Caught between two..maybe even three? Help please :)

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>Please be prepared for a wall of text! :) I've put so much thought into this college decision and I am really interested in civil engineering for UCD and CP SLO as well as the structural engineering for UCSD.</p>

<p>As decisions have been coming in, I have gained a better perspective as to where I might be headed to college in a few months and I am wanting much needed input as to where I should go. First and foremost, I know it's my decision in the end and I won't base my decision solely on comments, but gaining a better understanding of my situation from an outsider's point of view would really help with my decision. </p>

<p>I was rejected from Cal, UCLA, and USC for civil engineering which made me pretty sad, but I realized engineering itself is very difficult and that is why I chose it, besides why should I go to a school and major in something that has no prospects...communications? Ha! Excuse me if I sound mad but those rejections hurt lol. Anyways, I got into UC Davis and Cal Poly SLO for Civil Engineering and UCSD for Structural Engineering. I am currently waiting for Brown and Cornell (no hopes, so I figure I should start the thread now, man up, and choose soon!). </p>

<p>I'd like to explain my situation so please bare with me haha. I'm a first generation college student so money is simply high on my list of priorities. I also want a challenge so I chose engineering and since it's very demanding, I thought it would satisfy my financial needs and also set me up for graduate school ( I am ALSO interested in international relations, politics, and medicine...a lot right? ) and I am looking for a school that would set me up for a prestigious graduate school. I figure I could get a job, make some money, and then go to graduate school? Anyways, I could always do a 4+1 program and get my masters. I will definitely try to visit these colleges, but honestly-I'm a pretty laid-back type of person who gets along with chill people...so I think I'd belong at any school. </p>

<p>Cal Poly SLO: They sent me their financial aid package...I'd be getting 11k financial aid and I'd have to make up another "estimated" 11k to attend per year...which is steep seeing as my family makes <20k :( however I'm hoping I win that Heye scholarship. My sister attends a UC and she says even though it's estimated...(for the UC she was given a lot of money but it still said she needed loans...turns out she never needed loans so I'm hoping CP is going to be like that) anyways, Cal Poly is very attractive to me because the environment will be different for me. The prospect that I will have a decent-paying job means so much to me. My issue is...is there any upward mobility as in if I graduate from CP..will I be in a good position (lets just assume I have a decent GPA and do very well in college) to reach a very prestigious graduate school? Will I be able to rise through the ranks of a company...and whatnot. That's my only worry. Feel free to elaborate if you can!</p>

<p>UC Davis: Don't know too much about Davis...I know it's good in pre-med and whatnot, decent in engineering but not on par with UCSD or CP. Can anyone give me input on their engineering program? I am under the civil and environmental engineering department. As I stated in the CP Section, I'm worried about job prospects, upward mobility through school and the job sector. They are giving me a lot in aid because I'm poor lol, it seems as if I can pay off a lot of the costs to attend which is a plus. Please enlighten me!</p>

<p>UCSD: I have been doing heavy research on this school and it seems really great to me. Very highly ranked in the sciences, lots of research, and whatnot. Same questions as the previous schools.....what about job prospects, upward mobility through school and the job sector. They are giving me essentially the same fin aid as UCD which means I won't have to pay for much. My friend goes to UCSD and did nanoengineering but switched out for visual arts. He gave me a harsh outlook on UCSD engineering (so please provide a counter argument haha) he said it was nothing but just academics and studying and text and no hands-on. He said that one of his friends graduated as a bioengineering major and the professor told his friend that most engineering jobs will end up in a cubicle and that only a few will actually rise through the ranks and do something really groundbreaking. That really doesn't paint a good picture for me so I'm not sure about UCSD.</p>

<p>Since I'm getting a lot of financial aid, I believe I owe it to the government, taxpayers, idk whoever pays for my education...I should put as much thought into this college decision because I'm getting help and I need to make the best of it.</p>

<p>I will try and visit CP SLO and UCSD with one of my friends in April...but still any comments are welcome.</p>

<p>I am so sorry for the wall of text, I just don't want to make a bad decision hahah</p>

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<p>“I’m a first generation college student so money is simply high on my list of priorities.”… “My sister attends a UC and she says even though it’s estimated…”</p>

