<p>Well if you're aiming for prestige, in all honesty, shoot for Berkeley. Going off the top of my head, Berkeley is top 5 whereas UCLA is somewhere in the low 20's for undergrad engineering. If you wanted to stay local, USC would be a much better option.</p>
<p>agreed.
im sorry, but UCLA "has an engineering school that is one of the top ten in the world"???
last time i checked it's <em>only</em> #15 in the US, let alone the world. (not that it's inferior or anything with all due respect, it's still highly ranked; oh, and berkeley engineering owns UCLA...YEAYAH =P)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/eng/brief/engrank_brief.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/eng/brief/engrank_brief.php</a>
but as with all "rankings", take it with a grain of salt
i dont want you guys coining me as a magazine stats whore...lol</p>
<p>Stay at CPP you'll find that PCC is full of students trying to get in to CPP and trust me finding the classes you'll need will have you sticking around PCC for a long time think 3-4 years not the 2 everyone goes in thinking they'll do. Unless yuor'e willing to graduate say 7-8 years from now go to CPP where the possibility of graduating within 4 years is more realistic. Besides last time I checked a degree from CPP carries a lot of weight in the southern cali area and by no means inferior in any manner. I'm not saying dont pursue the UC's if thats what you really want but you should realize that the slots are few and competition high and the fact that you got in to a school like CPP and not take advantage of it is a shame imo.</p>
<p>mexbruin,</p>
<p>bear in mind the OP's goal is to transfer to UCLA regardless of where he spends his first two years. And let's admit it, saying it will take him 3-4 years to complete less than two years worth of requirements (some do it in less than two) is more than a bit of a stretch, and saying it will take him 7-8 years to finish college entirely if he goes down that route is downright absurd.</p>
<p>Yes, the OP would be turning down a reputable school, but again, the goal is not to get an OK degree; it's to get into UCLA engineering or equivalent. Let's again remind ourselves that the transfer priority admissions for UC's goes as follows - California Community Colleges, then UC's, then Cal States.</p>
<p>If the OP really is dissatisfied with the potential of a CPP degree and wan'ts more, then going to CPP would put him at a marked disadvantage in the transfer admission process.</p>
<p>qwerty3851,
I'm sorry...it wasn't in the world. This came straight off of the UCLA website:
School of Engineering and Applied Science</p>
<p>The Henry A Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science ranks among the top 10 engineering schools in the country. The six departments within the School are structured to align with the traditional specialties characteristic of the engineering profession. Undergraduate programs prepare students for immediate professional careers as well as for advanced studies in engineering or other fields.</p>
<p>USNEWS should be correct, my guess is. Either UCLA has an ego and doesn't keep up to date...or USNEWS is just an opinion from the people or something (it isn't since it's based on statistics). I just don't know.</p>
<p>So Berkeley would be a much better choice for undergrad engineering? Anything else better? I was also thinking of trying to get into Caltech for grad school, that is why I need the preparation that a highly-ranked UC like UCLA or UCB can give me.</p>
<p>mexbruin,
I realize that I will be giving up Cal Poly Pomona and my chance of getting a degree there. So what? That isn't my ultimate goal. I will not be satisfied if I were to stay there, no matter how good of a school it is. It just doesn't rank up to the top UCs. With that, I can't hold my position at CPP, I must follow where my interest lies. I'm going to strive to complete all the requirements at least within 2 years...I don't see how anybody could <em>NEED</em> anymore time than that...they may want it because of situations or whatever.</p>
<p>themegastud,
You have been here throughout the life of this thread. You know the truth.</p>
<p>themegastud is right. CPP is not my goal. A top UC like UCLA or UCB is. I am striving for the advantage and a higher chance of transferring to that school. I want to make certain that I will be admitted when I apply once again. </p>
<p>These are the preliminary stats for Fall 2005 transfer admits:
<a href="http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof05.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof05.htm</a></p>
<p>The percent for other Cali universities has gone up by 4% at 18.71% and the percent for CCs has gone up by 2% at a staggering 42.59% chance of being admitted as a transfer from a CC. If I stayed at CPP, I would have any of my GE classes transfer because of the units difference and I would have to live with that low chance. If I went to a school like PCC, I would have a much higher chance and I would be able to complete the IGETC program.</p>
<p>I still have to take a few placement tests and register for a meager amount of classes this Fall that may or may not starting towards the completion of IGETC, but that is what I must do. But....it is definitely worth it, right?</p>
<p>I am deciding between local or just all-cali, can I have info for both?</p>
<p>Also, I need to make a quick decision. Would GCC or LACC be a better school for me? PCC has a lot of closed classes, but its rankings are high among transfer rates. GCC has some open classes. LACC, I dunno. Help...</p>
<p>for undergrad in most engineering departments, it typically goes MIT, Stanford, Berkeley
<a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankengineering_brief.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankengineering_brief.php</a>
(make sure you click on the ones for "highest degree is a doctorate")</p>
<p>in the case of aerospace, it's MIT, GaTech, and Michigan
while mechanical, it's MIT, Michigan, Stanford.
