UIUC vs Berkeley

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
1

<p>Here's my dilemma.
I've been accepted to both UIUC Engineering (CS major) and Berkeley EECS. Can't choose between the two.</p>

<p>I realize that when applying to UIUC I should probably have picked ECE (didn't realize that the two were separate when applying; I literally learned about UIUC the day before the application was due and didn't have time to do much research). Thinking about a possible transfer to ECE in the future; I hear a lot of the courses overlap anyway (which makes sense).</p>

<p>I do like CS a lot more than EE. I'm throwing EE in there because I've worked with small-scale electronics, microcontrollers, that kinda stuff and I figured that combining the two makes the most sense.</p>

<p>Researching both of the schools shows me that engineering at both universities is pretty much at the same level, so unless there is convincing evidence that this is not the case, course rigor and how good the programs are at each school is not a factor.</p>

<p>Financial aid is similar - EFC of 2739 at both campuses, $4618/yr in loans at UIUC and $5k/yr at Berkeley. I have some scholarships already + also have a plan for debt repayment thanks to /r/personalfinance. In short, this is also not a major factor (unless there's something I'm missing).</p>

<p>I've visited both campuses; I can honestly say that I like the feel of UIUC - nice and quiet. Berkeley was too hectic when I visited, but it was on Cal Day so there were probably 4-5x the normal amount of people (plus all the student organizations, info booths, etc.) I don't want to let any misperceptions hinder my decision, so I'm trying to tread lightly with this bit.</p>

<p>I think the decision pretty much comes down to things like job placement, social life, surrounding environment around the school, etc.</p>

<p>The problem I have with Berkeley is that the neighborhood sucks IMO. This is perhaps not the most accurate portrayal, but I thought it was similar to downtown LA - not a fun place to be at night (I speak from experience). However, there is a lot more stuff to do thanks to its proximity to San Francisco (though traffic there sucks; took 1.5 hours to drive 6 miles in the afternoon on a Saturday).
The issue I have with UIUC is that even though I didn't feel bored while I was there, I feel like I might eventually get bored because Champaign-Urbana revolves around the campus and there is literally nothing to do outside of the campus town without taking a 1.5-2 hour drive (impractical except on weekends with public transit).</p>

<p>I know probably around 20 people going to Berkeley - maybe 15ish from my school alone. A little concerned about how this might play out at Berkeley. I only know 1 (possibly 2) going to UIUC, and don't know him that well (met through FRC this year; doing CS as well). Should I ditch the friends? I have a few romantic interests going to Berkeley but I would also like a fresh start.</p>

<p>Also, the ultimate goal is to get hired by a technology company (preferably Google). Would like to be making 100k+ eventually as well. Any thoughts on job placement, internships, etc.?</p>

<p>Social life? I've traditionally been introverted but would be fine with an active social atmosphere (meaning party schools would be okay). Would the social scene at either school have an effect on course workload/time management?</p>

<p>I don't care too much about the brand name of either school, by the way, so please don't just say Berkeley because it's well-known (though it would be a bonus if I chose to go there). After a few years of work experience it doesn't matter either way.</p>

<p>So, UIUC or Berkeley?</p>

<p>Edit: Also thought I mention I hate California's liberalism after living in LA all my life (agree with some of the ideas - I'm Libertarian myself - but way too much political drama and such, plus a lot of people are reactionary here). With UC funding going down the drain nowadays, class placement is also a legitimate concern. Not sure how it is at UIUC.</p>

2

<p>Berkeley’s EECS program is far more difficult than UIUC’s CS program (that’s something you should consider). With that being said, more students get recruited from Berkeley from tech companies such as google simply because it’s in the Bay Area. UIUC also gets quite a few from the Bay, but not quite nearly as much.</p>

3

<p>Berkeley EECS being harder was one of my concerns.</p>

<p>I did notice during my research that Berkeley’s proximity was an advantage in job placement, and since UIUC is in the Midwest, a lot of smaller companies can’t afford to send recruiters there (whereas Berkeley is just a drive away). However, UIUC’s engineering is very well known amongst tech companies, and so I’m thinking that this may be a non-issue, at least amongst the bigger ones (no real preference as to startup or corporation here). In short, even if it’s not Google, any decent tech job with a good starting salary is acceptable. After all, all I need is one decent job offer.</p>

<p>Any advice on the other aspects of life on both campuses?</p>

4

<p>I am also deciding b/w UIUC(ECE) and UC berkeley(EECS).Which is more rigorous?
Also,which university has more research opportunities for undergraduates?</p>

5

<p>I had to make this decision last year. UIUC and UCB are both great schools that have strong undergrad engineering programs. For ECE (and for every other engineering discipline), you will get nearly the same quality of classroom experience at either school. In terms of rigour, it’s not like one school will teach you any secret knowledge that the other school doesn’t know about. You’ll learn the same things in the same types of classes, but the classes will just have different names.</p>

<p>However, currently Berkeley (and the entire UC university system) is broke. When I visited last year, the department I was interested in was putting some of their faculty on furlough, had difficulty funding research, and couldn’t afford to keep very many undergrad researchers. Also, Berkeley will give basically no merit based financial assistance and is a bit stingy on need-based too. </p>

<p>On the other hand, the College of Engineering at Illinois is flush with cash, hiring a dozen new talented faculty every year and has some of the best research facilities in the world. Also, UIUC will give plenty of scholarships/incentives to high-scoring incoming freshman. The only two drawbacks to UIUC, is that Champaign can’t hold a candle to the Bay area in terms of diversity, and that the Berkeley campus is much prettier than Illinois. I would go with UIUC if I were you. Way more opportunities for undergrads as well.</p>

6

<p>Is L&S CS at Berkeley as hectic as EECS? And how does L&S CS at Berkeley compare (in terms of workload) to UIUC CS?</p>

<p>Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk</p>

7

<p>Berkely has better pull with Silicon Valley, and UIUC has better pull with Chicago’s trading firms. If you’re a top student you’ll have similar opportunities at either school. Both schools have tons of research opportunities too. </p>

<p>Berkely is better with placement on the west coast, but the difference is with smaller companies. The huge tech companies recruit everywhere and if you’re a good student you’ll have no problem landing Google, Amazon, Facebook, or Microsoft. I even rejected a Google internship for a trading firm.</p>

<p>I doubt Berkely CS is that much more rigorous that UIUC CS. They are both top schools teaching the same material.</p>

<p>I would stay the biggest difference you should be concerned about the is overall student body. Berkely is top in every department while UIUC is top in engineering with a fairly good business school. At UIUC, outside of engineering and business, it is much more of a party school atmosphere. I personally appreciate this, and the bar scene (19+ to enter) and massive greek life makes for a great college experience. It’s okay if this is not your thing, the school is huge and there is a group for everybody, but it’s something to consider. </p>

<p>It’s true that life at UIUC revolves around the campus. There is some stuff to do in the city but its nothing compared to San Francisco.</p>

<p>PS: I would rethink switching from CS to ECE - you’ll have an easier time with big tech companies (esp. internships) majoring in CS. Majoring in ECE will require a bunch of additional physics and hardware classes, at the expense of CS electives which are incredibly hard to get into if you’re not a CS major (classes fill up very fast and many are restricted to CS majors in the beginning)</p>