<p>What are the chances of going to MIT/Stanford for youre masters if you graduate for berkeley. </p>
<p>What are the chances of transferring to MIT/Stanford from berkeley, and what is the earliest you can do so.</p>
<p>first off berkeley has been my dream school FOREVER and i really really really want to go there ( 3 more days ahhhhh)...sorry onto the question:</p>
<p>what are the dorms like?
ive heard some horror stories about berkeley dorms(size, distance from campus). are they really that bad?</p>
<p>asdjkl:</p>
<p>I can't tell you your chances from experience, as I haven't applied to those programs. Seeing as how Cal, Stanford, and MIT are all at the same level in terms of graduate EE/CS programs, I'd assume that the qualifications for an MS in EE or CS at Stanford are similar to those for the EECS 5th Year MS at Cal, for which I believe you need great recommendations, research experience, and a solid GPA. As for MIT, I don't believe that they have an MS program separate from their PhD program for not-MIT undergraduates, and getting accepted into a PhD program is a lot more difficult than getting accepted in an MS program.</p>
<p>I don't know anything about transferring to MIT or Stanford. That's not a very common thing to do, and I can give you a million reasons why it isn't necessary. If you were really set on MIT and got rejected, you might find this thread of mine helpful: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=317064%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=317064</a>. If not, I apologize for jumping to conclusions!</p>
<p>ktcv:</p>
<p>I hope you get in, ktcv!</p>
<p>No, don't worry about the dorms. None of them are more than five minutes away from campus, and most are about a minute or two away. Of course, it takes 10 or 15 minutes to get across campus, so you might always have a walk in that respect.</p>
<p>Foothill, Stern and Bowles are on Northside, which is the preferred side for people who like a quiet environment (many science and engineering majors live there, and many chemistry, math, and engineering classes are held in that vicinity). Unit 1, Unit 2, and Unit 3 are on Southside, which is the loud side where all the parties are at. Clark Kerr is somewhat near Unit 2, but farther east. It's the only one for which distance is a typical complaint.</p>
<p>I've actually lived in Foothill, Unit 2 and Unit 3, and I've been inside every single one of them (although not every single building within each dorm), so let me know if you have specific questions about any of them. Most people move out of the dorms after freshman year, but I just never saw the need :).</p>
<p>As for size, some rooms are smaller than others. Sometimes three people are packed into a "double," and the rooms in the Units can be somewhat cramped, but it's not something to really worry about.</p>
<p>I live in a Unit 1 mini suite. All of the units are close to Telegraph and the campus. I like Unit 1 location best. I wasn't real thrilled about the mini suite idea, it's much quieter than the traditional high rise dorms. But, the rooms are almost new, spacious, lots of storage and I like the idea of a semi private bathroom.
Unit 2 is another 2 blocks from campus.
Unit 3 is right off Telegraph. They have their own dining center (just remodeled) and Bear Market. The buildings are all older there but the whole place has a homey feeling.</p>
<p>My contract for next year is also for a mini suite in Unit 1. I've made lots of friends in the traditional dorms this year. It's nice to hang out in their buildings for a good time and go back to my quiet building to study and to sleep. :)</p>
<p>Southside is definitely where the action takes place. If you end up in the Units on a party floor, it can be difficult finding a quiet place to study on your floor at times. But there are plenty of places besides your room to study. </p>
<p>I would recommend the Units to live. And in comparison to UCLA where all 1st years are in a triple, it seems the luck of the lottery on who gets a double or triple. There are a lot of doubles. The rooms in general are larger than all the rooms I toured at UCLA. And depending on the side of building you're on, you may have a great Bay view too.</p>
<p>
[quote]
As for MIT, I don't believe that they have an MS program separate from their PhD program for not-MIT undergraduates, and getting accepted into a PhD program is a lot more difficult than getting accepted in an MS program.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, MIT does, to some extent. What I'm talking about is the option of going to MIT in a completely different graduate department, and then picking up an additional master's, possibly in EECS. I know a lot of people who have done that - having been admitted to the graduate programs in departments like Technology and Policy, Systems Design and Management, or even the Sloan School of Management, and walking out with either dual-graduate degrees: one in the original admitting department, and another in engineering. Heck, there are some people who are admitted to one graduate department, and then while they're there, just transfer to another department. </p>
<p>Now granted, this procedure is far from guaranteed. For example, the 2nd department might simply decide not to admit you into their master's degree program. Often times, you will have to take the intro graduate course sequence and do well before you will be formally admitted into the 2nd degree program. You also have the problem of completing an engineering master's thesis (as all MIT master's engineering degrees require a thesis), although there is the possibility of writing a combined thesis that will satisfy the requirements for both of your departments.</p>
<p>Is there a drug problem or is that just a rumor that was started to bash 'those berkeley liberals.'</p>
<p>if you want to take >10 units over summer, do you HAVE to see an adviser or does telebears let you register w/o complaints</p>
<p>Mathnastic_nerd: I don't know if I would say Berkeley has a drug problem. The smell of pot is not everywhere! They are not in your face but easy to get if that's what you want.
