MIT, CalTech, Stanford, or UCLA?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm having trouble deciding which of the 4 schools above is best for me. I've got a lot of experience with engineering for a HS student (I have built a refrigeration system for ethylene glycol-based PC coolant, and I have cooled computers to -140c, etc). I'm planning on studying computer hardware engineering at this point in time.</p>

<p>About me: I'm not exactly a "partier", and I'm not the masculine, frat-boy type, but I need adventurous people around me in college. I love learning advanced stuff, but I don't match a lot of the extremely academic people around me in terms of social interest. Also, I know it always sounds shallow for students of higher caliber to acknowledge this, but I do like the fact that UCLA is 60% girls.</p>

<p>Here are some thoughts about each school:</p>

<p>Stanford: about an hour drive, whereas UCLA and CalTech are about 8 hours drive south, and MIT is a 3000 mile plane ride. Maybe too expensive for an in-state school IMO, as UCLA could be a better option. Good weather.</p>

<p>MIT: Godly academics, larger campus than CalTech, more active surrounding area, interesting/engaged students?</p>

<p>CalTech: Similar to MIT, 8-hour drive away, smaller school, good weather</p>

<p>UCLA: Good weather, fun people(?), 60% girls, good name as a school, $25k instead of $50k like the others. A lot of "chilled out" people?</p>

<p>Just brainstorming out loud here, guys. I think that MIT and UCLA are the two I'm really torn apart between right now. On one hand I'm thinking "How can I pass up the best engineering school which has amazing people just to (potentially) have more fun?". And on the other hand I'm thinking "How can I pass up a cheaper, funner, closer school with better weather and beautiful girls just for the added prestige (and engaged people) of MIT?"</p>

<p>All input welcome :)</p>

2

<p>Have you been accepted to all four? Perhaps the decision will be narrowed a bit *for *you.</p>

3

<p>Remember that Caltech is about 1000 undergrads and 30,000 grad students.</p>

<p>ucla really isn’t in the same league academically as the other three schools on your list.</p>

<p>MIT has a reputation of putting most of its engineers in government positions as advisors, as opposed to in industry actually designing stuff. This may or may not be for you.</p>

<p>Stanford, I really have nothing to say.</p>

<p>I would advise you to pick MIT over ucla, not simply because of my hatred of all things ucla, but because MIT is going to put you in the highest intellectual and social circles in the nation, pretty much, and you will get so many more opportunities there than you would otherwise. Investing in your future is no area to skimp and save on.</p>

<p>Plus if it’s college girls you’re worried about, you probably shouldn’t. Boston is pretty much the ultimate college town after all, who says you’re restricted to girls on your own campus?</p>

4

<p>For the record, Caltech has 1200 graduate students, not 30,000.</p>

5

<p>I’ve only visited UCLA once, but from what I saw, the females seemed to be mostly cute Asians and white girls who looked like female versions of “frat boys.” Westwood is a tough place for a non-masculine heterosexual guy to stick out. If having some female companionship is part of your college plan, you might want to go to MIT. There are quite a few mostly-female schools nearby (Simmons, Wheelock etc) whose students are hoping to meet Harvard and MIT guys.</p>

6

<p>OP, what’s your family’s EFC? UCLA’s sticker price is less, but the private schools may offer significant need-based aid. </p>

<p>I agree that you should wait to see where you’re admitted before deciding which is the best school for you.</p>

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<p>I would understand if you’re having a hard time choosing between MIT and Berkeley, but MIT vs UCLA? this is a no-brainer.</p>

8

<p>

I disagree. UCLA isn’t as strong as the others in engineering, to be sure, but it’s definitely no slouch. In any case, engineering tends to be far more egalitarian than other fields; the OP would do perfectly well coming out of UCLA.</p>

<p>With a cheaper price tag (assuming no FA) and, more importantly, a lot of appeal to the OP, I see no reason why UCLA is not an excellent option. </p>

<p>I agree with the others about the abundance of females in the MIT area.</p>

9

<p>Also be aware that all the UC system schools are cutting classes and teachers. This makes it much harder for students to get into the classes that they need for their degree, in order to graduate on time. It might not affect you if you go to ucla, but then again it might, and it definitely won’t if you go to MIT.</p>

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<p>Go to the school with the best academics. In this case, Caltech.</p>

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<p>Go where you think you will be happiest. You will get a top notch education at any of the 4. Have you visited all of the campuses? If not, I recommend it.</p>

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<p>I agree with alememom. Why is this an issue at this point in the admissions cycle?</p>

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<p>“OP, what’s your family’s EFC?”
—Assuming this is income: way too high for most aid. 180k.</p>

<p>“Go where you think you will be happiest.”
vs.
“Go to the school with the best academics.”
—This is EXACTLY the debate I’m having with myself lol.</p>

