<p>How is eecs in UCB?
More specifically, how does it compare with other top colleges (not in terms of US News ranking), in terms of being able to find jobs, salary, and entrepreneurship, ny company out of UCB? Also, are average students from UCB able to go to top graduate programs? Thanks</p>
<p>I'm from South Carolina, was accepted yesterday, and know absolutely nothing about Cal...at all. I know that I declared a major when I applied (American Studies), but I actually want to double major with cognitive neuroscience or something like that. Is this possible? How hard is it to change majors? Also, I'm sort of concerned that because Cal is such a large school, that it would be sort of hard to do special studies like study abroad, etc. Basically, I'm just really concerned with their flexibility as far as academics go. Any help is GREATLY appreciated.</p>
<p>mathwiz:</p>
<p>Regarding jobs...</p>
<p>Well, Berkeley is in the Bay Area, the best place in the country to find EECS related jobs. Bay Area companies (including those in "Silicon Valley," San Francisco, etc.) actively recruit Berkeley and Stanford students, so I would say that the internship opportunities and job opportunities for recent EECS graduates are better than almost any other university in the country! An enormous amount of companies show up at career fairs and even hold on-campus interviews.</p>
<p>Of course, EECS graduates are not going to get paid a 150k salary, but an average of around 55k (don't hold me to this figure...I might be way off) for recent graduates isn't too shabby. I have a friend who started with an 80k salary, although that isn't too common. Regardless, you have the very best EECS jobs to choose from.</p>
<p>Regarding graduate programs...</p>
<p>That can get somewhat tricky. It is very easy to get below a 3.0 at Berkeley in EECS, and that kind of GPA will not get you into a top graduate program. GPA is really not all that important for graduate school, but at the same time, they will rarely accept a student with a very low GPA. It is essentially a cutoff.</p>
<p>In order to get into graduate school, one really needs to get involved in undergraduate research. At Berkeley, no one holds your hand to guide you through the process of getting involved. It's certainly doable, and I am involved in research, but you need to be assertive, persistent, and patient. Often, professors won't want to work with you until you have completed a bunch of lower division courses.</p>
<p>A lot of EECS graduate students at Berkeley came from smaller schools where they were able to get more involved in undergraduate research (and get higher GPA's). Still, as I said, getting involved is very doable if you are assertive. As for the GPA, that just is what it is :). Schools might be somewhat sympathetic to the lower GPAs at Cal, but your chances to get into one of the very top graduate programs are not very high if you've gotten below a 3.5 GPA...and average students get below a 3.5.</p>
<p>Of course, it is not exactly easy for average students at MIT or Stanford to get into the top graduate programs, either. I'd say that it's the easiest for students at smaller schools; but, of course, companies won't be chasing after graduates from these smaller schools in the same way that they chase after MIT, Stanford, and Berkeley EECS graduates.</p>
<p>Note that most "average students" at Berkeley don't end up pursuing graduate school at all. If you're not sure about graduate school, there is probably a high likelihood that you won't end up going. Most EECS students don't go on to get an MS or PhD, as they are not necessary, or that differentiating, for employment.</p>
<p>barberconcerto:</p>
<p>If you are in the College of Letters and Sciences, you are actually Undeclared and I believe you can apply to any major you'd like. I don't know which double majors are possible.</p>
<p>As for studying abroad, I know many people who have studied abroad for a semester or a year. Many, many, people! I wouldn't be concerned about the possibility of doing that at all.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Of course, EECS graduates are not going to get paid a 150k salary, but an average of around 55k (don't hold me to this figure...I might be way off) for recent graduates isn't too shabby. I have a friend who started with an 80k salary, although that isn't too common. Regardless, you have the very best EECS jobs to choose from.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No need to guess, when the data is freely available. Average in 2006 was 67.5k.</p>
<p><a href="http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/EECS.stm%5B/url%5D">http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/EECS.stm</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
Of course, it is not exactly easy for average students at MIT or Stanford to get into the top graduate programs, either
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, in the case of MIT EECS, I think that's somewhat debateable. MIT runs a special Masters of Engineering (MEng) program just for its EECS undergrads. The data indicates that a strong majority of MIT EECS undergrads will enter the program. Hence, I would argue that an average MIT EECS students can clearly get into the MEng program. That program is one of the strongest 'home-field advantages' that I know of. For example, I am quite certain that the majority of Berkeley's EECS undergrads will not be able to get into Berkeley's comparable BS/MS program. </p>
