<p>Going deeper than "it's top ranked," what makes Stanford Engineering the place to be - particularly in EE/CS? What do you like about it? What, if anything do you dislike? Why did you choose it and did it live up to your expectations? What parts of the University's curriculum, outside of Engineering, do you/did you take advantage of?</p>
<p>While I'm not at Stanford, I have quite a few friends who are. EE and CS are very strong there, and since it's in the heart of silicon valley, opportunities are plenty. Many companies like to hire from the "local" school...since Stanford is local to most of these giants, it's a prime place to be. It's much like UMich and MechE for car manufacturers, since it's local to Detroit; not only is the program strong, but it's also well connected.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I'm a third-year grad student in EE, and I chose Stanford because it's one of the top 4 EE programs along with MIT, Berkeley, and Caltech. The faculty are top notch and the facilities are great. Stanford also has extensive industry ties to Silicon Valley, so you won't have any trouble finding a job. IMO, the undergrad EE classes are a cakewalk compared to the grad classes, where the international students make the competition very very stiff.</p>
<p>im_blue: you're a third year grad student? how long does it generally take to complete an MS? What kind of undergrad GPA did you have? Do you know what kind of undergrad GPA one would need for mechanical engineering? Thanks</p>
<p>All MS Engineering degrees require 45 units, which on paper can be completed in 3 quarters. Practically speaking, it depends on the particular Engineering major. Nearly everyone takes 5 quarters to finish the MS EE, while something easier like Management Science & Engineering is definitely doable in 3 quarters. I had a 3.9 undergrad GPA, which is right around the average incoming GPA for EE. MS&E has an incoming GPA of about 3.6, and Stanford is ranked #1 for ME, so I'm guessing ME would have an average GPA of at least 3.8.</p>