<p>Ok. So I've done some thorough searching through these boards and the consensus seems to be the school you go to for undergrad matters very little. I was still wondering though, if going to Columbia for undergrad will hurt my chances of going to Stanford for grad school????? Also, would I be shortchanged at Columbia since it really emphasizes liberal arts more than other engineering schools and wouldn't that hurt my chances for grad school? And, in terms of securing a job after undergrad, would engineering companies be less likely to hire me? </p>
<p>As an EE grad student at Stanford, I wouldn't recommend Columbia for engineering if your goal is to go to grad school. Their engineering courses probably won't be as rigorous as other places with better programs like Cornell, and a high percentage of your class will go on to i-banking, business, law, and other non-engineering fields.</p>
<p>Bummer. I was really hoping that the school I went to for undergrad wouldn't matter for grad school, as long as I had good research/work experience and had a high GPA. So I guess Columbia does not really prepare people well for engineering?</p>
<p>I'd hardly say that...they are still a top-50 school for engineering and would almost certainly present you with a wealth of opportunities (whether they be for further studies in engineering or another topic or for employment).</p>
<p>Of course you can get into Stanford from Columbia. Just go, get a great GPA and some research experience you will have a good chance. I teach at a small school that isn't ranked yet and we had a student who got accepted to Stanford for graduate work.</p>
<p>I'd worry more about what you will be doing the next four years than getting into Stanford. You can never tell where you will end up wanting to go to grad school before you are even in college. Just focus on getting the most out of undergrad now and everything else will work itself out.</p>
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So I guess Columbia does not really prepare people well for engineering?
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<p>Columbia's engineering curriculum is fine, but if your goal is Stanford grad school, it'd be a good idea to attend the best engineering school you can get into. The vast majority of grad students come from a top 5 U.S. school or the top one or two schools from countries around the world, like China, Taiwan, India, South Korea, etc., and they kick ass in the curved classes. Sure, I know a few students from schools like UC Davis and even San Jose State, but when they see the caliber of competition they're up against, they surely wished they attended a better undergrad program and were better prepared. It's not simply a matter of getting into a top grad program, but thriving once you're there. That's not to say that a Columbia engineering grad couldn't do that, but there are certainly better paths.</p>