<p>How are you a first generation college student?</p>

<p>Anyway =), I HIGHLY recommend going with the school you feel most comfortable/excited with. Bare with me, I know it sounds cliche and not very helpful, but it is very true and I’ll tell you why. If you chose a school that you’ve already subconsciously made a judgment about and turn out not to like it so much, or if you have the slightest doubt about it, it will change the way you view things and ultimately the way you interact and perform at that university. It is very hard to do well at a university you are unhappy with, especially if you pretend to be happy. Intuition is always right. After all, it is not merely some superstitious source that has no credible reasoning, it is more reliable than you might think. It is your pattern of thought that is unbiased by outside opinions, ultimately based on your subconscious thoughts and feelings. OK, back to reality. You need a place where you can thrive in what you love. That being said, I recommend a university heavily into research. Research universities tend to have the best professors from all over the world (MIT,Stanford,CMU,IIT) with PHDs, whether they’re well known universities or not, and have many opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research along side them, which is a HUGE factor when applying to grad school. Also, a research university is where you want to be for grad school and if you’ve already completed an undergrad at a good research university, you have a good chance of getting into their grad program. This is not my preference, but based on your tone and the way you speak of the various schools, I think you’d like UCSD. I advise you not to listen to your friend and just trust your instinct. Investigate the matter yourself. Check out their undergrad CE program site and see if there are clubs for CE’s, various events and competitions, etc. As far as hands on, that really depends on your major and how much you put yourself out there as far as clubs etc, but is absolutely false to generalize that to all engineering majors at UCSD. CE’s will most definitely find more hands on work than a Nanoengineering major who are, quite honestly, studying topics at the NANOMETER SCALE. As far as job prospects, UCSD is not some hole in the wall. Being a research university, professors likely have connections with top corporations and those companies likely come on campus for career fairs. Engineering companies love research universities. Look at the universities career services website and see what companies attend. This usually gives a good insight. In the end, it all depends on how much you involve yourself and network when it comes to job hunting. I’ve gotten several job interviews with top companies that don’t even visit my university because I have a decent GPA and have worked on my resume ALOT, found jobs on campus related to my major, participated in outreach, and spoke with professors for advice. I shouldn’t really be telling you which university you should go to, but I feel you wanted an objective opinion and so here it is. I hope this helps. Keep me updated with the process! If you have any questions just ask!</p>

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<p>Ah I feel so dumb-I thought first generation was applicable if both my parents didn’t go to college…not the oldest ><</p>

<p>I definitely understand what you mean by going to the college that you feel most comfortable with and I’m going to try and visit both UCSD and CP sometime in April. As you stated, I’ve read it’s better to have hands-on experience as an undergrad and then as you go into grad school, that is when you combine that with theoretical studies and research. What do you think about that? I don’t think I should be thinking too far ahead, but I just want the security that comes with my decision haha. I think it comes down to CP SLO and UCSD for me; I will definitely keep you updated on the process and I appreciate it very much Javacrunch! </p>

<p>Excuse my enormous wall of text lol. If anyone else has input, it would very much appreciated. Thanks!</p>

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<p>Just to clarify, you do count as first-generation to go to college if both your parents didn’t go to college. Just because your older sibling is in college, doesn’t mean you’re not first-gen because it’s generation, not person.</p>

<p>Also, UC Davis does have a very good engineering program (though yes, not better than UCSD’s). I think compared to Cal Poly, it’s still better. However, I think that the 3 schools are close enough in quality that you should really just go with which place will make you happier overall, not just in academics. UCSD is notorious for having little social (no offense), and if you don’t have many opportunities to have fun, you’re not gonna be quite as motivated or refreshed to do well in school. However, it is SoCal, so maybe it’s reputation is just relative to other SoCal schools.</p>

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<p>Ah that’s what I figured. I’d prefer SoCal anyways, so I’m guessing Davis is kind of eliminated. Dmoney11 do you mean that UCD>CP or UCSD>CP? I figure they are all pretty solid for undergraduate engineering. </p>

<p>Still welcoming any input! Please feel free to comment people :)</p>

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<p>UCSD structural engineering has at least “some” lab classes. Besides physics and all that, the classes in the structural engineering department that have laboratory sections include:</p>

<ul>
<li>intro structures and design</li>
<li>engineering materials</li>
<li>experimental techniques</li>
<li>algorithms and programming</li>
<li>conceptual structural design</li>
<li>engineering graphics and computer-aided design</li>
<li>structures and materials (‘capstone’ design class)</li>
<li>geotechnical engineering</li>
<li>composites</li>
</ul>

<p>For the most part, once you hit junior and senior year, you will pretty much have at least one lab class every quarter. You may also take more depending on what classes you choose for your technical electives and focus sequence.</p>

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<p>Hmm…it seems as if UCSD is becoming more and more appealing. Is there a huge discrepancy between going theoretical at UCSD compared to going practical at CP SLO? May I ask if you guys are engineering students at the schools listed above?</p>

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<p>I am a Cal Poly electrical engineering graduate, and a graduate of Harvard Business School. I believe I can shed some light on your questions.</p>

<p>Your main concerns about your decision between UCSD and Cal Poly seems to be professional upward mobility, post-graduation job prospect and salary, and getting into a top graduate school. Do I have it right?</p>