although i'm pretty sure berkeley is top 5 or top 10 in those 2 departments (in other words, well ahead of the other UCs, such as LA or SD)</p>
<p>Xcron,</p>
<p>The only CC that has a higher transfer rate than PCC to UCLA is Santa Monica College, and I'm guessing that's toof ar of a commute. I'm sure GCC and LACC would be fine options, but there's a reason why it's #2 in transfers to UCLA. Since the vast majority of students enter PCC with aspirations to either go there or USC, their guidance counselors are intimately familiar with necessary requirements, necessary classes, and the like. I'm sure GCC and LACC counselors are also familiar with UC transfer req's, but I'm not sure if it's at the level that PCC counselors are. Also, don't forget the amenities like the seminars they offer on writing the UC Personal Statement -- I think they'll even review it for you and give you feedback. It's almost like a "how to increase your transfer chances to UCLA" class. Ideally, I would head to PCC a.s.a.p, meet with a counselor, tell them your situation regarding yoru last minute decision to register at PCC, and ask what the possiblities are of getting necessary classes and their availability for the upcoming semester.</p>
<p>In addition to the fact that UCLA takes 42% from CC's and only 18% elsewhere, realize your GPA might also be higher as well coming from PCC, boosting your admit chances even further than if you had stayed at CPP. Certainly not every student is turning down a school like CPP and you will likely be of higher caliber than others in your class. This will especially be noticeable in curved classes.</p>
<p>If you do a year at CC and realize it isn't the thing for you, consider that many private schools will take transfers with only one year under their belt. As aforementioned, USC's #1 transfer feeder is PCC and it is higher ranked than UCLA.</p>
<p>And yes, Berkeley is 3rd in the nation, after Stanford and MIT for engineering. While Samueli is solid, engineering is one of Berkeley's marquee programs, and is in a different stratosphere than UCLA. May I ask why CalTech for grad school though? USC and Berkeley are ranked higher...</p>
<p>Xcron is making the correct decision by transfering to a CC. Transfering from Cal Poly is a BIG PAIN IN THE @$$. Xcron asked me so I figured it out. I took 12 of 15 GE classes at Cal Poly. I am getting credit for 3 of 10 at UCLA.<br>
Now the counter side of the argument is that I do I have credit for 7 major classes-3 of which would not be offered at a CC. In additon, I have taken 3 classes which are VERY similar to 3 upper division classes I have to take at UCLA. I am confident I am MUCH better prepared than the average CC transfer. </p>
<p>I told Xcron earilier that I wish I went to a CC. Honestly bro, I think I just said that because Im still a little PO'd over the stupid policy they have reguarding my GEs. The truth is, I am very happy I went to CPP. It was a really good expierence and has prepared me soooo much better for UCLA than a CC would have. However, given that you are applying to a very competitive program, I would still go to a CC if I were you. They favor CC students sooo much for admissions--if you truly want to go to UCLA, UCSD, USC, UCB, it is a small sacrifice. Also, you can always apply to CPP as a safety school for transfering from the CC--they will accept you.</p>
<p>Regarding a previous argument: VERY VERY few engineering majors finish Cal Poly in 4 years. They all regard it as a 5 year major, and many take 6+.</p>
<p>Went in to PCC today. Got my application process finished, so I got my file updated and got my registration ticket. Went and took the english, math, and chem placement tests. Will go tomorrow and take the 4th placement test (foreign language - Russian) and meet with counselor and try to get some classes towards the IGETC program. This is it. What decides where I go is if PCC gives me the money I need to cover my costs over there and if I get classes for Fall. If not, I have no choice, though I will try my hardest to get set up at PCC. I hope everything works out. I have a really good friend that will be attending it as well and I hope that I can have this great advantage and opportunity and still have the luxury of knowing a very good friend at the school. =)</p>
<p>CalTech was a school that I was obsessed about since the beginning of when I was applying to universities. I wanted to get in and ultimately didn't. That just makes me even more fierce in my battle to get in there because it is such a great science, technology, and engineering school. 8th place here:
<a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc_brief.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc_brief.php</a>
And 4th in the world here:
<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1343281,00.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1343281,00.html</a></p>
