<p>My son is having problems choosing between UCI and SDSU honors (yes deadline is May 1st). He was also accepted at UCSB and UCSC but has ruled them out because of distance (we are from San Diego) and change in interest for majors. He has been wait listed at UCSD and we are not holding much hope (that was his top choice).
On paper it appears that UCI has a stronger academic reputation than SDSU for Engineering and Sciences. However since rankings are mostly based on how much research and publications professors do, I'm not sure that rankings don't mean much and CSUs probably would never compare favorably to UCs that are primarily research universities. My favorite rankings would be : How much a college would prepare you for a career? how long does it take to get a job? what is the starting salary by area of specialty?. Maybe be a Cal Poly Slo or a SDSU would rank better.
Of course there is also the social scene with UCI and SDSU being very different. UCI has the reputation to be more studious and quiet, some describe it as "boring" while SDSU is notorious for its party scene (though I am not sure this is as much as it used to be). My son is serious but also social in a "clean" way.
There is also the fact that UCI is quarter (faster pace) than the semester-based system at SDSU.
Can anybody comment on their experience in Engineering in both universities. I know the cliches for both schools but we are trying to go beyond that.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>