<p>I have recently accepted my admission to CSU Fullerton. I was also accepted to CSU Los Angeles, but for distance reasons, I chose Fullerton. I've only visited the campus once, but I am unaware at how the engineering department is there. People have told me that I am a good student (GPA: 4.54, SAT:2260) and for engineering I need to be dedicated 24/7. I've talked to engineering students from Berkeley, Cal Tech, and UCLA, and they all agreed. I was just wondering how advanced is Fullerton's engineering department. Also, I am extremely dedicated to performing well so that I can attend one of the eight Ivy League schools for graduate mechanical engineering. Will CSU Fullerton help me prepare not only for a job, but for competing against thousands of students who want to go to grad school at an Ivy League?</p>
<p>People don’t generally pick Ivy League universities for engineering grad school because they aren’t always the best for that. You see, when you are an engineer you aren’t trying to impress high school students and such, you are trying to impress employers. The employers are impressed by good programs, it isn’t always necessary to figure out the very best when there are so many good ones that will get you where you need to go, but you can worry about that later.</p>
<p>CSUF is ABET accredited in Civil and Electrical engineering and maybe other types and that’s means they follow the same program as other ABET programs and that’s an important credential for engineering. So you’re good.</p>
<p>@BrownParent I understand. I just really want to go to a grad school that isn’t a CSU. People have told me that sometimes where you go for undergrad plays a role in admissions to graduate school. I just hope going to Fullerton won’t jeopardize my chance of going to another grad school since other applicants attended UCs, Ivies, or other prestigious engineering schools like Stanford, MIT, and others.</p>
<p>CSU Fullerton has a LONG history of having excellent engineering. Its grads have gone on to well-paid jobs and/or top-ranked grad schools. I have two brothers who went there for eng’g for undergrad. One went on to USC and the other went to Cal for grad school. Both have been incredibly successful.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids thank you for the insight! It’s just I get heckled for not applying to schools like Cal Poly SLO, Pomona, Cal Tech, Harvey Mudd, or the UCs. I originally was going to apply to UC Berkeley and UCLA because I fell in love with their mechanical engineering departments, but my SAT score said otherwise. But what’s done is done. </p>
<p>Your SAT score was not lacking and UCs don’t put as much weight on them as other schools. I would have advised you to apply widely through the CSU and UC system, and any privates you could afford because you have to take some kind of a chance, and UC is only one application although you have to pay for each. What’s done is never over unless you want it to be, ever heard of a gap year? I would just advise you now to do your best and be very successful in your department and get involved in projects and research as you find opportunities. I friend of mine went to Caltech from CSUF after getting very involved in department research (but that was awhile ago.)</p>
<p>@BrownParent at first I thought of trying to transfer to UC Berkeley or UCLA after 2 years, but advisors discouraged it since CC students get first priority and only a small handful of students transfer from 4 year colleges to UCs. Engineering, especially, is extremely impacted at Berkeley and Los Angeles. Friends and family told me to go to CC instead for a better shot, but I decided to go to Fullerton instead. If during my years I don’t like it there, I will apply as a transfer student.</p>
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Lol… Kinda demonstrates that you know little about the engineering career or education. Which means your decisions are unlikely to be grounded by anything like practicality or reason. But, hey, everyone is impressed you still want to go IVY!!</p>
<p>@mikemac I am fully aware of how rigorous and difficult an engineering major is. I also know the primary reason an engineer decides to go to grad school is to have an opportunity at achieving a higher position with a better salary. </p>
<p>Just do your best and if you are easily acing everything you can try for a transfer saying that you are looking for more of a challenge–that is a very valid reason to transfer. You never know unless you submit applications. They do take some transfers. I would drop these ‘advisors’ who told you not to apply to the UC system. But you may not feel you need to, do the work make yourself look good, Get to know your profs. Work hard to get internships, apply, apply, don’t give up. Good luck.</p>