Help me decide...Emory v UC Berkeley v Pomona

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have a very tough decision to make to choose between 3 schools (and perhaps even more). My top 3 choices in my mind right now are Emory University, University of California—Berkeley, and Pomona College. I like math and science (even if they are not necessarily my strongest subjects), and I am interested in sustainable energy (1), and maybe computer science/engineering (2), and perhaps even economics (3), and just the tiniest chance of electrical engineering (4). I would be surprised if my main interest fell outside of those categories, but I also enjoy politics/political science, as well as Spanish. I was given a great scholarship to Emory (full tuition), a pretty great scholarship to Pomona (all but about $10,000 of tuition) and a good scholarship to Berkeley (makes out-of-state nearly sticker price of in-state for me). My department at Berkeley is Civil and Environmental Engineering as of now, and as I said earlier, I am interested most in sustainable energy and less in things like hydrology research. This was my best guess for a major, but if I’m totally off base I would appreciate advice in that area as well. My major at Emory and Pomona would probably be economics or political science, and then I would hope to do a 3-2 program as well (Emory with GA Tech and Pomona with CalTech) although I am worried about the functionality/worthwile-liness of these programs. I would like to do research and internships at any of these schools. So…I need some help, here is what I have devised so far.</p>

<p>Pros Cons of Emory</p>

<p>Pros
• Full tuition
• Super nice facilities and dorms (like…super nice)
• Good size (8,000)
• Atlanta’s pretty cool, I guess
• Academic exploration/flexibility
• 3-2 program with GA Tech
• Priority registration for classes/Scholars program
• #20 USNWR ranking
• SIRE program (can do research over the summer)
• Next to busiest airport in the world</p>

<p>Cons
• Doesn’t have engineering
• Not sure if I was feelin’ it at the campus
• Seems to be a large divide between the academically motivated and the “frat” social crowd that party, not sure if there’s much of a middle ground…
• Not sure how good the reputation of the econ department is (or any individual department for any school for that matter…)
• Couldn’t do the business school if I wanted to do 3-2 (Business school is probably the best program at the school)
• Lack of sports spirit
Pros Cons of Berkeley</p>

<p>Pros
• One of the best engineering programs in the nation
• Town around Berkeley is hoppin’—seriously, there is so much to do and see
• All academic programs are world class
• I thought Northern California was sweet; I really liked the city of Berkeley and really liked San Francisco (which is very accessible via the BART)
• Maybe the best path to a Silicon Valley job/internship (should I decide to go that route)…
• Great balance of fun and academics. Feel like the social scene at Berkeley is really alive while also being the best public school in the nation
o Division I Athletics
• If I could into Clark Kerr dorm that would be preeeettttyy sweet
• They have Energy Engineering</p>

<p>Cons
• Difficult to switch between majors/programs
o Specifically hard to go from Civil and Envt Engineering to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Academic Flexibility?
o If I start off taking classes for Civil and Envt Engineering not sure how much room there would be to explore. Don’t think I would be able to check out Computer Science, Economics, political science and maybe even Electrical Engineering as much as I would like. Not sure if I would be able to find out what I really want to do…I’m pretty sure I want to do something with sustainable energy or computers or economics or….but I don’t know how much exploration I can do at Berkeley
• Very big
o Get lost in the crowd?
o More cutthroat?
o Lack of personal attention/counseling/internship/job opportunities?
 This may be lessened a bit by being within smaller departments
• Highest Price
o I’m Out of State and after scholarships I have to pay about sticker price for an in-state student
• Dated
o Many of the buildings were not as nice/modern as many of the buildings on the campus of Emory and Pomona</p>

<p>Pros Cons of Pomona</p>

<p>Pros
• The weather is beautiful, super sunny all ze time
• At the base of the San Bernadino Range which is quite beautiful
• From the classes I sat in on the professors seemed super cool and knew the names of many of their students
• The campus is stunning, tons of green space
• Part of the Claremont Consortium
o I could take econ classes at Claremont McKenna and intro engineering/science courses at Harvey Mudd
 The latter would maybe give me enough exploration to know what kind of engineering I might want to do before I just jump in
• The student body seemed very diverse to me, not just in the “look at all the different colors” sense, but in the sense that there were nerdy people, athletic people, etc. all coexisting as laid back Southern Californians
• Would allow for “self exploration” or whatever that’s supposed to mean</p>

