<p>I've got accepted to Stanford and Caltech for an MS in Electrical Engineering. Both have NOT offered any financial assistance. However I might have a chance to get an RAship at UCLA.
I'd really appreciate it if anyone could highlight the pros and cons of doing an MS in EE at these three schools. I was speaking to a current Stanford grad EE student who mentioned that the competition in EE there is pretty cut-throat and can get unhealthy, like people hiding books in the library, etc. plus professors humiliating students in class and not available for much outside help. I don't know how far this is true, or if it is just one person's experience.
For Caltech, I've tried to get in touch with students there but haven't had any response. From what I've read on some discussion boards, it seems like Caltech has a more cooperative community. Apart from that I haven't heard any views. At this point I'm confused which offer I should accept. Any help/guidance/views will be highly appreciated! Thanks!!</p>
<p>Are you MS/PhD or MS terminal at Stanford?</p>
<p>Terminal MS</p>
<p>Hi, I have never seen professors humiliating students in classes and neither have I heard of students hiding books in the library. As for faculty availability, it really depends on the professor. Some professors might have up to four hours of office hours and others might have two. However, it is possible to contact professors for more help and also, one can always rely on the TAs. The advantage that Stanford offers over Caltech is that there are a lot more classes that Stanford offers over Caltech given the much larger faculty size. Also, Caltech is more geared towards Ph.D students than Stanford.</p>
<p>The questions is whether you want to continue for the Ph.D or whether you want to work in industry. I think a Stanford MS might be more helpful in terms of getting a job simply because of the fact that the large MS program attracts many employers.</p>
<p>Hey StanEE, thanks for your response!...it helps clarify some things...ill be making my decision soon..if anyone has anything else to add that compares Stanford and Caltech EE Master's programs, I'd really appreciate that too. Thanks!</p>