<p>So I got accepted to both for chemical engineering. Of course I'm leaning towards GT, but my dad is leaning towards Davis since we live about 2 hrs away from Davis and also because it's cheaper. He wants me to go to Davis if at the end of college, I'd end up in the same place. Can you guys help me out and tell me what I can tell my dad to convince him that Tech is the better place, I will end up in a better place after college by going to Tech? Thanks</p>
<p>Funny post - here some of my (not really structured) thoughts:</p>
<p>Being a dad with two sons myself (one in GT, which is oos for me, the other in private HS), I have to admit I understand your dad’s point of view! He is ABSOLUTELY right! </p>
<p>The big question is: will you end up at the same place if you chose one or the other … </p>
<p>Being from VA, I can’t judge UC Davis - the question in our family was “Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech?” (I guess the decision took less than 2 seconds …)</p>
<p>Ask your dad to google a bit (US News rankings, etc); he’ll find out very quickly that GT is a top-place in the nation for Chem. Eng. and offers the students possibilities that UC Davis probably can’t! GT is listed as #9 of the nation in US News for Chem. Eng. (UC Davis is not listed, as far as I know).</p>
<p>I’ve worked in the Chemical Industry for the last 20 years, and I visited numerous colleges together with my son. In order to judge the quality of their education, I always asked for a tour of the undergrad labs. There, I checked the instruments that were available to the students (quality & number of instruments) - this is quite a good tool to judge the funds that the school has available, which is a good tool to measure the quality of a department (not the school, but the department). Also, I tried to talk to current students, asking for the group size of their lab courses (how many undergraduate students per TA? What type of projects they need to complete, are there research-projects for undergrad students available, etc). I can tell you, there are HUGE differences between certain schools - and as a manager who interviews regularly chemists fresh from school I can assure you, it DOES make a difference where you study!</p>
<p>I can assure you, GT is a VERY good school for Chem. Eng. and graduates will have opportunities that students from many other schools don’t have - how much you take advantage of it will be up to you! </p>
<p>Without knowing UC Davis, I am convinced that an education at GT would give you more/better opportunities! However, you need to remember that GT is probably also tougher than UC Davis (the good reputation doesn’t come for free!). If you aren’t willing to put in your hours, your grades WILL suffer - and I don’t know if (e.g.) a GPA of 2.8 rom GT will be viewed as being better than a 3.5 from UC Davis … </p>
<p>All of this, of course, does NOT take into account all the other aspects of your life that might affect your decision (even as a dad I understood that my son wanted to ‘get away’ from home - 2 hrs would not have been enough for him!^^). Also, have you even visited GT? Did you like it?</p>
<p>Thanks eml2505! That was a very interesting, insightful post. I definitely will put in the time to maintain a good GPA on Tech. We visited, I loved it!</p>
<p>I don’t know what your cost difference is, but if the costs were equal, the thing that would worry me about Davis is that it’s third tier among California Engineering schools:</p>
<ol>
<li> Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley</li>
<li> UCLA, UCSD, USC</li>
<li> UCD, UCSB, UCI, Cal Poly SLO</li>
</ol>
<p>It’s great that California has so many good engineering schools, but you really have to wonder how much demand there is for a UCD degree will be with so many top tier schools around. And do you have a good response if an interviewer asks “Why did you go to Davis and not Berkeley or UCLA?”</p>
<p>GT is the top school in a 1000 mile radius.</p>
<p>I’m a junior at UC Davis, but I am staying here in Atlanta with my family for spring break. I just went to GA Tech earlier today to submit a summer application, and let me tell you that although the campus seems clean and friendly, UC Davis has a MUCH livelier, college-y campus. Also, at the undergrad level, it doesn’t make a big difference. UC Davis is a great school for chemical engineering. I know because my roommate is that major, and his relatives who also went there have started out with great salaries (over 75k) after graduating. </p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that it’s really better to be closer to home. Now that I think of it, I don’t know how I could’ve survived if I had to be across the country from my parents. Especially if it’s just to go to GA Tech. They have very close rankings, UCD is 39 and GTech is around 35. </p>
<p>Also, you have to look at where you want to work after you graduate. There’s better opportunities in the Bay Area for chemical engineers, so I think in that regard it’d be better to go to UC Davis.</p>
<p>I really wish I had someone else to tell me all this before I actually started college so I knew what to do.</p>
<p>Do some hard research before you make this big decision and good luck!</p>
<p>
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<p>GT is on Spring Break right now, so I’m sure the campus is pretty dead.</p>
<p>And the rankings you should be look at are the engineering rankings: #4 and #31.</p>
<p>Yea it is a huge difference.</p>
<p>Cal would be sick to go to school. I’m sure it would be way funner than Ga Tech. But Ga Tech would be a better long term investment</p>
<p>Not Cal, its UC Davis! I don’t know if thats funner than Tech :P</p>
<p>I was referring to UC davis as Cal…</p>
<p>And I’m 100% sure that Cal Davis would be way funner for reasons that should be obvious</p>
<p>Oh hah. I think of Cal as UC Berkeley. Since its not that stressful, academically?</p>
<p>@ohmygosh09</p>
<p>I disagree. Students here like to complain about how hard the school is, but we still have a great time on the weekends and during our slower weeks. I may be showing my East Coast bias here, but I’ve never even heard of the town of Davis. Tech is located in the heart of Atlanta, yet it still maintains a campus feel. We have D1 sports and we’re part of a big-time athletic conference(ACC). I’ve never even heard of what conference Davis is in, it’s not even in the Pac-10. In my eyes, Georgia Tech offers a better college experience which is worth putting up with the academic rigor.</p>