<p>Cons
• Doesn’t have engineering…
o Has a 3-2 program with CalTech and WUSTL, but…
 1.) Apparently it is very rare that people actually go through with the 3-2 program….like none
 2.) Leaving after 3 years might kinda suck
 3.) WUSTL doesn’t have much of a reputation for engineering and CalTech has a reputation for being super hard
 4.) Apparently admission isn’t guaranteed to CalTech or WUSTL coming out of Pomona….
 5.) Think transition to another school for a totally different field of study might be difficult
• Too Small?
o I know many say that the consortium makes up for its lack of size, but I don’t know how true that is…
o Maybe I’d want to go to that crazy, movie-like college party/big Division I football game and I’m afraid I might never have that experience at Pomona. I don’t know if I’ll ever have an opportunity to have fun like that again in my life and I’ve already worked super hard in highschool, I don’t think I want another 4 years of pure academia. That might be an over exaggeration of what my experience at Pomona might be like, but I think you get the point….
• SoCal
o You might think this a plus (and it kind of is), but I just really liked the area/culture of Northern California more.</p>

<p>Also kind of in consideration
• UT Austin
o Got into Plan II and Honors Engineering (top choice!), but…
 Was offered no scholarships nor grants, just loans  (4th choice)
• University of Kansas
o Cheapest option
o Honors program
o Not sure if I’ll be able to get out of Kansas
o Lack of national academic reputation
• USC
o Got less money than Berkeley, so….
• UW Madison</p>

<p>If you read all of this (or even just part) I greatly appreciate it and any and all constructive input would be appreciated.</p>

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<p>If your goal is engineering…hmm. Pomona and Emory aren’t really the best place to do so. One thing I would add is that Pomona just also partnered with a 2-1-1-1 program with Dartmouth. Admission is guaranteed for the WashU program if you follow the track at Pomona, but not for Caltech. </p>

<p>You don’t need to take econ courses at CMC. Pomona has a top notch department. The same goes for all sciences not named engineering. </p>

<p>I have attended a crazy big football game at USC and UCLA :smiley: It’s especially easy to get to USC. It’s fun, but you’re right, Pomona won’t give you that opportunity on campus. But it’s also not entirely gone- we’re in a big metropolitan area. Also, the residential life at Pomona is amazing. There is so much happening and the action is greatly enhanced by the Claremont consortium. Just for tomorrow for instance there is (to my knowledge), but definitely not limited to:</p>

<p>*WU Thursday Noon Lunch: Invisible Women: Being Undocumented in a Patriarchal Society
*Talk by Lu Hsiu-Lien – former Vice President of Taiwan
*Faculty, Staff, and Students of Color Social
*5C Student Film Festival 2014!
*South Asia Speaks: Class and Identity
*S.P.I.T (Speaking Power ill Truths) Poetry Workshop Series
*The Great Debate: The Future of the Republican Party
*TIXC Presents: Tapped Out TAP
*Art After Hours
*Bake Your Own Challah
*Steven Malanga and Chuck Reed: “Public Pension Liabilities”
*Paul Schimmel “Reflections in Contemporary Art”
*“Must See” Asian Film Series: "Twilight Samurai
*Pierre Englebert: “Africa’s Development: Miracle or Mirage?”</p>

<p>Correct me if I’m wrong but you’re paying:
-room and board for emory (12000)
-tuition for pomona (10000)
-out of state cost for berkeley (33000)</p>

<p>In other words, you’re paying nearly 3 times more to attend Berkeley than the other two. And the difference is close to 100K in four years. Personally, I’d say <em>absolutely not</em> to UC Berkeley due to the cost, and go to Pomona for its traditional strengths in economics, math, and science, plus the option to do engineering at Harvey Mudd, and the option to attend graduate school or the 3-2 program in engineering if you are really set on that. You just don’t seem to like Emory much- you seem to be scraping to look for some pros (airport? US News ranking?). Also, summer research and internships are widely available at Pomona.</p>