<p>"With 75 percent of EECS students qualifying after their junior year, 70 percent are admitted to the program and 65 percent enroll,"</p>
<p>Hence, it seems to me that if your goal is to get a master's degree from a top EECS program, your clearest shot at doing so is to simply study EECS at MIT as an undergrad, and then hope that you're not in the minority of students who doesn't get invited to stay for the MEng.</p>
<p>Hey calstudent,</p>
<p>I did not think I was going to get in but I did, and I am pretty damn happy... basically, I will know like one person next year, so I have a few questions about Cal...</p>
<p>first of all, the Greek system, is it popular?? Is there a big party scene?</p>
<p>Also, how hard is it to change majors?</p>
<p>Hmmmmmm how is the town of Berkeley and surrounding towns??</p>
<p>Why do you like Cal so much??</p>
<p>Hahah, I've been to the campus but I really know nothing about it, so anything would be great.</p>
<p>de la noche:</p>
<p>I can't tell you too much about the Greek system because I am not a part of it. And, while I do go to parties, I just wait to get invited to random things; I'm not really a part of the party scene. Sorry!</p>
<p>Regarding changing your major, that really depends on what your current major and college is.</p>
<p>As for the town of Berkeley, it is very lively and fun. There are a ton of places to eat, bars, shops, etc. Much of the area near campus retains a very hippie-esque atmosphere, and it grows on you. It's unique. San Francisco is only a short ride away on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), and I don't need to explain why San Francisco is cool :).</p>
<p>Why do I like Cal? Well, I've had a great undergraduate experience so far. I've grown tremendously, and I believe that the independence, drive, and friendships that I've developed at Cal have brought about this growth. I can't claim that Cal is the only school that would have made my undergraduate experience a great one, but I do know that Cal is one of them...and that's all that matters.</p>
<p>I can give you more detailed responses if you ask more detailed questions :).</p>
<p>Hey calstudent,
Do you know whether AP Physics C: E&M is equivalent to Physics 7B @ UCB?</p>
<p>cppdev:</p>
<p>Do you learn about thermodynamics in AP Physics C: E&M? Physics 7B covers thermodynamics in addition to elecitry and magnetism.</p>
<p>According to the following link, you can only pass out of 7A: <a href="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/freshman/advising/credit/berkeley.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/freshman/advising/credit/berkeley.html</a></p>
<p>Can you describe the process of switching the college from Chemistry to L&S? </p>
<p>Is CoC cut-throat as it has been portrayed all over this forum?</p>
<p>How close-knit community is CoC, and am I sacrificing any good opportunities by switching to L&S? </p>
<p>Many premeds do Molecular Bio in L&S according to many threads, and how competitive is being a premed? </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>sinewy0495:</p>
<p>I really don't know enough about the College of Chemistry or MCB to answer those questions. Sorry!</p>
<p>Hey calstudent 86,</p>
<p>If one were an EECS major and achieved a low GPA, would he/she still be able to get a decent job right out of undergrad?</p>
<p>If one achieved a low GPA and attended a lesser known graduate school, would it still be easy to get a decent job at the bay area (I plan to live there when I'm done with schooling)?</p>
<p>How stable are the EECS jobs?</p>
<p>I know some of these questions may be hard to answer considering that you're still a student yourself haha. Any input is greatly appreciated though! I was recently admitted to EECS and the only thing that I have qualms about is the academic rigor, job placement, and research opportunities. Thank you!</p>
<p>CallMeGoose:</p>
<p>People with GPA's below 3.0 tend to have difficulty finding great jobs, as the low GPA is definitely a turn-off. Still, there are so many job opportunities at Cal! I am sure that it would still be possible to find a decent job, as evidenced by the 2006 average EECS salary of 67.5k!</p>
<p>If you want a great EECS job, Cal is seriously the place to be. I can't think of a better option. And I wouldn't assume that your GPA will be awful; a bunch of students do have GPA's below a 3.0, but many students don't!</p>
<p>Regarding graduate school, you seem to think that graduate school is considered typical for EECS majors. Most EECS majors do not go on to graduate school. This is because EECS graduate school is highly focused, and most students have no interest in focusing so deeply. A BS in EECS is good preparation for industry; having an MS will not make you look that much more qualified than someone with a BS, especially if you focus your MS research or classes on an EECS area that you picked out of a hat. As for a PhD, you only get one of those if research is your passion and calling.</p>
<p>Most students at Cal do need to go on to graduate school; a bachelor's degree in Psychology, Sociology, etc. does not prepare students for a profession. Engineering is different, and you need to keep that in mind.</p>
