<p>So I was accepted to UIUC(Comp. Engineering), UC Berkeley(Letters and Science Comp Sci), UCLA(Comp Engineering), Gtech(Comp Sci) and UMICH (LSA Honors Comp Sci)</p>
<p>I was priority waitlisted at CMU for CIT ECE and SCS</p>
<p>My parents don't want me to go to Berkeley/LA because its too far away from home (NJ), and I have personally narrowed it down to GT and U of M. I plan to switch into the College of Engineering at UMich after I attend.</p>
<p>In terms of hiring prospects, prestige, quality of education, campus environment and difficulty of curriculum where would you suggest I go? </p>
<p>I am yet to visit GTech (will do very soon) but have visited UMich. I liked the campus atmosphere but it was quite cold when I visited. Although I can handle the cold, I am not overly eager for below zero mornings.</p>
<p>I realize that the weather at GTech is quite good, but heard that it is hard to succeed and get a high GPA due to excessive amounts of "weeder classes". Additionally, I heard that the campus has more of a "nerdy" feel to it, which I don't really like too much.</p>
<p>However, several of my friends have told me that a Comp Sci degree from GTech looks better than one from UMich.</p>
<p>Please help a confused high schooler out :) </p>
<p>Just so you know, Michigan is competitive as well! It might not have as many weeder classes at GTech but it still has a lot. Your whole first year would likely be weeder classes. That being said, I know someone who is graduating with a computer science degree from the engineering college here at Michigan and has had a job lined up since November or December (after receiving several offers).<br>
I’d assume both schools are pretty equal in how competitive the programs are and in prestige.
That being said, the student bodies at each will be very different. </p>
<p>Just wanted to say that this is extraordinarily rare and this year was unusually cold. I lived there for almost 9 years (left in December - unfortunately to somewhere even colder) and it only went below 0 a few times in that whole 9 years. It rarely hits single digits either. Usually the coldest temperature you see is in the teens. </p>
<p>If you plan to do CompE, apparently the VLSI class (EECS 427) is the best of its kind in the country, which may be a route you take. For CS, EECS 381 is extremely hard but I’m told it is very useful, and there’s not an equivalent at most universities. </p>
<p>Vladenshlutte: That’s reassuring lol. I really don’t want to go to class in that kind of weather. Thank you for your advice as well.</p>
<p>letmein18: Do you still think it is easier to get a higher GPA at U of M than it is at Tech? Additionally, do you know if GT’s alumni network is as strong as that of Mich?</p>
<p>swaggermc, academically, GT does not offer any advantage over Michigan while Michigan offers several advantages over GT. And if you are male, you may also want to consider the male to female ratio at GT. 30% women does not make for a healthy social life. </p>
<p>Although the winter is longer at Ann Arbor, but we did not have hundreds of cars got trapped on highway during a winter storm overnight as in Atlanta earlier this year. ;)</p>
<p>@swaggermc, I do not know about your financial situation. But in our case, UMich is 11k more per year compared to GTECH. My D2 (for ChemE though) is in a similar situation as you are. As UMich costs as much as UCB for us, we have dropped UMich from our list. We are making a trip to GTECH for their Gold Carpet day on Apr 21 and will decide following that.</p>
<p>Alexandre: That’s a true point, and I don’t like that ratio.
Billcsho: lol i remember
i012575: Although cost is a definite issue, I do not want that making me choose a school I potentially will not be happy with</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t like GTech as I don’t want to go to a college where more than 75% of the students are engineers or in the STEM fields like me.</p>
<p>“Although I can handle the cold, I am not overly eager for below zero mornings.”</p>
<p>So, you know what the cold is like in Ann Arbor, but have you experienced the heat/humidity in Georgia? The timing of the school year means that you’ll experience more winter than summer at either school, but Southern heat levels are no joke. If you are cold, put on a jacket…if you are too warm, what is your alternative (other than being inside)?</p>
<p>My son chose UM over GT largely because of the ratio he noticed during his GT visit. For girls they say the odds are good but the goods are odd. </p>
<p>@swaggermc, tell your folks that they are making a mistake by not having UCB in the mix… and more so coz you intend specializing in Comp Engg.</p>
<p>You have worked hard to have been accepted to these prestigious univs. and it should be your call, as you have mentioned finances are no issue. My D is going to decide amongst her top choices - UCB, GTECH and RPI. I, as an Engineer can influence her but finally it will be her call.</p>
<p>i012575, at Michigan, the OP will have the option to switch to Computer Engineering without any hassle (a 3.0 GPA ought to do it). Can you say the same of Cal? I thought most Engineering majors were restricted at Cal (as of now, the OP is admitted into Cal’s L&S for the CS major), not into Cal’s CoE). I am not so sure the OP will be able to switch to Computer Engineering at Cal.</p>
<p>GoBlue81: That’s exactly why I’m hesitant about GT
blue85: Although you make a true point, I prefer 80 degree summers and 40 degree winters to 60 degree summers and 10 degree winters
ChiselCheeks: LOL that was really funny
i012575: Apart from the sheer distance Berkeley is from my home I heard that it is much harder to transfer from L&S to Engineering at Berkeley then it is to transfer from LSA to Engineering at Mich. Although I am leading towards CS, I still intend on transferring to the Engineering school at the respective universities.
Alaxandre: Can you confirm what I heard about transferring from L&S to CoE at Berkeley? I know it is much easier to do it at Michigan</p>
<p>Thank you so much to everyone who is helping me out make this decision. This is one of the most important decisions of my life and it is very helpful to have varying opinions on this topic. </p>
<p>swaggermc, I am not qualified to confirm that it is hard to transfer to the CoE at Berkeley. I am only stating what I heard, but it is not grounded in fact. There are, however, many reliable sources you can ask on CC. </p>
<p>By the way, in summer (May-September), highs in Ann Arbor are usually in the 65-90 degree range.</p>