Michigan, GT, Purdue, Illinois or USC for EE or CS

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>My cousin is deciding between these programs for a probable major in EE or possibly Computer Science for admission in the Fall of 2012. How would you rank these schools? Cost is not a factor and she cares about these attributes in a university in this order...1. overall reputation, 2. social life, 4. employment prospects in her intended field and 4. ethnic/geographical diversity of the school. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance!!!</p>

<p>My cousin's top choices are Michigan and USC for their well-balanced undergraduate environments.:)</p>

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<p>The fact fo the matter is that these schools are all really well-known and well-respected in engineering. It really should boil down to what school she likes best and where she wants to live.</p>

<p>Employment opportunities after school are more about your resume than the school you go to in this case because, like I said, they’re all equally weighted (some more than others) in engineering. You won’t be looked down upon for attending USC over Michigan or Illinois over Purdue in this field.</p>

<p>She should visit the schools to compare the facilities and to meet professors/students in the engineering departments to get a better idea of the environment.</p>

<p>All these schools have VERY different social lives, so she might get a better idea of that from a visit as well.</p>

<p>The diversity/geography comparisons are easy. Does she like cold weather and brutal winters? If not, she might not like places like Michigan, Purdue or Illinois. Georgia can be muggy in the spring and summer. Southern California has mild weather and doesn’t have things such as hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards which can occur at the other schools. Similarly, while the student body might be diverse at a large school like Michigan, the area/state isn’t as diverse as California. Same goes for Purdue, and I don’t know where Illinois is in comparison to Chicago. Georgia might have some diversity, but not much.</p>

<p>Also, does she want to attend a large public school? Or a smaller private school?</p>

<p>She needs to ask herself what kind of environment she wants to live in, and she can figure that out easily by considering in what state and in what city the schools are in! Then maybe she can whittle down her choices and look at the other factors.</p>

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<p>U of I is in Champaign, Il about 2 1/2 hours south of Chicago. It is in the middle of the state surrounded by rural communities. The Illinois University system is going through some of the same problems as the California University system. The State of Illinois owes U of I hundreds of million dollars. Due to U of I being owed such a large amount of money, I expect there will be some reduction in staff and closing low enrollment programs. Also keep in mind that state universities really do not offer much in the way of merit scholarships. You will probably get a better financial aid package from a private university.</p>

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<p>This thread is a bit premature. If the student is interested in these universities, he/she should apply. Since all are competitive for admission it might be best to wait until the student is admitted and then make a decision. At that time financial aid/scholarship packages can be considered.</p>

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<p>I have a CS degree and work in Silicon Valley. (Well, actually the biotech area a few miles north.) A CS or EE degree from any of these schools will be viewed favorably, although they don’t guarantee a job the way a degree from Stanford or MIT would.</p>

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<p>In today’s job market I do not feel a degree from any university GUARANTEES a position.</p>

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<p>I am rising senior at USC majoring in Biomedical (Mechanical) Engineering, and while I never applied to any of the other schools your cousin is interested in, I have friends who were accepted into each of those schools and are now at USC. All the schools you mentioned have great engineering programs, and I’ve been fortunate to have incredible experiences both in and out of the classroom while at USC/Viterbi.</p>

<p>USC’s location within sunny Los Angeles is very appealing not only for the opportunities to students after graduation looking to work in engineering, but because the city has so much to offer! From different events on campus to exploring LA’s many restaurants, concerts, sporting teams and the beach, there’s something for whatever you’re looking for outside the classroom.</p>

<p>I was attracted to USC because of the school spirit and resources at the university level (I’ve been able to take classes in economics, accounting, kinesiology, and cinema), with the personalization and opportunities at Viterbi. I’ve met so many different people with a variety of interests and passions from all across the country and around the world! USC definitely held the advantage regarding campus diversity when looking at colleges that seemed to have mainly in-state students.</p>

<p>Viterbi also gives you a taste of Engineering your first semester with an intro to your major course (eg. EE 101 Intro to Electrical Engineering) and the Freshman Academy program, which exposed a mixed-engineering major class the implications and applications of Engineering with hands-on projects, while two coaches (other undergraduate engineering mentors) show freshmen the different resources available within Viterbi.</p>

<p>Viterbi has its own career center dedicated to engineering students and student organizations are a wonderful way for students to create connections as an undergrad. For example, USC’s IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is a student organization designed to help EE and CS students by hosting a variety of social, career-oriented and networking events.</p>

<p>I’ve been fortunate to get involved in a variety of clubs and student organizations, within Viterbi, USC, and Greek Life, while taking advantage of everything that the greater Los Angeles has to offer. Hopefully this gives you a little more insight into USC Engineering–if you or your cousin have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at <a href=“mailto:vstudent@usc.edu”>vstudent@usc.edu</a>. Fight On!</p>

<p>Claire</p>

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<p>All of these schools have excellent engineering programs. You would be very fortunate if you were able to choose among them.</p>

<p>In regards to USC, I believe that the university’s academics and prestige are only going to continue rising within the next few decades, as the sky is the limit.</p>