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<p>^^Thank you so much for your input! I actually got enough scholarship $ that Berkeley is essentially now sticker price of in-state tuition. It would actually only be $6,000 more per year than Pomona (that includes all costs: tuition, living expenses, etc.), and it might actually be cheaper in the long run if I can establish in-state residence and/or I do the 3-2 program at Pomona (where I wouldn’t be guaranteed good aid at the other school). Also being a Pomona student do you know of anyone that has done the 3-2 or 2-1-1-1 program? I’m afraid those are more of brochure fillers than anything else. I’m not 100% certain I want to do engineering, but I feel like I’m in a pickle: either a.) I go to Berkeley and do engineering, cross my fingers, hope it’s for me (which it probably is, I like math, science, and problem-solving, but maybe it’s not, or at least the kind I’m in right now isn’t…), and see if I can fit a class or two in per semester to explore other stuff (econ, comp sci, etc.) or b.) I go to Pomona have tons of academic flexibility, maybe even take an engineering course or two at Harvey Mudd and then not really have that option as a major…:(. I feel like I have two great options but I hate that it comes down to engineering v liberal arts. Period, end of story.</p>

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<p>Well, years ago I chose UW-Madison over Pomona and some others (was out of state for both, but COA for UW was nearly a third of Pomona. Of course I realize it’s somewhat – but not totally – different now) And for engineering and economics, you’d be hard-pressed to find better advanced research in both fields than either a) Berkeley, or b) Wisconsin. Yes, some people could not fathom why I’d choose UW over the “prestige” of Pomona – don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful school, as are most of your other choices. I’d base your decision mainly upon an adjusted COA vs. excellence of your programs of potential interest (across-the-board, really)-type ratio. </p>

<p>You might want to think about condensing some of your postings. Yes, it is very good to give respondents the pertinent info., maybe some can give you better advice. But I personally just can’t parse through all of it. </p>

<p>On the upside, I think you have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t go into too much undergrad debt if you can avoid. Use the thinking skills that got you these acceptances to make a sound decision, and you should be in good shape. </p>

5

<p>I’m not sure that you can major in a non-science field if you do the 3/2 program. I don’t think you will have the time. A lot of people here are opposed to 3/2 programs, bringing up the valid point that many students decide not to finish them because they want to graduate with their class and don’t want to leave their home school. I know a lot of people who have actually finished 3/2 programs by transferring to the engineering school (having attended both a starting school and a receiving school) and I also know quite a few who have changed their majors to physics or math because they didn’t want to switch. I think this really just depends on you and your motivations, and I also want to add that deciding not to complete it isn’t necessarily a bad thing either.</p>

<p>Still, if engineering is a significant interest of yours, it’s probably better to go to a place with an actual engineering major in-house. Honestly, though, you sound like you really want to explore a lot and engineering as a major isn’t really conducive to exploring a lot of other fields. You kind of have to know that you want to major in engineering and jump right in yoru first year if you want to graduate on time, and even then it still may take 4.5-5 years.</p>

<p>Given your interests and desires, I’d say that Emory or Pomona are probably better for you. They sound cheaper (although it’s difficult to tell) and will give you more of the exploration you want.</p>

<p>And yeah, you’ll probably want to attend a D1 sports game at some point. If you do, you can do what we did - I went to college in Atlanta and we’d road-trip it to Athens where UGA was. <em>shrug</em> I know people who are HUGE fans of schools they never even went to, so there’s no reason you can’t be into NCAA football without going to a big football school. HOWEVER, if you think you want this to be a central part of your social life, then I think you should definitely consider that.</p>

<p>Also, $24,000 is a significant chunk of money, and I would not count on getting in-state status at a UC. If you aren’t a CA resident when you begin, you’re moving there for educational purposes, and won’t be eligible for residency status.</p>

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<p>Oh, that does change things. I didn’t realize you meant just tuition. Just be careful to not let in-state residency be too much of a deciding factor- easier said than done.</p>

<p>No one in the last four or five years has done the 3-2 program. As a result, there isn’t much information about it, and I’d urge you to contact Pomona’s pre-engineering liaison and ask about how financial aid works for the last two years. It’s not that they (those who were interested in the 3-2 program) weren’t qualified, it’s that their interests changed. People don’t like leaving Pomona early. That’s in part why Pomona established their 2-1-1-1 program with Dartmouth, so that Pomona students can graduate with their class and still pursue the 5 year degree. </p>

