<p>ok heres a few things</p>
<p>im in state california. idk how much total costs is for either school. but i know its alot more for OOS</p>
<p>is going to illinois WORTH paying that much money to go to engineering? idk if im geting my master. theres a good chance i will. </p>
<p>any tips? PS havent visted either college.. doing that in spring</p>
<p>I would generally say that it is not worth a substantial increase in costs to go to a “better” school unless you have the money to burn. UIUC is a great engineering school, and it will give you more opportunities than UCSD, but not so many more that you should spend a ton of money on it. If at the end of your BS you think you need more education or more opportunities, then look to grad school.</p>
<p>well… i HAVE the money. but i dont like spending money on things i dont need. </p>
<p>one other fact: i want to start out working in the san francisco area. I assume that this would level the grounds since UCSD probably has some pretty good connections in the east bay.</p>
<p>UCSD tuition: $12,128
UIUC tuition (OOS of course): $28,570</p>
<p>**i believe these are per year</p>
<p>difference: $16,442</p>
<p>two questions:</p>
<p>1). would my job after 4 years at UIUC pay significantly more than if i went to UCSD?</p>
<p>2). would it look significantly better to a grad school if i went to UIUC instead of UCSD?</p>
<p>(2012)
illinois is 6th overall as far as undergrad engineering rated 4.4
UCSD is 20th overal for undergrad engineering with a rating of 3.7</p>
<p>(2010)
illinois 2nd for undergrad EE
UCSD 17th for undergrad EE</p>
<p>Also does anyone have the current rankings?</p>
<p>Rankings don’t matter. And grad school is more important. I would only make that decision based on financial aid package. UCSD is a top 20 school and I believe employers know that. No way would I pay more than 40k for the difference in opportunities. That’s just tuition so you have to pay room and board…</p>
<p>I’m an EE CC transfer student in San Diego. Engineering companies pay roughly the same and doesn’t depend on the name of your degree. It’s what you learned plus your intern experiences.</p>
<p>
<p>2) Yes, but it depends more on what you want to study. There are more big-name professors in EE at UIUC, and that means more opportunities for good research, better chances at publication, and more potent letters of recommendation… IF you pick one of the specialities where UIUC is particularly strong. There are also areas where UCSD is particularly strong, but the odds are a little better at UIUC. Again, I am talking about small advantages, not (IMO) worth an extra $60k</p>
<p>At the end of the day, I would say that if you honestly see yourself as a TOP engineering student (and most who think so are, of course, incorrect) then UIUC is a better choice, because the advantages of a “better” school are skewed to the top few percent of students. Also, if you have other reasons to think that UIUC is simply a better match for you (i.e., faculty/labs that excite you, a longing to be near corn, etc.) then go there. Otherwise, it is probably a better idea to save the cash and stay at UCSD.</p>
<p>Run the net price calculator at each school’s web site to see what it will cost you at each.</p>
<p>In all likelihood, UCSD will be a much better deal for you as a California resident.</p>
<p>I looked at their websites and they said on average total costs are 30k and 42-48k respectively for Ucsd and University of Illinois. You bring up many good points. Chances are ill still find pretty good internships at Ucsd. From UCSD would I still be able to go to UCLA, UC Berkeley or Stanford (kind of a stretch for me) for grad school assuming I used internship recourses and maintained a decent GPA above 3.4?</p>
<p>
Internships have little or no impact on grad admissions, being oriented towards workforce preparation. What you want is undergraduate research experience, working in a professor’s lab on cutting edge research (admittedly in a junior capacity) and getting strong references and hopefully a couple of references.</p>
<p>
Berkeley and Stanford are TOP programs in EE, and routinely turn away a host of applicants with GPA’s in the 3.5+ range - no one has a “decent” chance. As a general rule, with a 3.50+ GPA you have a chance anywhere, but past that point it is mostly research that gets you in. If you are really interested in these schools, I would say to aim for a 3.80 GPA.</p>
<p>That having been said, UCSD would not inhibit your chances. UIUC might help more, but from UCSD it is still possible, and from NOWHERE is either school anything other than a reach.</p>
<p>What about UCLA for master. Degree? What gpa would I need from Ucsd</p>
<p>Bump bump bump</p>
<p>
Grad school admissions are not like undergrad admissions - it is very individual, and there are no specific guidelines. A candidate with a 3.2 GPA might be taken over a candidate with a 3.8 GPA for the same spot simply because the professor awarding that position likes the other qualifications of the first candidate better.</p>
