<p>Do you think going to a state school for engineering as opposed to Brown U for economics/math would be a wise decision for getting a GPA and grad school admission advantage? Or would Brown's grading system help me out more?</p>
<p>A state university over Brown? I wouldn’t do it unless 1. you’re talking about one of the top publics (UMich, UNC, UVA), but even then . . . or 2. you can’t afford Brown. </p>
<p>Brown’s educational reputation is stellar. You shouldn’t be worried about raw GPA; you should be worry about the quality of your education and how it prepares you for the next steps in your career.</p>
<p>Edited to add: of course, if you’re interested in engineering, Brown might not be the best choice for you.</p>
<p>Brown engineering isn’t its strength and, for the price, I would go elsewhere if you are certain about engineering.</p>
<p>That being said, you want the highest GPA possible. Therefore, you should go to Brown. It is a fact that private top 50 schools have higher GPA’s, on average, than their public counterparts and that is only becoming more so as time passes. A 3.5 at a top state school like USC or UT would probably get a 3.7 at most of the top 50 private universities. </p>
<p>If anyone wants to argue that, I suggest you read this</p>
<p>[Private</a> schools outpace public in grade inflation, study finds - SmartPlanet](<a href=“http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/private-schools-outpace-public-in-grade-inflation-study-finds/6140/]Private”>http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/private-schools-outpace-public-in-grade-inflation-study-finds/6140/)</p>
<p>So, if you want the highest GPA regardless of anything, go to Brown.</p>
<p>The real question is: What do you want to study? If engineering is interchangeable in your mind with economics/math, it probably means that you haven’t yet decided. Why engineering? Why economics? Brown, with its liberal arts bent, may offer an easier path to changing majors. Engineering is a tough major, usually with a structured course of study, that offers less opportunity than other majors to explore other fields. (Brown has no distributive requirements.)</p>
<p>And if you really know what you’d prefer to do, then you have to consider the opportunities available to you at each university. With graduate admissions, GPA is only a small part of the application. In many cases, a 3.5 is as good as a 4.0. The real distinguishing factor among applicants is the amount and kind of research performed as an undergraduate. Add recommendations from people who are the top in their field. And a coherent statement of purpose to show that you know exactly what you want to do in graduate school. To get these critical pieces in place, you’ll want to select a university that: 1. has professors who are accessible to students 2.has plenty of opportunities for undergraduates to work with professors outside of the classroom 3. emphasizes writing ability (for SOP and publications) and 4. is a magnet for the top researchers in the field you want to enter. </p>
<p>But since this is just September, my guess is that you haven’t even yet applied to schools. You’ll change and mature during senior year, and maybe you’ll find that you really aren’t interested in any of the above. Besides, your acceptances will decide your real options, and your eventual choice may not be between Brown and a public school.</p>
<p>One thing that vexes me is that the average GPA for UMich Engineering UG is about a 2.9. It’s so easy to slip under that 3.5 (people say Top 10%) when you look at it from statistics … and CS here isn’t easy… </p>
<p>I have quite a bit of leeway (~3.9 entering sophomore year), but it worries me because I’m not sure my GPA will go from here on out. It can definitely change significantly after one semester, but I don’t even know how my classes will go! I’m a hard worker, but diligence only goes so far. </p>
<p>I did a lot of research so far though… but everyone keeps telling me that grad school is getting harder and harder to get into because fewer people are going into industry, but I want to go on to grad school, because research problems are so intriguing…</p>