I’m a sophomore in high school, and I decided to pursue Engineering (Aero or Mech). My ideal schools are UMich, Purdue, Rutgers, and UC Berkeley. So I was wondering how is UC Berkeley Engineering, and how is it compared to my other choices? Also, how is life in UC Berkeley? Lastly, how competitive is the tennis team at UC Berkeley?
Berkeley engineering programs are very strong, among the top ranked across all disciplines. Mechanical engineering is a good “jack-of-all” trades discipline and very versatile for an undergrad degree.
Berkeley doesn’t have a formal aerospace engineering program.
I loved my time at Berkeley and the Bay Area is a nice place to live. I would say the school is more academic focused than some of your other top listed schools. Michigan has better sports teams and a more “rah rah” student spirit compared to Berkeley.
Are you in-state for any of the schools listed? If so, choosing the in-state option can save you significant money.
Cal has both men’s and women’s tennis teams and compete in the Pac-12…one of the strongest conferences for tennis. You’ve got to be pretty good.
@UCBChemEGrad I’m from New Jersey. Although Rutgers may seem like a better choice for me, I would prefer something out of state. Mech Engr seems to be a first choice for me and I don’t really care about watching sports (I prefer playing). Berkeley seems to be a nice campus. My UC GPA is a 3.9-4.0, so that might be a plus. Also, I got a 1900 on my PSAT this year (sophomore). I think I can hit a 730 Math, 700 Writing, and 720 Reading. Also, any recommendations for tackling that out-state tuition?
Don’t go into big debt for a mechanical engineering degree. Unfortunately Berkeley and other OOS publics aren’t generous with financial aid. Talk to your parents and see what they can comfortably afford to pay. If your goal is to work as an engineer for an aerospace company, a degree from Rutgers or other cheaper options will get you to your goal as well.
Look at USC (Southern California). They are generous with OOS aid and have a good aerospace engineering program.
Yes. Look more at going to Rutgers. Note that high stats applicants to Rutgers may get a $25,000 Presidential Scholarship, which is basically a full ride for NJ residents (approximately full tuition for non-NJ residents).
If you have a specific industry in mind that you would like to be in after college, then go to the university nearby. (i.e. if you want to go to Boeing and do planes, go to UDub, if you want to join one of the big three car companies, go to UMich) Berkeley is best-suited for the companies in the bay area like Tesla or Apple along with a lot of folks who are into startups and entrepreneurship. Otherwise, Rutgers is a fine school of its own and you’ll still learn all you need to be a successful engineer. If anything, going to a prestigious grad school has much more value than going to a prestigious undergrad so don’t feel like you have to go to an excellent college right after high school because it can wait.
engineering is pretty hard to get into and we’re ranked #3 in the nation (tied #1 for grad in cs <— eecs master race) and had a 9.7% admit rate last year. you’re gonna want to hit 2300 and a 3.95 uw to be confident (80%) that you’ll be admitted. otherwise it’s pretty tough