I don't do drugs (including pot) but could probably figure out where to get them if I wanted.</p>
<p>Does liberalism have anything to do with drugs? Or is that my mother talking? :)</p>
<p>As long as they are not in your face, i.e. permeating the dorm rooms</p>
<p>Also btw do you know if people in Engineering Physics can still enter the Physics Honors Program, since its half-n-half?</p>
<p>mathtastic_nerd:</p>
<p>Don't worry about drugs. Some groups of people smoke pot (and more) all the time, and other groups rarely even drink. The school is not filled with druggies; it's just like any other campus. I've heard that some students do smoke pot in the dorms, but it won't have any affect on you unless you're rooming with them (in which case you can obviously make sure they don't smoke pot in your room). I've never drank or smoked my entire time at Cal, and I've never felt uncomfortable. Granted, I've felt a little pressure when I go to parties where everyone is drinking and smoking weed, but I willingly subject myself to that because I like those types of parties :).</p>
<p>Regarding Engineering Physics, I have absolutely no idea. Sorry!</p>
<p>lostincode:</p>
<p>No idea, sorry :(.</p>
<p>I'll only be sticking around on CC for a few more days, so please, ask away :).</p>
<p>
[quote]
if you want to take >10 units over summer, do you HAVE to see an adviser or does telebears let you register w/o complaints
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't see a unit cap policy for summer session...chances are telebears will let you register, but to take even 8 units (two 4 unit classes) is pretty tough because they really squeeze in the material over the summer, so to take more than 10 units would be really hard. I wouldn't recommend it.</p>
<p>killernago wrote:</p>
<p>Hey calstudent86, I've got some questions.</p>
<ol>
<li>How hard is EECS? I've heard some bad things, but how bad is it actually?</li>
<li>Would you recommend that I go to Cal EECS over UCLA EE? I really dislike computer science.</li>
<li>How difficult is it to graduate doing EECS? My primary concern is if I can actually graduate, and I am afraid of failing out.</li>
<li>How difficult are the computer science classes? I'm in Computer Science AB right now, and I only have a low B; I don't really get a lot of stuff going on.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>killernago:</p>
<ol>
<li>As I mention earlier in this thread, EECS is hard and it is a lot of work: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=3814942&postcount=14%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=3814942&postcount=14</a></li>
</ol>
<p>Nevertheless, it is doable and rewarding if you enjoy the subject.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I don't know anything about UCLA EE, but Cal EECS is regarded as one of the best undergraduate engineering programs in the country. You don't have to take more than 3 CS classes as an EECS major, one of which is Machine Structures (somewhat EE'ish). You can choose to focus all your other courses in EE.</p></li>
<li><p>For the most part, people do manage to graduate. A lot of people do drop out of EECS early on; if that happens to you, EE is probably not for you in the first place. And yes, some people do flunk out, but I don't view the fear of flunking out as a valid reason to pass up a great opportunity unless your fear is truly grounded in fact.</p></li>
<li><p>I got a 2 on the Computer Science AB AP test :). Granted, I didn't put forth any effort whatsoever. It's hard to say how difficult the classes are; some people find the lower division courses (the required ones) to be easy as pie, while others drop out of the major because of them. The material in CS AB is very similar to the material in one of the required CS courses (61B), but perhaps CS 61B is taught in a way that is understandable to you.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hi calstudent, just been accepted to Berkeley with the Regents Scholarship. Now as an International, I have no real way of visiting Berkeley/being in contact with the adcoms, would you tell me how different the Berkeley experience is with a Regents. I'm a bit worried about Berkeley as most of the other colleges I've been accepted to are small and private. Does having a Regents really make all the difference that Berkeley says it does? (Access to faculty and the like :))</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Hmmm, I'm starting to get tempted to go to Cal... Is there some curriculum or list of required courses online for EECS? I always thought it was like 50/50 EE and CS courses, which scared the hell out of me. As you replied in #2, are you serious about only being required to take 3 CS classes? How hard are these 3 required classes? I am fully aware that Cal blows away UCLA in engineering (although they are both good), but the amount of computer science is really the deciding factor for me. Last question, what's the minimum GPA to graduate for EECS?</p>
<p>Shrivats:</p>
<p>I, too, have a Regents' scholarship, and I can't say that it has impacted my Berkeley experience very much. I am guaranteed four years of housing, but other than that, I haven't really made use of my RCSA membership.</p>
<p>...but I do know that some RCSA members make use of it. RCSA does arrange many activities, and if you choose to be involved, that's a great way to meet new people. Some of the activities also involve meeting professors (dinners and such), and I believe this is how I met my first research advisor, although I'm not sure if it was actually through RCSA or not.</p>
<p>In short, it can help you meet students and faculty if you choose to attend the activities, although it probably won't make a huge overall difference in your Cal experience.</p>
<p>That said, I came from a small, private high school, and I have had no problems adjusting to Cal's size. It's a real advantage in many respects: there are more friends to be made, more like-minded people, and a huge amount of student groups. At Cal, one is also forced to become independent and assertive. But it's not right for everyone.</p>
<p>killernago:</p>
<p>The EECS requirements: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/newnotes.shtml#sec1.2%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/newnotes.shtml#sec1.2</a></p>
<p>The required CS courses are CS 61A, CS 61B, and CS 61C. That's all. You also have to take one of CS 70 and Math 55, but you can simply choose Math 55 (and even if you did choose CS 70, it is essentially a math course).</p>