<p>"Why is this an issue at this point in the admissions cycle? "
—Mostly just trying to collect my thoughts, as Caltech and MIT EA decisions are coming out mid-next-week</p>

<p>I talked with my role model today (My sophomore chem and current compsci teacher who everyone loves and who went to MIT), and told him I was having a hard time deciding. He told me that though MIT is certainly different than UCLA, it is still fun, and it has a rather unique feel there, with all the engaged people. And the extra $100,000 I’ll spend getting a degree isn’t actually a huge deal to me (weird, right?), it was just a secondary benefit of a UC school. I guess MIT is back on the top of my list for now, and my #2 choice is still up for debate, since UCLA and CalTech both have attractive features.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the input, everyone, I really appreciate it :)</p>

14

<p>Our D visited all of those schools and applied to all except Caltech. D is math and science focused but was also looking to have access to an excellent humanities department(s).</p>

<p>Loved MIT. Loved everything about it. Would have gone in a heartbeat. Decision made for her- not accepted.</p>

<p>Hated Caltech. Couldn’t wait to get off the campus. Humanities was limited. Athletics was a joke. D is a track athlete (didn’t want to continue in college but wanted excellent facilities) Refused to apply. She said they couldn’t pay HER to attend.</p>

<p>Loved UCLA. World class programs. UC price. LA sun. Decision made for her- not accepted.</p>

<p>Loved Stanford. Amazing choices of sooooo many programs. Campus is beautiful. Athletic facilities are superior. Accepted RD. </p>

<p>As someone else mentioned, you may not have the luxury to be able to choose between all four meaning you may not get into all of them. If you can see yourself at all four, then apply and see what happens. There are worse things that could happen. Our D chose to cast a wide net and see what turned up.</p>

15

<p>

</p>

<p>I’ve heard many stereotypes of MIT, but have never heard that one before.</p>

<p>But regardless, it’s not true anyway. Only 1.4% of MIT undergrads who entered the workforce reported taking jobs with the Federal government or military. Far more likely is that a MIT undergrad would end up in management consulting or finance: 40% of undergrads who entered the workforce entered those industries. </p>

<p><a href=“http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/graduation08.pdf[/url]”>http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/graduation08.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>If choosing between MIT and UCLA, I would choose MIT. MIT beats UCLA reputation-wise of course, and Boston still has much to enjoy (there’s plenty of girls at Harvard and BU).</p>

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<p>assuming ud be accepted to all of them, id choose stanford :)</p>

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<p>Coming from a (Cal)techer perspective…</p>

<p>If you want to do engineering, academically UCLA doesn’t compete so much with the other three, but that does necessarily mean you should stop considering it. Go where you will be happy.
Caltech has a rep for good financial aid, so if you want the “best engineering school which has amazing people” and “a cheaper,…closer school with better weather…” Caltech is the way to go. While there are more males than females at Caltech, there are many girls (many of them beautiful), so the skewed ratio is not too overbearing in my opinion. Also, my class was 42% girls, however this was an all-time high.
MIT has a slightly skewed ratio, but less so.
That being said, if “I don’t match a lot of the extremely academic people around me in terms of social interest” happens to apply to people who are mostly academic in terms of science and math (and likely those who would fit the nerd/geek category), this may be a tip-off to not come to Caltech (and, I would imagine, probably MIT). However, I’m not entirely sure what you meant by that statement.
Metro-sexuals I bet fit in nicely at either four once you find where you fit in socially. At Caltech the house system will take care of this for you.
Socially, the bottom line is to visit the four schools and decide where you think you would fit in the best. This will also clear up what you define as "fun, " because each school probably has very diverse ideas of what this means. Stanford and UCLA seem more party-ish in general than Caltech and MIT and are much more typical college experiences. Caltech has creative, exciting, sometimes nerdy, but awesome forms of recreation, but may be no fun at all if you are looking for a more “well-rounded” university. From what I hear MIT is similar to Caltech is this aspect, although maybe a little more towards the “well-rounded” university feel because of the much greater size.
Good luck in applying/choosing!</p>

19

<p>UCLA is cheap and good, but not as famous as the other 3.</p>

<p>Caltech is a place full of geniuses, but more theory oriented. Its science programs tend to be stronger than its engineering programs.</p>

<p>MIT is the #1 ranked engineering school.</p>

<p>Stanford is the #2 ranked engineering school. However, it has played the most significant role in development of modern technologies in last several decades. If you want to become rich, and change the world, Stanford is the best place. Stanford is noted for nurturing technology leaders such as Larry Page and Segey Brin ( google founders ), Ted Hoff (inventor of microprocessor), Vinton Cerf (the father of internet), and etc.</p>