<p>I want to know how difficult it is to maintain a high gpa as an engineering major. I'm sure its not as difficult as UCB perhaps but I know that outside of engineering and business, UIUC is not an exceptional university so I'm curious whether this makes it easier to succeed. Well technically, ChemE is in LAS but I think its affiliated with the engineering department. Also, how competitive is it for internships, etc.</p>
<p>all ur non-technical electives like history and english will be much easier than any of ur core classes. i guess that would make it easier to get a higher GPA than if u were at say MIT or UCB where all the classes are really hard</p>
<p>Okay thanks, how about the competition? Are the other engineers the kind of kids who had MIT as an option with near-perfect SATs etc or are they more-so a mix between average UIUC kids and these geniuses?</p>
<p>hi Dafofall</p>
<p>I’m also considering between UIUC and UCB for engineering (CS)</p>
<p>I have a friend from high school last year that went to UIUC. He says the classes there are extremely easy. (what did you expect from a school that has a 70% acceptance rate lol) He is majoring in Chemistry Engineering or something, and says the freshman and sophomore classes are not hard. He also said that EVERYONE gets an A+ in CS101 and the classes are not curved (a good thing)…</p>
<p>I also have three cousins that went to UCB. They all graduated like 2 years ago with at least a 3.8GPA in computer science, computer engineering(Ithink), and Molecular biology(i think). They said that if you try, the classes won’t be hard but the classes are curved. To be honest, my cousins are geniuses so…lol…I hope I can be like them…</p>
<p>If I go to UIUC, then I will probably at least have a 3.95GPA + with a social life, If I go to UCB, then I will probably have no social life whatsoever with a low GPA (3.5+ i hope :)) …</p>
<p>Still considering which one to go to lol…</p>
<p>also, I forgot to mention, </p>
<p>people who got accepted to MIT probably would not have applied to UIUC</p>
<p>I highly doubt that the engineering classes at UIUC are “easy”. UIUC Engineering is known for its rigor as well as the wonderful opportunities that it provides to its undergrads. And even with a 70% acceptance rate, it is the #6 engineering school in the nation. If you read some older posts on this thread, there have been kids that are debating going to MIT vs UIUC for engineering (so yes, there will be those caliber of kids in your classes). </p>
<p>@dragoon998 if what you say is true then the choice is pretty obvious isn’t it?</p>
<h1>5 ranked cs school with a 3.95+ and a social life vs.</h1>
<h1>1 ranked cs school with maybe a 3.5 and no social life</h1>
<p>pretty sure 9 people out of 10 would go with UIUC (purely based on if what you said is true)</p>
<p>btw I’m going to UIUC for Computer Science next year</p>
<p>I would not get your hopes up that engineering classes at UIUC will be easy. The competition will be tough. The idea that “the classes are not curved” is just plain wrong. The basic requirement classes like Physics and Chemistry will all be curved. (I don’t know…maybe you have AP credits for all of them…) but I would not get your hopes up that classes will be easy and not curved…</p>
<p>@ramzfan13
UIUC is a great school for CS. the only problem I have with it is that NO ONE KNOWS what the school is.
On the other hand, EVERYone knows what UCB is.
Also UCB is closer to silicon valley which means more jobs.
I’m not going to college for fun, I’m going to college to get a good job…</p>
<p>@dragoon998 I have a friend who is turning down MIT for UIUC.</p>
<p>@kudasai</p>
<p>what’s his reason for doing so?