<p>Do you guys recommend a different school for me for grad school that is a good science and engineering school? Give me choices for local and Cali please.</p>
<p>I will force myself to go the 1-2 years to get everything done so that I may succesfuly transfer to UCLA or UCB, or whichever school I choose.</p>
<p>Two of my posts ago, I pasted a link to the prelim stats for transfers of 2005 to UCLA. The thing I am not happy about is the average GPA that engineering admits have. It is pretty high in my opinion, and I bet that is going to decrease my chances for admission. Who knows, I may decide to ditch engineering ( I doubt it, for several reasons ) and go to my equal interest in science.</p>
<p>Regarding a previous argument: VERY VERY few engineering majors finish Cal Poly in 4 years. They all regard it as a 5 year major, and many take 6+.</p>
<p>Exactly. At CPP. I thought maybe 4, so what do you think it'll take you at a UC? Couple that with atleast 2 at PCC. All I'm saying is that going to PCC is not necessarily a better option than staying at CPP.</p>
<p>Yes people have finished lower division stuff in less than 2 years at a cc but they were probably in the humanities or social sciences no way will you finish IGETC and your engineering pre reqs in less than 2.</p>
<p>If you were to stay at CPP say a year you would get more aid like you said yourself, register for the classes you need in engineering since they would be available unlike PCC and you would be getting the preparation Dusty so highly touts.</p>
<p>After a year at CPP go to PCC finish all the lower division stuff ie sociology, history, music etc. get IGETC certified and apply from PCC you would still be considered a cc transfer but you'd be better prepared to take on classes at say Berkeley and such.</p>
<p>Just giving you a different opinion you come off as very indecisive and unsure about what you really want to do. YOu wait for other people's opinions/advice to look to your next move. Dont worry about what people on this board outside this board or your parents for that matter determine where you go.</p>
<p>mexbruin,</p>
<p>You are probably right about the preparation part. I do not have the college experience to know if the preparation is going to pay off or the higher percent chance of admission. I also do not like the idea of going to CPP for a year then transferring to PCC. I've been through a large amount of hassle with all this college stuff already, and I just want to settle down at a school and get on my way to advancing forward, unlike this standstill I am at.</p>
<p>I would also beg to differ with you about your judgment of me. I do NOT wait for people's advice and opinions to pick my next move. I came here for advice for what I wanted to do. I lacked the college experience and the knowledge of the workings of the college system. That is the reason I came here to ask for advice. I also did NOT wait for anything. Once I had some advice, I researched further and decided my next few steps. That is why I had taken the liberty of starting to set up at PCC as fast as possible and because I like the school a little better than CPP.</p>
<p>Sure, CPP is a great school for anybody who wants an OK degree in engineering. It sure isn't a fit for the kind of school I am looking for. Staying there, I would also have a huge problem with my GEs and would have to do them over again at the UC. Also, I live in Glendale (close to LA and Burbank). Glendale is 32 miles away from CPP. I never drive above the speed limit. It would take me about 45 mins to get there and I would probably have to rush to everything. Now, I am not sure how many miles Pasadena City College is from Glendale, but I am sure it is at least 1/6th of what the distance to CPP is. These two cities are like brothers, along with Burbank. I favor this gas economy, so I would have to pay much less than paying $5 a day for gas to get me to CPP and back. Now, calculate $5/day for a school year. Also why I like PCC: I can finish the GE reqs and everything that the UCs require and not have to do there ever again by completing the IGETC program. I also like PCC because I would technically have a 42% chance of being admitted if everything looks good after 1-2 years. </p>
<p>So you say I would definitely not be able to complete the engineering reqs and the IGETC in less than 2 years. Fine, as if that is the real problem at this point in time. The problem is getting set up at PCC. After that, I will determine how fast I am going to get out or not. But from what I heard, it is very possible to get out in 1 year. If someone were to take around 8 classes per semester, I would think it very possible. Plus it is a community college, so the level of difficulty is not high at all. Unlike what Dusty had to face at a real university =P.</p>
<p>your logic was very admirable up until the "around 8 classes per semester" part.
