an elite education and could write me good recommendations. When I looked at a lot of the engineering faculty a lot of them went to Cal Poly Pomona and then onto MIT or CalTech. You do great at Cal Poly Pomona, you’ll be rewarded. </p>

<p>I’m not sure why you’re stressing about the “level”. Making it out of engineering with an extremely high GPA is hard enough anywhere and classes you take as a freshman are not really representative I feel of how you’ll do the rest of your time here. If you want to get a good mathematical treatment, take higher math. Or maybe take the courses separately. Why not also study from a more rigorous book? Half of my Partial Differential Equations class consists of engineers and a lot of people in the MAT 431 (upper-divison DE) class were engineers/physics majors. </p>

<p>Look at doing summer REU’s. I am sure they have them for engineering. The teachers in the math department I’ve had did a good job telling us of research opportunities. They held some kind of thing last quarter where it was basically a contest and problems were released online where they had to tackle those problems and then submit them in a short period of time and possibly get published. </p>

<p>But yeah, if you were looking for a more research oriented university you should probably attend a UC (UCLA/UCB/UCSD). I know they just recently formed a partnership with NASA for science grad students at Cal Poly Pomona to do research over at JPL. If you do well at Cal Poly Pomona you’ll generally place well. I know a senior math major who got into Cornell. But yeah, I feel like most CPP engineers just want a great job after graduation so you may be in the minority for grad school pursuits.</p>

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<p>Thank you very much for your reply CalDud! </p>

<p>Would you mind sending me a link of where you found the engineering faculty’s educational backgrounds? I’ve decided it’s worth a shot applying for junior transfer to some UC’s, but if that doesn’t work I’ll try to get into some REU programs and hope for the best.</p>

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<p>It’s much easier to transfer to a CC and then transfer to a UC as a junior. Unless you’re the cream of the crop here with nearly a 4.0 GPA you probably won’t get into a good UC. It’s because they have to give priority to CC transfers because they have nowhere else to go and you’re already at a four year institution. </p>

<p>[Faculty</a> and Administrative Staff Directory - Cal Poly Pomona - Acalog ACMS?](<a href=“http://catalog.csupomona.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=736]Faculty”>http://catalog.csupomona.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=736)</p>

<p>Some examples of faculty (last one probably doesn’t count but I picked people who started engineering here):</p>

<p>AHMADI, ALI R. (1985) Professor, Chair, Aerospace Engineering B.S., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1971; M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1974; Ph.D., 1980.</p>

<p>ANDERSON, KEVIN R. (2001) Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering B.S., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1991; M.S., University of Colorado, 1994; Ph.D., 1998.</p>

<p>BABIKIAN, HOVEL V. (1998) Professor, Engineering Technology B.S., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1990; M.S., California Institute of Technology, 1992.</p>

<p>CODUTO, DONALD P. (1983) Professor, Civil Engineering B.S., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1978; M.S., University of California, Berkeley, 1980; MBA, Claremont Graduate University, 2009; P.E., G.E.</p>

<p>DOBBS, STEVEN K. (2007) Professional Practice Professor, Aerospace Engineering B.S., California State Polytechnic College, 1970; M.S., California State University, Long Beach, 1979.</p>

<p>GERSHFELD, MIKHAIL (2007) Professional Practice Professor, Civil Engineering B.S., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1980; M.S., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1982; P.E.; S.E.</p>

<p>NELSON, PHYLLIS (1999) Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering B.S.E.E., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1977; M.S.E.E., California Institute of Technology, 1980; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1990.</p>

<p>NGUYEN, THUAN K. (1979) Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering B.S., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1974; Ph.D., Princeton University, 1979; P.E.</p>

<p>ONTIVEROS, CORDELIA (1984) Associate Dean, College of Engineering; Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering B.S. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1978; M.A., Princeton University, 1980; Ph.D., Princeton University, 1983; P.E.</p>

<p>von BREMEN, HUBERTUS (2004) Associate Professor, Mathematics B.S., Aerospace Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1986; M.S., Applied Mathematics, 1992; M.A., Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1999.</p>

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<p>The more important question is this: Why do you want to go to grad school? You’re EE, it’s not necessary to find a good job. </p>

<p>Talk to some of your professors and utilize their wisdom. They know what’s going on and what’s necessary to succeed.</p>