<p>When I was an EE undergrad most of a decade ago, the head undergrad advisor said that with a 2.9+ GPA you have a shot at grad school, with a 3.2+ GPA you have a shot at top-25 grad programs, and with a 3.5+ GPA you have a shot at top-5 grad programs. That is really the best overall GPA advice I can give you, because GPA will only get them to look at your application, it won’t automatically sell them on the idea that you are the best person for their program. Just like in job searches.</p>
<p>BUMP
Any more opinions about the original topic “uiuc vs Ucsd in EE”</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>UCSD has a really nice campus and location, as well as a solid EE program. It’s also not your run-of-the-mill midwest or east coast university. As such, I’d choose it over UIUC any day of the week. UIUC does have a slight edge academically, but your overall college experience will be better at UCSD, I believe… and that’s important at the undergraduate level.</p>
<p>Well I’m glad u mentioned that</p>
<p>And please no negative comments towards what I’m about to say</p>
<p>But As far as campus vibe over heard two things:</p>
<p>Ucsd has No fun
Ucsd has almost no attractive people</p>
<p>Where’s uiuc has alot of fun and attractive people</p>
<p>Of course “fun” is up to me and everything and I can still find attractive people but how much should I consider these?</p>
<p>You got to be kidding. I am from the midwest, went to the University of Iowa, and my son is currently a sophomore in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Right now it’s 15-20F with snow in the midwest (Champaigne-Urbana and Ann Arbor). I personally couldn’t live in San Diego because there are no distinct seasons but for many kids I think they would prefer 60-70F and sunny versus 10-15F cloudy and snowy from January to March-April</p>
<p>Haha there are attractive people everywhere UNIVELOCITY. How attractive you find someone is your own opinion anyways, but you will find attractive people at any school or place you go. Also, fun is dependent on you. UIUC offers many opportunities to get involved with clubs and you could get involved into a very big Greek life if you chose as well. However, there aren’t tons of things outside of those that you can do nearby. Up to you and your interests!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Whaaaaaat?.. </p>
<p>I don’t know who you overheard that information from, but they are completely incorrect. UCSD has a LOT going for it, AND has a solid EE program to boot. Not to mention all of the local area attractions, scenery, and great weather. What more could you ask for? </p>
<p>And really… no attractive people? C’mon now… That’s just flat-out incorrect. I have several close friends that graduated from the school (granted, their medical school) that can attest to the abundance of beautiful people both in the local area, and on campus. I’ve also seen the campus myself, and trust me, the lack of attractive people is a non-issue.</p>
<p>I am not disrespecting UIUC by any means. I understand it’s a fine school. However, if you are basing your decision to go there on some obfuscated ranking system, then you really need to step back and look at the big picture. The college ranking system is both corrupt and misleading. It’s a fine tool for high school students to reference as a general rule of thumb on which schools are strong vs weak… but when you start to assess the quality of, say, a #3 school vs a #17 school, the rankings lose much of their relevance.</p>
<p>Since UIUC and UCSD are virtually identical in quality (i.e. we’re not talking about UIUC vs University of Mississippi-Nonamesville), the more important factor in your decision should be which school offers the best overall experience. And I believe that UCSD would offer a better overall experience. To each their own though. I just encourage you look at the bigger picture when assessing these schools, and not just fixate on the rankings.</p>
<p>^^^Definitely agree. Choose the school you think you will enjoy the most since they both offer great education.</p>
<p>step foot on UCSD campus and say that…</p>
<p>It’s true. The campus isn’t really “dynamic”. Spend 2 hrs at UCSD vs 2 hrs at San Diego State and the difference is NIGHT AND DAY. UCSD campus feel robotic in comparison. As for the girls…in undergrad? Totally true they are not that attractive. Once again spend a day there, SDSU, and USD and count how many times your head turns for an experiment lol. </p>
<p>Sure UCSD is repeatedly voted a top 20 school as a whole. But campus vibe is a “thing” and schools shouldn’t be considered just for the academic reputation. </p>
<p>But anyways…we are talking about engineering where the BEST guy to girl ratio is probably 80/20 (if you are lucky) anywhere you go.</p>
<p>Well according to recent rankings for electrical engineering (my choice of major)</p>
<p>Ucsd is 14th
Uiuc is 4th…</p>
<p>But the general consensus seems to be choose Ucsd over uiuc?</p>