<p>I can be 50/50 if you want it to be. There are different "options" in EECS:</p>
<p>Electronics (Option I)
Communications, Networks and Systems (Option II)
Computer Systems (Option III)
Computer Science (Option IV)
General (Option V)</p>
<p>The option you end up choosing is not set in stone; they are there for guidance. Options I and II are very EE'ish. Option III is a cross between the two, and Option IV is very CS'ish. Option IV lets you do whatever the heck you want. Some better descriptions:</p>
<p>Electronics (Option I): For students interested in integrated circuits, including fabrication technology, solid state devices, digital and analog circuits analysis and design, VLSI design, and computer-aided design and manufacturing; and for students interested in microelectromechanical systems, electromagnetics, acoustics, optoelectronics, plasmas, cryoelectronics, and antennas and propagation.</p>
<p>Communications, Networks, and Systems (Option II): For students with interests in networks, control, robotics, digital and analog communications, computer networks, signal processing, systems design and optimization, or power systems planning and operation; or for students with an interest in biology or medicine as well as electrical engineering, including biological sensors and signals, signal and image processing, and analysis and modeling of biological systems.</p>
<p>Computer Systems (Option III): For students interested in machine architecture and logic design, operating systems, database systems, programming systems and languages, or digital devices and circuits.</p>
<p>Computer Science (Option IV): For students interested in design and analysis of algorithms, complexity theory and other theoretical topics, artificial intelligence, or computer graphics.</p>
<p>General Program (Option V): For students whose interests are broad or are not yet focused on a specific field, this very flexible program enables students to explore several of the areas of electrical engineering and computer sciences.</p>
<p>As you can see, EECS is a very open-ended major. You can actually take what you're interested in.</p>
<p>I suggest checking out the sample curriculums: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/newnotes.shtml#chapter2%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/newnotes.shtml#chapter2</a></p>
<p>Here are some:</p>
<p>Option 1: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample1.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample1.htm</a>
Option 2: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample2.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample2.htm</a>
Option 2: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample2b.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample2b.htm</a>
Option 2: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample2e.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample2e.htm</a>
Option 3: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample3.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Sample/sample3.htm</a></p>
<p>Some people consider the 61 series (the 3 required courses) to be a death wish. Other people have no trouble at all with it. A lot of people are somewhere in between. I found the series to be quite reasonable, but CS is also my strength. You can pass out of CS 61B if you get a 5 (and maybe a 4? I'm not sure...) on the CS AB AP exam, although you mentioned you were struggling a bit in that class.</p>
<p>Regarding GPA (from <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/%5B/url%5D">http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/</a>, again): "Minimum Grade-Point Average. You must maintain a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.000 (corresponding to a "C" letter grade). You will be subject to academic probation or dismissal if you fail to maintain this average, or if your GPA for any given semester is below 2.000. To graduate, you must obtain an average GPA of 2.000 overall and in all upper-division technical courses you take."</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for taking the time to put up all that info! Just want an opinion, but what do you recommend for me? I am strong in math and science, but weak in computer science(at least the programming part). Because of this, I'm considering Option 1, since it is most like EE. Also, I was admitted as a spring applicant, and I am hoping to get into FPF. Would I be behind by a lot or would it be reasonably easy to be able to catch up?</p>
<p>What are EECS classes anyway, as in what kind of things do you learn? Any programming involved?</p>
<p>No problem; half of it was copy paste :).</p>
<p>EE is comprised of two main areas: circuits, and signals and systems. Option I presentations the former, and Option II (depending on the sub-option) represents the latter. When you say that Option I "is most like EE," that's sort of wrong. Options I and II are primary composed of EE classes, and you are studying EE, not something that is like EE.</p>
<p>Someone who is strong in math and science might enjoy any of the engineering majors. As an EECS major, it wouldn't be all that difficult to transfer into another engineering major, assuming you are able to keep your GPA solid. But don't hold me to that; I don't know much about transferring.</p>
<p>Regarding FPF, I'm not very familiar with it, so I don't know which courses you would be able to take.</p>
<p>If you want to see what you learn in EECS classes, let me refer to to some of their course websites:</p>
<p>EE Lower Division Courses:</p>
<p><a href="http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/eecs20/%5B/url%5D">http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/eecs20/</a> (Represents Option II)
<a href="http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/%7Eee40/sp07/%5B/url%5D">http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ee40/sp07/</a> (Represents Option I)</p>
<p>CS Lower Division Courses:</p>
<p><a href="http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/%7Ecs61a/sp07/%5B/url%5D">http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs61a/sp07/</a>
<a href="http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/%7Ejrs/61b/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~jrs/61b/</a>
<a href="http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/%7Ecs61c/sp07/%5B/url%5D">http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs61c/sp07/</a></p>
<p>P.S. Check your PM's.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot calstudent. Much appreciated.</p>