cost of tuition? is it because he wants to major in something other than engineering?</p>
<p>He received scholarships that give him a full ride to UIUC, and the other schools would put his family in a financial bind. No, he is pretty set on engineering, and hopes to meet other brilliant ppl at UIUC :)</p>
<p>So, be careful before you write off UIUC engineers…</p>
<p>reply to: “Okay thanks, how about the competition? Are the other engineers the kind of kids who had MIT as an option with near-perfect SATs etc or are they more-so a mix between average UIUC kids and these geniuses?”</p>
<p>yeah theres a mix of students at uiuc when it comes to engineering. if you tabulate all the students who applied to the tougher engineering majors at uiuc, a lot of them will have applied to the top 3 schools (MIT, stanford, berkely). so a lot of your future friends are gunna have perfect high school scores. </p>
<p>on the other hand, theres people like me who were only good at math and science and had uiuc as the best program on our application list. i knew i couldn’t get into those top 3 schools because i had B’s for history and english and only had a 32 on act. the awesome thing about applying to uiuc engineering is that its such a academically diverse school, so the admin officers really only pay attention to ur math and science scores. </p>
<p>so ur gunna have really freakin smart friends who arent 100% satisfied with uiuc (got rejected by MIT) but not everyone is gunna be like that. my 1 friend had a 36 on act and nearly perfect GPA and a bunch of science extracurriculars and got turned down by MIT, but got a full ride to UIUC. MITs crazy</p>
<p>“If I go to UIUC, then I will probably at least have a 3.95GPA + with a social life…”</p>
<p>Please go to UIUC. It’s the kids like you who go in expecting straight A’s that will make it easier for the rest of us in curved classes. You obviously don’t know much about UIUC engineering at all.</p>
<p>I have a student with excellent academic record (in math, science scores,college courses, high school research, many awards etc.), has been accepted to both ECE(UIUC) & EECS(MIT)
and has the potential to graduate bu being among the top 10 in the UIUC class.</p>
<p>Could anyone give some advice on how he would be a loser on the following points if he
chooses UIUC over MIT now? He would like to pursue graduate studies at MIT/Stanford. Also,
for the time being, let us set aside other considerations like finances, weather, etc.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Undergraduate research (preferably from freshman/sophomore year) during the school year</p></li>
<li><p>Summer research opportunities at a lab at (say) MIT/Stanford.</p></li>
<li><p>Recommendation letters from professors for possible graduate admission at MIT/Stanford</p></li>
<li><p>Build contacts for future graduate school admission</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks a lot.</p>
<p>Also, Will anyone please compare UIUC vs. Berkeley on the above 4 points?</p>
<p>Thanks very much</p>
<p>hmmm dragoon - I think you had better get some more reliable information than just what so and so said. The high acceptance rate at UIUC is related to the self selection of the in-state students. Most GCs don’t encourage kids with lower GPAs and ACT scores to apply. Also the engineering college has a huge drop out rate because - yes, it is a very difficult program. </p>
<p>A super prepared student may find their freshman year fairly easy as you have to repeat physics (and maybe calc) unless you got a 5 on the AP and even then they highly recommend you retake it. The classes are extremely rigorous. If you get a 3.95 if you go to UIUC engineering then you have a right to be arrogant. And yes, silicon valley companies recruit heavily at UIUC.</p>
<p>publicstatic - congratulations to your S. Parent of a graduating ECE major - I wish I had something helpful to offer. I do think that your S would find it easier to get a higher GPA at UIUC than MIT (in part because the gen ed classes will be easier for a highly talented student) which might result in easier grad school admission. I do not know for sure but have heard that schools do not tend to take their own undergrads into their grad programs as easily. As a research university UIUC does offer many opportunities for undergrad research - would they be helpful to place your son at MIT over the summers? Seems unlikely. I think you should post this question on the MIT forum and maybe the parent’s forum also. I would also search each university’s website and information gather as much as possible.</p>
<p>publicstatic-</p>
<ol>
<li> There are plenty of research opportunities around UIUC as long as a student stays involved and takes time out of their day to speak with professors. It is generally more difficult for a freshman to find an opportunity, but not at all impossible, especially if one has the credentials of your son.</li>
</ol>
<p>MIT, of course, is an epicenter of research in our country, so I assume opportunities abound there, too. Like others have said, the MIT forum is the best place to go for advice there. I imagine the researchers there are more selective about who they allow into their labs.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If your son chooses UIUC, it should be fairly easy to find summer research on campus–there’s a research park in Champaign–and internships are available to those who actively search for them. Research work at another university, however, is less common. If your son wants to do summer research at MIT or Stanford, he should attend one of the two.</p></li>
<li><p>This is really relative to your son. There are many students in ECE at UIUC, and professors do not write recommendations for all of them. Academics and research aside, this would be an area where your son would need networking skills. If he handles himself well enough to build relationships with his professors, he’ll be fine. I again cannot speak for MIT or other schools, though.</p></li>
<li><p>This is the same as number three. Is your son a dynamic person or a shy person? If he has perfect grades he will stand out to UIUC professors, but keep in mind that there are many other talented engineers at the school. This goes for MIT and UCB, too, of course.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Basically, if your son manages to enter the top 10 at the 6th ranked engineering school in the nation, he should have very good prospects for grad school and his future as long as he manages his relationships and contacts well. A strong UIUC student is generally viewed better than an average MIT student. Good luck to him on the decision.</p>
<p>Realistically if he has the potential to be top 10 at UIUC, he has the potential to be top 10 everywhere. In terms of difficulty all schools are said to be incredibly difficult, although MIT is supposed to be incredibly so. But if he has the ability to be at top 10 at a university as large as UIUC i would expect him to be able to be top 10 almost anywhere - even MIT.</p>
<p>I got a 31 ACT and 4.4 GPA at an average public high school. Am I doomed to drop out?</p>
<p>Computer science student at UIUC next year.</p>