<p>The more common alternative is to attend graduate school in engineering after Pomona. If I recall correctly, Pomona was the 12th or 13th largest producer of engineering PhDs per capita.</p>

<p>If you’re not set on a particular track, I’d choose Pomona, because you can take a good variety of econ/cs/engineering (via Mudd)/math/physics courses and potentially create a unique major. This would not be possible at UC Berkeley. If you’re set on engineering and are sure that’s what you’d like to do, Berkeley has an actual engineering degree, whereas it is a hassle to do it at Pomona.</p>

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<p>Depends on the “3” school. Pomona as the “3” school requires that the student major in a science, but Emory as the “3” school does not.</p>

<p>However, completion of 3+2 programs appears to be very uncommon, for various reasons (including admission and cost / financial aid at the “2” school).</p>

<p>Of your three choices, none seems completely ideal:</p>

<p>Emory: no native engineering, CS department is relatively small and limited.</p>

<p>Pomona: no native engineering (but CS is conveniently available at Harvey Mudd next door).</p>

<p>Berkeley: changing major to EECS is very competitive, though L&S CS is easier (3.0 GPA in prerequisites). Economics also requires a 3.0 GPA in prerequisites (but intermediate economics courses have math-heavy options). Most expensive for you as an out-of-state student.</p>

<p>Do you have any other options?</p>

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<p>^^As far as other options are concerned I kind of outline them on the very bottom of my first post: UT Austin, KU (University of Kansas), USC and UW Madison. UT Austin seems like a place I would be able to strike my perfect balance, but I got $0 in grants/scholarships, just loans, so…I don’t think it would be worth it as an out-of-state student. Plus, if I do Plan II and Engineering it would take an expected 5 years. Also, I don’t know if I want to go to grad school, I’d like to hold a solid job in Silicon Valley/somewhere in California or back in the Midwest, but I don’t want to pay for all those extra years in school…</p>

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<p>You may want to revisit the rest of your list to see how easy or difficult it is to change major into your possible majors (CS, economics, EE), if you are not already in them already. Try searching “[name of school] change major [name of major]” for each combination.</p>

<p>How is affordability at each school? Especially whether you will need loans, especially those more than federal direct loans.</p>

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<p>I seriously think Berkeley is the clear best school for you since you like the Bay Area, you want to work later on in Silicon Valley, you’re not daunted by Berkeley’s large student body (although engineering only make up about 20% of the student population), you’re pursuing engineering (which is one of Berkeley’s strongest programs being top 3 in the nation for undergrad engineering), and you like the loyalty of Berkeley students and alumni with the kind of spirit they show during games (specially vs Stanford). Don’t worry about the small price difference. You’ll easily pay it off when you have a Berkeley engineering degree, as Berkeley engineering grads are highly paid, may be almost twice as much as what Emory and Pomona grads make out of college. Check the payscale.com for all three schools on this. </p>

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<p>I’d say Pomona since you’re not certain about engineering: it’d let you try some engineering classes through Harvey Mudd, you could still do CS (if interested in Silicon Valley jobs… of course there are other job opportunities there outside of CS, too) but also explore a lot (you mentioned math, economics…) and it sounds like it’s your cheapest option.
<a href=“http://www.cs.pomona.edu/”>http://www.cs.pomona.edu/&lt;/a&gt;
As for fun, I really don’t think you’d miss out, it’s not like the students at Claremont colleges live 24/7 in the library, there are TONS of things going on and if need be you have a thriving megapolis not far.</p>

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<p>^^
These are the areas the OP finds interesting the most:

</p>

<p>He further said:

</p>

<p>He may not be 100% certain about enrolling in an engineering program, but as you’ve noticed, it’s what he finds interesting the most, so he would most likely concentrate in that area first (and more), it being the MOST interesting field for him. Why would you be emphasizing programs that he isn’t interested, in the first place? </p>

<p>Granted the OP would finally decide to enroll in economics, how is Pomona better than Berkeley for economics? It’s not. And, even, more so, for CS, which is one of Berkeley’s strongest. </p>

<p>He said, if he can get onto EECS, he’ll go for it. Pomona doesn’t offer EECS, so if he’ll go to Pomona, he’ll lose his chances of getting an EECS degree instantly. </p>

