<p>So I was accepted to Purdue and received the famous letter from UCLA. As the title suggests, I am wondering how the two stack up against each other for engineering. It is important for me to get a good education out of engineering, too. So, how do they compare? I live in California. Here is what I have so far:</p>
<p>-I was looking at rankings, and Purdue is number 9 and UCLA is number 15 or 16. On a five point scale, Purdue beat UCLA by about 10 percent.
-It looks like I am eligible for Purdue's honors program but not UCLA.
-It seems like the dorms are nicer at Purdue vs the over crowded ones at UCLA
-Purdue has a much larger emphasis on engineering than UCLA
-Average class size at Purdue for engineering is 32 and the only thing I could find from UCLA is that they are less than 200 (about 30 for the labs and discussions led by TAs)</p>
<p>I have been to LA a lot and really do not like it. I do, however, like the campus. It's just after you leave UCLA where I have problems. However I suspect I would have the same problem with Purdue, where there is nothing around it. But, I would rather have nothing than LA... I also heard that Chicago is pretty nice.</p>
<p>I would greatly appreciate any opinion on either, ESPECIALLY if you are familiar with either.</p>
<p>hmm it's tough, but I don't think there is a HUGE difference between UCLA and Purdue. Go to the school you like the best whether that is UCLA or Purdue. In my opinion, go to UCLA, there's a lot more to do there than West Lafayette, Indiana</p>
<p>I agree that I need to look at the campus, but are there other reasons that could also influence my choice?</p>
<p>I am not very familiar with UCLA other than I know its a good school, however, I am an engineering student at Purdue. I would say that you should really consider the cost difference as the major factor here - unless cost is not an issue. Purdue is great, and I would highly recommend going to Purdue to anyone. However, I dont know if I would be able to justify the major difference in tuition when UCLA is a good school and its your other option. Also, I know this might seem insignificant to you now - but for me it turned out to be a major disappointment at Purdue - the weather. I am from FL, and the bitter winters here truly do suck, there is no way around it. If you are from sunny southern Cal, or Florida, or anywhere like that - it is a major, major shock. We are not talking about the nice fluffy snow that you see in Colorado, we are talking baron landscapes and frigid wind. Apparently, the winters are not that long though, and I keep hearing that spring is on the way - but Im still waiting
As far as the engineering program, I love it. I genuinely feel that it is a great education, and I am more than happy that I came to Purdue overall. I sacrificed the in-state tuition at Uflorida for the engineering reputation of Purdue - and I feel that I made a good choice, as I have had a lot of success in finding internships/co-ops thus far. In fact, I just accepted a great co-op that I am really excited about. However, I also know that UCLA enjoys a good reputation across the board and I would be hesitant to jump to the conclusion that you will receive a benefit increase comparable to the cost increase that you will see by coming to Purdue. On a side note, if your career goals are aimed in the direction of defense, or aerospace, Purdue will most likely have a large advantage over almost any school. </p>
<p>If you have any more questions, let me know
</p>
<p>Thanks for the thoughtful response.</p>
<p>While cost is obviously an issue for just about everyone, the difference between UCLA and Purdue is not large enough to be a deciding factor. It is fairly low on the list...</p>
<p>When it comes to the weather, I actually love the snow and prefer winter to summer.</p>
<p>Really I am interested in how the two stack up when it comes to the classes. How big are the classes at Purdue? What are the opportunities available? Why did you pick Purdue over UFlorida? I understand you said the reputation, but what were you thinking back then and in hindsight what sort of factors could have improved your decisions? THanks for your help!</p>
<p>Well, you said that you would be in the honors program, which will definitely have an impact on the class sizes. However, my first year engineering classes were large. All of the engineering majors are funneled through the same first year program consisting of math, physics, chem, etc
so it is not uncommon to see 200+ in those classes. Once you finish your first year the class sizes will drop off considerably, closer to the range you mentioned for the average. I do have to say that even when the classes are large, there is help available to you if you choose to use it, e.g. TAs, office hours, etc. I would be wary of the honors program if I were you, I know numerous people who dropped out of that because they couldnt handle it. It seems contrite, but it is easy to go in thinking you are capable to be at the top of any class, I know that I did originally. However, I have found that even though I do make good grades here, I am nowhere near the top student in my classes - nor am I capable to be so no matter how hard I work. To do well in the honors program you will have to be intelligent naturally and work very hard, just one or the other wont cut it. In terms of finding a job it is better to have a higher GPA in regular classes than a lower GPA in honors classes. The recruiting here is great and I have to say that Purdue receives a lot of attention from employers, even in this economic downturn. </p>