to that i can only reply...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA</p>
<p>Yeah, even that sounded funny to me when I was typing it up. Hahahhahahaha.
o_O</p>
<p>
[quote]
your logic was very admirable up until the "around 8 classes per semester" part.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Before you fill up a whole page with "hahhahahahahahas," I knew a girl who took 8 classes not a semester, BUT A QUARTER!!! Its amazing what one can do with a little determination, just depends how hard you want to work and how bad you want something. She graduated just short of 4 years with two degrees and a 3.XX GPA.</p>
<p>Edit: Oh yeah, and this wasn't just one quarter, when I meet her, she was on her thrid quarter with this course load.</p>
<p>well i guess then it depends on the "class" then, some may be seminars or P/NP or light-workload classes. OR it couldve been a mixture of 8 really intense reading/calculation heavy classes interspersed with tedious labs and the entailing lab reports. it really depends which subjects she was taking and if its science or liberal arts or something off, like public speaking or history of techno</p>
<p>and keep in mind, in xcron's case he's supposed to fulfill the IGETC prereqs in working towards an ENGINEERING degree. ooo yea im POSITIVE the "level of difficulty is not high at all" for engineering lol</p>
<p>and lets just say, for the sake of argument, he blows through it all easily in less than 2 years (wherever he goes), earns a 3.9x, transfers successfully to UCLA or Cal...wow good luck earning a 2.0 the rest of the way, where you're taking mostly, if not all, hardcore upper-division engineering classes and competing with some of the best students from around the world</p>
<p>Dusty,</p>
<p>I also knew someone who went to Cal State LA and was taking a consisten 32 units per quarter and he was able to graduate and get his degree in physics or engineering ( I do not remember which it was ).</p>
<p>qwerty,
Thanks for your encouragement. </p>
<p>I went in to PCC again today, and found out that I can't take 4th assessment test until the 25th. So whatever. I went in to the Financial Aid office and ultimately was able to receive the Board of Governors Grant (a fee waiver for registration costs) and will receive more aid once they process my FAFSA. That's good. Then I got my assessment test results and I tried to get an appointment to meet with a counselor but wasn't able to because I did not have a required print out. I said I did, but I wasn't able to print it out so I just took the liberty of writing up an exact copy of it. No matter how much I argued with that #)$@*, she wouldn't take it and told me to go and print out the exact thing. So I went around the whole campus looking for a single computer that I could use and finally ended up in the main building once again, in the Transfer Center. A guy let me use his comp and I got to print that crap out. I took it to that lady and was referred to another lady. That lady then told me that she could either give me an appointment for Friday or I could come at the walk-in appointment times. </p>
<p>So, I will go there tomorrow once again at a walk-in time and try to get my meeting with counselor over with so that I can get my freakin' classes. This is ridiculously pathetic, how long these matters take. <em>sigh</em>...</p>
<p>lol administration sucks but its like that anywhere... even UCLA</p>
<p>goodluck~ keep us updated with ur life. this thread could be like ur blog :)</p>
<p>"Plus it is a community college, so the level of difficulty is not high at all. Unlike what Dusty had to face at a real university =P"</p>
<p>If you really believe this ^ then you are in for a rude awakening. I am currently at "a real university" (UCLA) and can tell you from my experience at PCC that it is by no means a cake walk. The rigor and level the classes are taught are on par with the classes here at UCLA. Many community college students on this board and those who have transferred to good schools would take offense to that. We didnt have it any easier than any other four year school. My Econ class at my cc was far more difficult than what is required here at UCLA they do this because they know that the goal of most students is to transfer and they want to prepare them.</p>
<p>Bottomline stay at PCC if you want but dont go in there thinking its going to be any easier there than at Cal Poly Pomona. Calculus in San Dimas is Calculus in Pasadena. </p>
<p>Oh yeah and registering for 8 classes a semester? good luck trying to get that petitioned through at PCC.</p>
<p>Wow! Ok I take back what I said about community colleges then. I was thinking that PCC was going be like a waste of time because of the mentality about community colleges around where I live. That's awesome!!! So I am not going to be missing out on any difficulty at all and I can advance in my academics!!! Nice!!!!!!</p>
<p>I was thinking that if the difficulty was gone then I obviously wouldn't be prepared for a UC. This is good news, haha.</p>
<p>(Let's see if I can get that walk-in appointment thing this afternoon...sheesh...dang administration.)</p>