<p>In my opinion, Pomona isn’t even an option here, to begin with, because the OP clearly said that he is interested in sustainable energy. That is an academic area that Pomona doesn’t have, and that Berkeley is generally considered one of the best for it in the world. </p>

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<p>OP stated:

Sustainable energy doesn’t mean “engineering”; it is actually very broad and can be studied from various angles (I actually thought of it as interdisciplinary, with part social science, part science). OP seems to see it as environmental engineering but also as related to political science, for instance.
Additionally, CS isn’t CSE and Pomona is very good at CS (plus opportunity to take classes at Mudd), but most of all “math science not necessarily my strongest subjects” doesn’t scream “engineering” to me, neither does the fact OP is interested in three very different fields of study (social science, pure/hard science, applied science).
Starting as undecided at a LAC is NOT the same as starting in a major at Berkeley, then switching. There’s more flexibility at a LAC. This is not to say Berkeley isn’t a good school, far from it, but it doesn’t seem to be the best school for OP based on stated preferences.
If OP was definite s/he wanted engineering, the issue would be different.
Overall, though, considering OP is undecided, I don’t think engineering would work very well because it’s a very prescribed path that doesn’t leave much space for exploring and discovering other subjects. Either you start in engineering and don’t veer off that track, OR you have to retake classes from another major. And the reverse is true, if you start in engineering and want to switch to something else, you lose some of your credits. Of course one possibility remains to do a liberal arts major, then doing a Master’s in Engineering.
Overall, I’d say the two best bets are Pomona and UCB. If OP is definite s/he wants engineering, then UCB, but based on the above posts OP didn’t sound definite and in that case, based on flexibility, quality, and costs, Pomona would be the frontrunner.
Ultimately though OP has excellent choices that sound affordable, so while we may weigh in with our opinion, there’s really no “wrong” choice. I hope OP will continue providing us with his/her reasoning, since this is likely to be very interesting to many current juniors or other seniors facing similar choices.</p>

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<p>“how is Pomona better than Berkeley for economics? It’s not.” </p>

<p>+Classes are smaller
+Better placement to PhD programs and nationally recognized investment banking/capital firms/etc. placement per capita, though motivated Berkeley students would likely do just as well
+Professors are much more caring and accessible
+Students are academically stronger, which influences the class environment (especially for discussion based economics courses) and your outside motivation with the major (the econ majors here are very ambitious)</p>

<p>In terms of sustainability, Pomona is one of the most sustainable in the country, and much of this is student run. If OP wants to get an institutional sense of sustainability and energy, Pomona can definitely provide him that opportunity. Environmental Analysis has an environmental engineering track. Please don’t comment about a school you don’t know about. </p>

<p>" so if he’ll go to Pomona, he’ll lose his chances of getting an EECS degree instantly."</p>

<p>Not a huge deal as the 3-2 program and PhD programs exist. I know a student from last year who has been admitted to the EECS graduate school at MIT now. No doors close as a result of going to Pomona.</p>

15

<p>I also want to say, Pomona is one of the best LACs in the country for Computer Science. As Harvey Mudd, Pomona, and CMC share a joint department, this increases the course selection available compared to other top tier liberal arts colleges. Pomona students can elect to do either track- the Pomona Java based track, or the Mudd Python based track, and then the upper level classes are open to all students. Both schools supplement each other well- Mudd provides Pomona with opportunities like the Clinic Opportunity, and Pomona provides Mudd with extracurricular partnerships with top tech companies with their Semiannual Hackathon.</p>

<p>The median starting salary for tech graduates from Pomona is $95000 (<a href=“http://www.pomona.edu/administration/career-development/files/where-grads-go-2013.pdf”>http://www.pomona.edu/administration/career-development/files/where-grads-go-2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt;). </p>

16

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<p>I think there’s a BIG misconception here. </p>

<p>Pomona appears to be better per capita because it is tiny, not because its grads are more preferred than Berkeley grads by adcoms of top postgrad programs. There is no evidence that would tell us that a 3.8 from Pomona is seen superior or more impressive to the sight of the adcoms of top postgrad economics programs to a 3.8 from Berkeley. If anything, I’m inclined to believe that the reverse is the more common perception of these adcoms as Berkeley academics is known to be more rigorous, and has more unforgiving profs who regularly weed out students. I am not concluding that a 3.8 from Berkeley is more impressive than a 3.8 from Pomona to the sight of most adcoms of top posgrad programs at all. I am saying that to say Pomona is better than Berkeley (or even UCLA) in placing grads to top postgrad programs solely on the basis of numbers without really understanding them is just plain WRONG. </p>