<p>As for job opportunities at a lesser known graduate school, I really can't say. The Berkeley name does help, and a ton of Bay Area companies actively recruit Berkeley graduates. You would not have those advantages at a lesser known school.</p>
<p>Regarding the stability of EECS jobs, that all depends on the job. I'm very interested in working for startup companies, where the stability is nonexistent. In fact, I eventually want to start one; talk about extreme instability. I'd say that people who end up working for Microsoft or Intel have fairly stable jobs, although I can't tell you about stability in the long term.</p>
<p>
[quote]
People with GPA's below 3.0 tend to have difficulty finding great jobs, as the low GPA is definitely a turn-off. Still, there are so many job opportunities at Cal! I am sure that it would still be possible to find a decent job, as evidenced by the 2006 average EECS salary of 67.5k!</p>
<p>If you want a great EECS job, Cal is seriously the place to be. I can't think of a better option. And I wouldn't assume that your GPA will be awful; a bunch of students do have GPA's below a 3.0, but many students don't!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think the * real * cutoff is not the 3.0. It's actually at 2.0 - which is the cutoff at which you won't even graduate at all. Furthermore, just loading up on a bunch of easy humanities courses in order to keep your GPA above 2.0 isn't going to fly, as you need a 2.0 in your upper-division engineering GPA in order to stay academically eligible I know quite a few people who were unable to maintain a 2.0 upper-division engineering GPA and were thus unable to complete their engineering degrees. Furthermore, you also have to earn at least an overall 2.0 GPA in EACH semester in order to avoid being put on academic probation, which is the first step towards expulsion from Berkeley entirely. I know engineering students who were expelled from Berkeley this way. Not just expelled from engineering, but from ALL of Berkeley.</p>
<p>And then of course there are those people who determine that they're going to do poorly in EECS and so decide to get out before things get ugly. Some of them switch to an easier engineering major. Others switch to the College of Letters & Science. Others simply transfer to an easier school (for example, I know some former Berkeley EECS students who transferred to Cal Poly or one of the lesser UC's). While these students didn't get formally expelled, as they had the good sense to leave before reaching that point, for all practical purposes, they were eliminated from the program. </p>
<p>The truth of the matter is, simply completing the EECS program is a major accomplishment in and of itself. There's a big difference between getting a Berkeley EECS degree, even if your GPA is mediocre, and not getting the degree at all. </p>
<p>
[quote]
If you want a great EECS job, Cal is seriously the place to be. I can't think of a better option
[/quote]
</p>
<p>A certain school in Palo Alto tends to come to mind. There's another certain school in Cambridge, Massachusetts that comes to mind.</p>
<p>sakky:</p>
<p>CallMeGoose is deciding between schools with less academic rigor (in EECS) than Cal. I was referring to the best option for him, and I truly don't see how Stanford and MIT are relevant to his questions.</p>
<p>CallMeGoose:</p>
<p>I'd like to add to what I said earlier.</p>
<p>If you really feel that you'll get below a 3.0, perhaps Cal isn't the best option for you; getting a higher GPA at a less prestigious EE/CS department will probably look better than getting below a 3.0 at Cal. I may have exaggerated the number of job options available for people with GPA's below a 3.0; I really don't have experience exploring jobs with a GPA at that level, but I'd assume the options aren't so great.</p>
<p>And, as sakky said, it's really bad if you don't graduate!</p>
<p>I don't mean to be pessimistic, and I certainly don't want to discourage you from Berkeley EECS, but I feel that my earlier message was too optimistic. I really suggest you visit Cal and meet the students! That might give you a clearer picture of where you'd stand.</p>
<p>calstudent86:</p>
<p>is there any REAL resentment between Stanford and Berkeley? I have friends who are going to Stanford, and I'm going to Berkeley, and I don't want there to be tension.</p>
<p>
[quote]
CallMeGoose is deciding between schools with less academic rigor (in EECS) than Cal. I was referring to the best option for him,
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Ah, well that's quite an important qualifier you appended there.</p>
<p>Is it true that you can't wear red on campus because that is Stanford's color?</p>
<p>Just don't wear red on Big Game Week. I'm serious.</p>
<p>How hard is it to transfer majors? I'm undeclared pre-business in L&S, but my true passion lies in the biological sciences (also in L&S) - would this be nearly impossible? How would I go about transferring?</p>
<p>@puzzling</p>
<p>From what I understand, it should be pretty easy. The thing is, everyone who enters L&S enters as undeclared, and then you declare your major by sophomore year. So I think if you take the right prerequisite classes and maintain a good GPA, it shouldn't be as big a deal as if you had to transfer colleges.</p>