<p>I want to be an engineer and I was accepted to U Chicago, UVa (OOS), UMich (OOS), and UCLA (OOS). Now here’s the problem: </p>
<li><p>University of Chicago has no engineering haha. I don’t know why I even applied.</p></li>
<li><p>My financial aid packet from UVa is the best of all the schools I got accepted to. Only have to pay 17,000 a year; however, I heard the engineering/science programs are not good. </p></li>
<li><p>UCLA gave me about 10,000 in scholarship and lots of loans. The engineering at UCLA is decent but is it worth paying that much more than UVa? </p></li>
<li><p>Finally, U Mich has the best engineering program but gave me no financial aid. Is it worth paying the full OOS tuition for U Mich superior engineering program?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>What do you think about my situation? I could see myself going to all the school listed above except U Chicago. Since I’m in the UCLA board I will address UCLA. I’m leaning toward UCLA for many reasons including those outside academics. Yet I have some concerns as well. Is UCLA engineering very difficult (low GPA) and competitive among peers. I am leaning toward UCLA because of its great weather, awesome basketball program, great food, the city of LA, student body, etc but as an engineer at UCLA will I be able to enjoy these benefits with the intense courseload? </p>
<p>Comment on my other schools as well if you like, if not can you tell me about my UCLA situation? I just can’t decide because I feel this choice is going to have a big impact on my future.</p>
<p>What kind of engineering - EE, CS, CE, ME, AE, …?</p>
<p>Well I applied for Electrical Engineering at UCLA but to be honest I don’t really know much about the engineering specialties. I wanted to explore a little in college. At UCLA will I be able to switch my specialty from EE to something else if I dont like it?</p>
<p>EE <–> CSE is easiest. You can switch even after two years and not lose too many classes. The other engineering majors are relatively easy to transition to from EE, given that you don’t wait too long. Too long is generally longer than 1 year.</p>
<p>Oh okay. Thanks. </p>
<p>Can anyone help me with my situation?</p>
<p>UVA is ranked by USNWR (2008) somewhere around 33 for engineering in general and UCLA is 20. For EE UVA is somewhere around 19 and UCLA around 15. Both are very high and the difference in ranking isn’t worth spending too much effort on.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/555743-us-news-2009-undergraduate-engineering-rankings-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/555743-us-news-2009-undergraduate-engineering-rankings-2.html</a></p>
<p>Both of them are fully capable of providing an excellent UG EE education to you along with plenty of opportunities. Both also offer plenty of other majors should you change your mind later.</p>
<p>Where did you hear that UVA’s engineering program isn’t good? Was it from a reliable source? I don’t think I’d put much stock in it because it seems as if they have a very good program.</p>
<p>I think you should consider where you’d prefer to live for the next 4 or so years, what you think of the campuses and surrounding areas, and possibly where you’d like to work afterwards (although you can always move afterwards as well). You also need to value the cost differential - i.e. if it costs you considerably more to go to UCLA vs. UVA, is it really worth that price to you?</p>