<p>Thanks for starting this discussion, it reaffirmed Caltechs spot as #1 :)</p>
<p>HYPhoper, Caltech’s No. 1 strength is in physical and earth sciences…less so in engineering. :)</p>
<p>I meant #1 on my list. I know it isn’t at the very top for engineering but it is still very well respected it seems</p>
<p>vvo0ow,</p>
<p>What are your out-of-pocket costs going to be for each? This will help put some more context into the discussion, if you’re willing to share.</p>
<p>HYPhoper, you’re gonna have to change your username…
Congrats! Admission to Caltech is a big achievement.</p>
<p>It seems like it’s down to Caltech and Stanford now (unless cost is a factor):</p>
<p>If you want a more intense workload, go to Caltech.
If you want to learn more in non-major courses, go to Caltech. (Everyone at Caltech is required to take quantum physics, for example.)
If you want to do research in pure theory, go to Caltech. If you like to see more applied knowledge, go to Stanford.
If you want at least a decent social life, go to Stanford.
If you want a bigger campus–and some people do feel claustrophobic in a small campus for four years–go to Stanford.
If you want to see intercollegiate sports, go to Stanford.
If you want a bigger alumni network, go to Stanford.
And if you think that someday you might want to change majors, Stanford may have more options.</p>
<p>To answer all of your questions:
UCBChemEGrad: The rankings really mean nothing because this is how they rank the colleges: they send form to deans at every college across the nation and ask them to rank a list of colleges in the order they like. Then, they accumulate all the responses and form the final list. Also, I wasn’t saying that I will not get a good education at Berkeley. I meant because of the size of the classes, I just won’t have the same experience as in the other colleges.
Batllo: Yes, I will be attending both programs
UCBChemEGrad: I have received pretty similar financial packages from each one, so that is no longer a factor I need to consider.
Techie1988: I am definitely willing to work hard and I like studying so in that sense I fit in. I am sure there is some applied research at Caltech…?! but since I do value some social time and sports perhaps Stanford is the best option after all.</p>
<p>Academically speaking, Caltech is probably the most challenging school in your list. Stanford on the other hand offers the best mix of prestige, high academic standards and quality of life/social experience. </p>
<p>Personally I wouldn’t go to Berkeley as an undergrad (too big for me !) . Definitely, I wouldn’t go to Harvey Mudd either. Like in other LAC’s, Mudd’s faculty and course offerings are not on par with those at the major research universities.</p>
<p>bruno123: I COMPLETELY agree with you. Thanks.</p>
<p>As far as I know, Stanford is just like a great liberal art school, which requires their students a great General Requirements, good for pre-med, law and wall street. However, it would be a severe burden for engineering-oriented geeks, lacking language ability. As you know, Berkley is another good school, but tons of under students over there. Thus, Harvey Mudd or Caltech seems to be good for you by depending upon how you are competitive in hectic small population. Have a good luck.</p>
<p>In my personal opinion, Stanford would be the best bet amongst your list, and Mudd is the least, though all your choices are great choices. </p>
<p>To begin with, there is no wrong answer here - each and everyone of them is amazing for engineering, and a degree from either of them would put you in good stead. However, if you’re looking for the best combination of prestige, great alumni network, beautiful campus located in a beautiful environment, excellent teaching and research opportunities and a more financially stable school, Stanford would the best choice in your list. However, you have to visit Stanford before you’d finally confirm your slot there. Stanford is beautiful and all, but it is not for everyone. Its set-up is laid back, but posh. I personally find it a beautiful place in general - well-trimmed gardens, vast park-like open spaces, lots of trees and gorgeous Spanish architecture. But I also particularly find it superficial a superficial place. Many people would not think that way though. Visit Stanford before you make your decision. In general, I would rank the engineering academics of those schools this way:</p>
<p>1 Stanford
2 Berkeley
3 Caltech
4 Mudd</p>
<p>But that’s just my personal ranking, and I have not attended undergrad classes at any of those schools (though I was in Stanford is 2004 for 5-6 months), so you can take my words with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>The Caltech environment is not particularly competitive or cutthroat, but it does require you to be passionate about math and science to be happy. It is a training ground for the mad scientist type.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m sure Mudd’s faculty and offerings are fine.</p>
<p>(Faculty-in-Residence, by alma mater)
Stanford 4
Caltech 3
Minnesota 3
MIT 2
Princeton 1
Michigan 1
Bradford 1
Oklahoma 1
Rutgers
UCSB 1
N/A 2</p>
<p>If you go to Caltech, realize that it is not a LAC for math and science. Teaching is secondary to research for the faculty. Think of it as almost skipping your undergraduate years (or doing them on your own as a freshman) and going straight to grad school.</p>
<p>Hey, they’re all great schools for engineering. Even the career placements and opportunities after graduation for all of those 4 schools are even comparable. Just choose one based on the kind of environment you’d like to be in for the rest of college years.</p>
<p>Stanford’s is different from Berkeley’s as Berkeley’s is different from Mudd’s. </p>
<p>OP, I have a nice set of pictures of Caltech taken on a summer season. If you like to see them, just PM me.</p>
<p>Did you already receive all your acceptances from there? How do you know?</p>
<p>Does anyone know how much the social scene (or lack of one) at Caltech detracts from the overall experience?</p>
<p>
At Stanford you are not required to take quantum physics if you don’t want to, yet you can take it and learn about it if you want to. So if you want to learn more in required non-major courses you may not be interested in, go to Caltech. At Stanford the only requirements you have outside your major are general requirements which can be filled with a multiple classes. Besides that, at Stanford you can take almost any other class you want (even if you don’t have the pre-reqs). </p>
<p>
This is true. If you have absolutely no skills (or really few) in languages, writing, and reading, Stanford’s requirements will be a large burden, taking up class slots and hurting your GPA. But if you can place out of some or most of a language and enjoy (or at least don’t despise) humanities classes, the requirements may actually be a good thing. They have been for me, as I’ve found a new passion (Constitutional Law and political philosophy) that I highly doubt I would have discovered at Caltech.</p>
<p>Which school did you end up choosing? All 4 of those schools are my top choices… 2015! :)</p>
<p>I am going to Caltech.</p>