I need some help. I am a senior in California and I have narrowed down my list of colleges that I would like to attend to UCLA, UC Davis, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Cal Poly SLO. I have visited all of these colleges and feel at home at all of them; however, my knowledge of their aerospace engineering programs is limited. I know that UCLA offers both rigor and prestige, Cal Poly has a hands on approach, IIT has an exceptional student to faculty ratio (and many opportunities outside of the classroom), and Davis is close to home. I am wondering if anyone can give me advice, information, or really anything about the engineering programs at these colleges (information on aerospace engineering, specifically, would be appreciated). Knowledge about the intern opportunities offered at these colleges would be great as well.
Thanks!
All of these programs are very good and you will be able to find internships and a good job after graduation. I can tell you about Illinois Tech because I am a faculty member there but this is not to say that the other schools don’t have similar opportunities.
I would say that Illinois Tech has the advantage that it is a small school but also a research university. This gives students the relatively small class size and easy access to faculty but also the opportunity to take graduate courses and work in funded research labs alongside graduate students. If this is what appeals to you, and you like being in the middle of a major city, then Illinois Tech could be a good choice. As far as internships, there is a Career Fair each semester and there are a lot of companies which come to recruit on a regular basis from all over the country. If you need to know specifically about the Aerospace Engineering program (I am a Physics professor), you should talk to the Admissions office and ask to speak with a faculty member. I am pretty sure that they will find a faculty member who will call you and answer your questions about the program. For more general questions, you can just keep posting your queries here or on the Illinois Tech forum.
As I said, all your choices are good. You need to see what kind of environment works for you and is affordable.
Good Luck!