<p>Hey guys, first post here thought I'd get some opinions from like minded individuals. So I'm currently a freshman at UC Davis doing Electrical Engineering (EE). First quarter I got a 3.5 which I thought was not bad and then this quarter I messed up and got a 3.12 making my average GPA so far a 3.31. So far at Davis I've enjoyed myself and feel like the environment is challenging as an EE but one in which I can still do relatively well if I work hard. As a senior in high school, USC was my number one choice but unfortunately I did not get in. Now I've started considering if I should transfer to USC's Viterbi School. There are several reasons that I'm considering this.
1. I feel the USC name carries more weight when applying for jobs. I feel that I may be able to get a better job coming from USC compared to UCD.
2. Location. I really like the atmosphere in LA and like having a beach relatively close by (something lacking at Davis).
3. In electrical engineering at UCD at least, I get the feeling from some people that they are in there for the money and their ultimate goal is to graduate and be content having a 60-80k salary their entire lives as a cubicle engineer. My intentions are to graduate and work for 2-4 years and then get an MBA. I feel at USC more people would have similar intentions and be more motivated to push themselves beyond what it takes to get a average job. </p>
<p>I haven't really gotten an idea of how hard EE is at USC. If it is harder, should I stay at Davis and graduate with better grades and standing in my class or would USC still be worth the transfer? Another thing to keep in mind is that from 3rd grade until freshman year of high school I've gone to private schools so I'm somewhat used to the private school experience.
Well I've rambled enough. I hope you guys have some useful input and look forward to hearing your ideas and comments.
Thanks,
Oz</p>