<p>On professional mobility
Your undergraduate degree will not make or break you either way. Your undergraduate degree is mainly about getting your first job out of school and your starting salary. What happens after a few years in the work force will entirely depend on you. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. There are plenty of engineering graduates from less prestigious universities managing whole teams of engineers from top schools and vice-versa. It really all depends on you. When I graduated from Cal Poly, I joined a semiconductor startup in Silicon Valley that eventually went IPO. I went from a junior design engineer to a lead architect in 4 years, and the company went from 50 employees to 1200 at that time. My professional peers were from Stanford, Cal, UIUC, and SJSU, other state schools, so it is all over the place.</p>

<p>On job prospect and salary
If you graduate from Cal Poly with a strong GPA in engineering, you WILL land a good job. And you will have, on the average, one of the highest starting salary from any CA universities, and probably one of the highest from a CA public university. Cal Poly has the highest average starting salary of all California public universities, including ALL UCs and Cal states.</p>

<p>On graduate school
If you graduated with a decent GPA, you WILL get into a good, and even the best, graduate school. I did my undergraduate at what most, more high brow CC users, deride as a “state” school, and then I went to Harvard. I actually had also the option to do an additional degree at MIT. But I passed because I had a very good job offer with a Wall street firm. So bottom line, yes you can go to a GREAT graduate school from Cal Poly. Don’t let anybody else tell you otherwise. The whole idea that UC graduates are more competitive for graduate school due to research is not accurate. Most undergraduate students at UCs and most other undergraduate universities, don’t participate in basic research. Period. I had 3 cousins at UCLA engineering, none of them did basic research during the 4 years there. But afterward, they decided to go to graduate school, and then that is where research comes in. </p>

<p>On differences between Davis, Cal Poly, UCSD
I think they are all solid engineering schools. You can’t go wrong choosing from any one of them. I think they are all comparable in engineering quality. Do I think Cal Poly is better than Davis? Probably in some engineering majors, but not by a huge amount. The inverse is also probably true as well. Is UCSD better than Cal Poly? Same answer. I think anyone who claims one of these schools are way superior to the others is just engaging in academic chest thumping, which happens a lot here in CC. The supposed “chasm” between UC theory and Cal Poly’s “practical” engineering education is some what true. Cal Poly focuses on applied theory, and seeing the theory in action via endless lab classes. UCs tend to be a bit more theory driven, less labs. So if you hate lab classes, stay away from Cal Poly</p>

<p>Finally, it really comes down to which campus makes you the most comfortable, happy, and well accepted. If you feel at home at a school, you will thrive. If you feel isolated, you will be miserable and your GPA will suffer. So you need to find the right fit in terms of student body, school culture, location, and teaching style. Personally, I like the white sand beaches, rolling hills, smaller student population and class size, staying in CA, and that’s why I chose Cal Poly. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>That is at least partially due to major selection – heavy in engineering and business, light in biology, humanities, and social studies, compared to some other UC and CSU schools.</p>

<p>Cal Poly does have a very impressive job placement rate – even for recent civil engineering graduates (when the field was in the dumps due to the real estate and construction crash). If you are going into civil engineering, this is something to consider. See [url=<a href=“http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/gradsurvey/]here[/url”>http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/gradsurvey/]here[/url</a>].</p>

<p>For comparison, UC Berkeley also has a career survey [url=<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm]here[/url”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm]here[/url</a>]. For many of the same majors, UC Berkeley graduates often have worse job placement rates, but higher average pay for those who do get jobs. Note that civil engineering graduates at UC Berkeley are not doing well in the job market.</p>

<p>In terms of the finances, it would be better to calculate and compare the net cost after non-loan financial aid for four years of each school.</p>

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<p>Wow ickglue, your advice is much needed! I really appreciate that response. I still remember your advice about a month ago on CP Slo engineering and you really are an example of how I want to make it in the real world. You’ve hit all my points of concern with great answers and I appreciate it. I will visit UCSD on admit day and then visit CP Slo on open house to get a feel for both. As of now, I am leaning towards UCSD because I might want to enter their bioengineering program or even transfer into IR/poli sci (how opposite can two majors be? haha). Excuse me if I sound like I’m so preoccupied with salary and job placement, but nowadays you can never be too sure. I thought this thread was dead, but thank you for reviving it. I will definitely let you know what I plan to do!</p>

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<p>you are very welcome. Let me know if you have more questions. </p>

<p>@ucbalumnus</p>

<p>I think you are rarity in CC; Your responses are always well thought out, measured, concise, and fair. Students and parents here can learn a lot from you.</p>

<p>Regarding starting salary at Cal Poly, I actually expected Cal to absolutely pummel Cal Poly’s starting salary regardless of Cal’s major mix. Just as I expected Stanford, Amherst, and HYMPS, to unequivocally outperform Cal’s starting salary, even when many of the aforementioned schools are largely LACs with little technical majors. </p>

<p>Given Cal’s august reputation, it should never have been a close contest between Cal and Cal Poly on starting salary, regardless of majors. Alas, it saddens me to think the state’s budget cut is really chipping away at Cal’s market competitiveness. I have a great deal of love and respect for Berkeley.</p>