<p>

I will probably give you a little credit if you were citing Williams College instead. But Pomona and Investment Banking don’t go in the same sentence, in my opinion, and I wish to be proven wrong on this as I have respect for Pomona. From what I’ve gathered, I cannot help but to suspect Pomona’s placement at top bulge bracket firms.</p>

<p>There is no record to prove that Pomona grads are more preferred than Berkeley grads for investment banking posts, or jobs at a top financial firm. If anything, I’m more inclined to believe that the reverse is true. </p>

<p>Pomona’s tiny, and a generally less impressive alumni network doesn’t have much going for it to rival Berkeley’s with its wider connections and ties to several top financial firms. For every Pomona alumnus or alumna working at say, Goldman Sachs, there probably are 50 Berkeley alumni in there, with a high possibility that some of them are holding key positions in the bank. </p>

<p>The true “litmus paper” for establishing that a school has been sending grads to top bulge bracket firms is by counting their grads who has gotten onto a top MBA program. After all, the top business schools (HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, Kellogg, Sloan, Chicago, Haas, Tuck and Columbia, to name some), have been accepting - in greater proportion - candidates that have a stint at one of those firms. Take a look at the student profile of those schools I enumerated above so you’d say I am not fabricating a story here.</p>

<p>Here’s what Poets & Quants has gathered. </p>

<p>At Harvard Business School, for instance, about 23 of the freshmen MBA students have an undergrad degree from Berkeley. Only 7 schools have managed to send more grads, placing Berkeley in the top 8. On the other hand, Pomona has NOT sent one grad to HBS. Again, not one grad of Pomona has gotten into HBS. Take a look at the data.
<a href=“http://poetsandquants.com/2011/08/15/top-feeder-colleges-to-harvard-business-school/2/”>http://poetsandquants.com/2011/08/15/top-feeder-colleges-to-harvard-business-school/2/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/admission-requirements/Pages/undergraduate-institutions.aspx”>http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/admission-requirements/Pages/undergraduate-institutions.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Wharton’s data aren’t much the same. Berkeley has 21 grads in the freshmen class, making it in as the top 7 feeder school to Wharton MBA. And whilst Berkeley has 21, Pomona has got none. zero!
<a href=“http://poetsandquants.com/2011/08/07/top-feeder-schools-to-whartons-mba-program/”>http://poetsandquants.com/2011/08/07/top-feeder-schools-to-whartons-mba-program/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Even at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where I expected Pomona to show up (even at the very bottom of the list) as its proximity to the business school comfortably gives it a supposedly reasonable advantage, is saying Pomona is nowhere to be found, whilst Berkeley is ranked #6 amongst the top feeder schools to its prestigious MBA program.
<a href=“http://poetsandquants.com/2012/05/30/top-feeder-colleges-to-stanford-b-school/2/”>http://poetsandquants.com/2012/05/30/top-feeder-colleges-to-stanford-b-school/2/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Now, if you think the case is an isolated one as I have given you the top 3 business schools in America, then take a look at the data of the other top business schools. There you’d see that Pomona has been consistent in not showing up in the list, which leads me to believe that Pomona has not sent one grad to any of the top 9 business schools at all. And, if my suspicion is true, which more likely is, how then is Pomona able to beat Berkeley in placing grads to top bulge bracket firms when Berkeley has over hundreds of grads admitted to those top 9 schools, and many of those students have economics as their undergraduate major? </p>

<p><a href=“http://poetsandquants.com/2011/09/07/top-feeder-schools-to-columbia-business-school/”>http://poetsandquants.com/2011/09/07/top-feeder-schools-to-columbia-business-school/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://poetsandquants.com/2011/10/06/top-feeder-colleges-to-chicago-booth/”>http://poetsandquants.com/2011/10/06/top-feeder-colleges-to-chicago-booth/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://poetsandquants.com/2011/09/14/top-feeder-colleges-to-dartmouths-tuck-school/”>http://poetsandquants.com/2011/09/14/top-feeder-colleges-to-dartmouths-tuck-school/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>The OP has given you a hint that he’s interested in the technology side of the broader and encompassing subject of sustainable energy. Otherwise, he would not have mentioned he’s interested in electrical engineering. His introduction was even clear that he likes math and science. By science, it is obvious that he was referring to physical sciences, not social sciences. Electrical engineering, maths and social science don’t go in one sentence. </p>

