<p>I am planning to start undergraduate studies this fall and I am probably going to major in electrical engineering or mechanical. I have a few questions.</p>
<li>Does it matter where you go to undergrad for grad school admissions? Does it matter at all?
-(i.e. Cal Poly vs U.C. vs <em>?</em>)</li>
<li>Is a theoretical based instruction superior to an application based curricula? Is one easier than the other? Which one prepares you better?</li>
<li>Is a Community College transfer a good option? Is it riskier?</li>
<li>What do you specifically need to do to get into a top grad school (Stanford, Berkeley, Ivy, and the like)?</li>
<li>Is EE better than ME? I mean, does one have more potential and better career opportunities?</li>
</ol>
<p>EE is somewhat better than ME, but it all depends on your taste. EE has more value for jobs but education is quite rigorous; ME on the other hand pays a bit less than EE yet it incorporates almost all aspects of engineering in general. essentially,
EE = making devices, testing equipment, making things like cell phones and computers more compact, etc...
ME = manipulating devices, designing end products, managing machinery, working on automobiles as a whole, etc...
BOTH = mechatronics focuses on robots and artificial intelligence</p>
<p>Personal preference dictates which degree is better, thats all.</p>
<p>But what I will tell you is that if you are unsure of what you want to end up doing after you graduate, ME is a lot more versatile than EE (with respect to the type of industries you could enter) especially if you are going to enter the workforce with a bachelors degree.</p>
<p>That's a pretty ridiculous statement. Everyone hires EEs because everything uses electricity. What industries don't hire EEs? I would say that EE and ME are the two most versatile degrees...pretty much everyone needs 'em. I would only add that EE pays more. I would also say that EEs have better opportunities outside the engineering field (such as banking) since EE is generally viewed as the tougher degree.</p>
<p>Very few people like Mechanics and E&M equally. Which one do you like more? You'll do better studying what you prefer.
(And your improved performance will open more doors and command higher salaries.)
((And you'll get a job doing something you enjoy.))</p>
<p>Application based is easier, but it doesn’t prepare you as well. </p>
<p>An application based education will teach you “This is a compressor. This is how a compressor works. These are the problems compressors have and how you can fix them.” That’s not much different then becoming a mechanic, in my opinion. You learn a finite skill set and can only apply that skill set within a finite framework. On the other hand, a theoretical education will teach you “This is fluid mechanics. Now you explain to me what a compressor is and how it works.” The idea is that you take use first principals to figure something out. When you do that, you understand the machine better and are a better engineer, more capable of dealing with a wide range of applications.</p>
<p>Though the idea of applied vs. theoretical education isn’t as clear cut. Every engineering school I’ve seen teaches a combination of the two, with some classes more applied and some more theoretical. The difference between schools is the balance.</p>
<p>“1. Does it matter where you go to undergrad for grad school admissions? Does it matter at all? -(i.e. Cal Poly vs U.C. vs <em>?</em>)”</p>
<p>Yes, it probably matters, but not in the obvious way. You want to go to an undergrad school where you can thrive, so that you can present yourself as a good applicant.</p>
<p>“3. Is a Community College transfer a good option? Is it riskier?”</p>
<p>yes and yes. It might make sense monetarily to take a year at community college. Classes like science, math, humanities are likely to transfer (although you should do your research first). However, most engineering programs start focusing on engineering classes in the sophomore year and you are likely to be playing catch up if you wait until your junior year to transfer. I don’t know how the acceptance rate of transfer students differs from that of freshman, although some in-state schools have guaranteed admittance for students from the local community colleges, based on some GPA.</p>