<p>When I was choosing schools, my main concern was the employment opportunity and the reputation of the school. Purdue has UF beat in terms of both. I plan on going to a top grad program in a few years and therefore I wanted to have the reputation of my undergrad program speak for me. I also figure that Purdue has a national reputation which will help me if I ever want to relocate to different parts of the country down the road. UF is known as a good school in the south - but other than that it is primarily known as a party school. Whereas the last reason on earth you would come to Purdue is to party - people come here because of the engineering. </p>
<p>I cant really compare Purdue to UCLA on an academic level, all I can say is that Im very pleased with the level of education here - I do feel like I learn a lot. At UF it is often hard to get into the classes that you need to take because there isnt space available, here I have not had that problem at all. All of my experiences here have been good besides the weather. I enjoy the people, the school, and the job opportunities
Theres not too much else I can say.</p>
<p>PURDUE FRANK -
Does ranking really matter much more than reputation ? I know Purdue is ranked higher than UCLA but don't you think that UCLA is a more reputed school than Purdue ?</p>
<p>That's another thing to think about. UCLA carries more prestige than Purdue in general. However from what I can tell Purdue places more emphasis on Engineering. Because I know I am going to grad school, the prestige of undergrad (int'l business or patent law) is not too important to me but rather the experience.</p>
<p>^^^ I think you are right. And as far as I know UCLA cost is more than Purdue and also the cost of living at UCLA is ridiculously high compared to West Lafayete.</p>
<p>shiv</p>
<p>I would say that ranking matters LESS than reputation. UCLA has a good reputation, although it is often overshadowed by UCB. I would say that in terms of engineering, Purdue has a better reputation than UCLA. However, in many other areas UCLA has the better reputation.</p>
<p>Exactly, but I think cost is also a deciding factor, but I think its too early for me to decide between UCLA and Purdue. I have got into Purdue waiting for UCLA. </p>
<p>If i do get into UCLA then i am going to need all the help i can get, lol. </p>
<p>btw, how are the internship oppurtunities ar Purdue. Do u get Paid internships ?</p>
<p>Yes, there are good internship/co-op opportunities. If you do come to Purdue, I would highly advise that you take advantage of them. There are a lot of people who end up with four years of grueling engineering coursework under their belt but cant get a good job offer because they never did any internships. I just signed a 3 term co-op that starts at 2300/month and will most likely go up near 3500/month for my third term. There are many opportunities, many of them with very well known companies - take advantage.</p>
<p>What do you mean by 3 month co-op ?</p>
<p>Not 3 month, 3 term. It means you do three internships with the same company for about three months each time. For instance, you might start in the summer, then go back to school for the fall, then go to work for the spring, then go back to school... etc.</p>
<p>Oh, thats nice... so how much do u think u will earn total ? and btw whats your major ?</p>
<p>I am hoping to save around 15,000 that will help to pay down my loans. I am in IE.</p>
<p>Did you get that E-Mail invitation from UCLA? Because I heard that if you get that you are in. I got mine on Saturday, but don't know how the mail them...</p>
<p>i'm surprised cost if not a factor for you considering you would be paying in state for ucla. i know cali in state is high but purdue out of state is like close to 30 unless you got some good financial aid or whatnot. if cost is not an issue i agree and would say go to where you would feel more comfortable. if you hate la and ucla then go to purdue. i would say your job opportunities coming out of both would be about equal and all other things would be kinda comparable school wise though ucla has way more asians and way less whites haha.</p>
<p>I wish cost wasn't a factor. But, there is a good chance I will get a scholarship at Purdue. If I don't then it would be about 35K which includes travel. Compare this to UCLA which is about 28 before travel and other expenses. There is also talk of raising tuition. From what I understand, there is also more of an opportunity to get paid internships at Purdue. So, by the end of the day, it seems like the price gap is minimal. Plus, if I do get that sholarship at Purdue, then it would be cheaper there...</p>
<p>Alright, I just got officially accepted to UCLA. Any other thoughts?</p>