<p>Now, having that in mind, how then can the OP understand the technology aspect of sustainable energy and be able to work in the industry later on (in the very department where he obviously is interested in, if I may presume) when he doesn’t have sufficient knowledge and background in electrical engineering, or of about how electricity behaves, is saved, transformed and used? Sustainable energy cannot be learned - and the objective cannot be met - by simply having knowledge in social science, and only, “part science”. People who are involved in the technology side of renewable energy have been creating solar energy, wind energy, water power and biomass fuel in a hope to improve energy efficiency. I would understand someone who has a solid grasp of physics or chemistry can be useful in a team of engineers that are tasked to explore on this area. But social scientists? Highly unlikely. </p>

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<p>I’m not sure about that. It’s like saying, Harvard is one of the best schools for engineering in the country because Harvard students can take classes at MIT. Yet, when we see all rankings/league tables (not that they are absolute bases for academic quality), Harvard was never in the top 20. </p>

<p>Again, take note that Pomona isn’t offering engineering because it has no engineering department. It doesn’t have the facilities to conduct engineering classes or engineering labs where they would do experiments or conduct their research, nor do they have the right people to teach engineering subjects. It has to borrow resources from other institutions. If this was about Berkeley vs Harvey Mudd, this would have been fair to Berkeley as both schools are comparable as they both have well-established engineering departments, and both schools (specially Berkeley) have been known to have interests in exploring this special field of engineering as it has huge funding given by private donors as well as the government.</p>

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<p>Wow this thread has given me a lot to think about. I definitely agree that I want to enter the science side of sustainable energy designing things like RML was talking about and I feel s/he nailed it in terms of what I believe my current interests to be. I am interested in subjects like economics and may use that to facilitate a career in the area, but frankly consider the two interest somewhat independent. Yet my concern about doing that at Berkeley is a.) I don’t know if I would really be able to take a “renewable energy” type-class until Junior/Senior year b.) Is civil & environmental engineering the thing to do if I want to do that sort of stuff or would it be better to do electrical engineering, energy engineering, or something else? c.) Would it be pretty difficult to explore these different areas at a school like Berkeley? I recognize the international reputation of many of the departments yet fear I may be stuck in a single major d.) Could I do something like computer science or environmental analysis at Pomona, take a few classes at Harvey Mudd, receive a little more personal attention, pay a lower cost, and still be able to enter that sort of field after graduation/in graduate school (if that’s a good idea)? I’m not against Berkeley or against Pomona, I’m just trying to look at all sides of the story.</p>

<p>There is also a lot of talk about engineering itself. I am not going to pretend that I have a super firm grasp on engineering (considering I haven’t done it yet), but I feel like it would be a natural combination of my love for math, science, and doing something concrete and not just observing the environment. I recognize that I essentially lose that if I don’t go to Berkeley, but don’t know if I lose everything that’s not engineering/not-my-major if I do go to Berkeley (due to class constraints). Again thanks for all those comments! </p>

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I believe that majoring in Civil & Environmental Engineering would suffice your quest for knowledge about sustainable energy, and would give you a considerable edge in employment in this area. There is no other major - that I know off - that would better serve one well if one wants to learn sustainable energy at the undergraduate level. So, if you’re bent on concentrating on this area, Berkeley is the best choice. The department and the program are both rated number 1 in the whole nation, and possibly, the world. </p>

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Seriously. I don’t see how this is relevant for your case. Why would you shift to other engineering major when it is sustainable energy that you want. You are already in the environmental engineering program, a program which tackles areas encompassing subjects that are required for students in understanding your interest. I believe the students of this program are expected to learn subjects related to electrical engineering, too, both basic and applied. </p>

<p>OP, people in the College of Engineering at Berkeley, specially those in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (<a href=“http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/”>http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/&lt;/a&gt;) do not complain about the lack of attention by profs, nor do they complain for not getting into high-caliber research involving a team of faculty and students (undergrad and postgrad). </p>