Hi! Thank you for reading this post.
I am currently a senior and have fortunately been accepted to a couple of universities. I have narrowed down my choices to UIUC and UCSD. I have been accepted for Electrical Engineering for UIUC and Computer Engineering for UCSD. I am passionate about both EE and CE/CS, and the major differences between UIUC and UCSD are not a big factor for me at this moment.
I was wondering if I could receive some advice/input from you (fellow CC’ers). Do you recommend that I attend UIUC or UCSD? Thank you!
What are you looking for in your undergraduate education? I can try to answer any questions you have while campaigning for UCSD.
@groverrohan Thank you for offering your help. I had some questions and I would really appreciate it if you could maybe answer some of my questions. 
- If I were to major in Computer Engineering at UCSD, would you say that I would be as competent as an UIUC Electrical/Computer Engineering graduate when applying for graduate school?
- Would you say that there are many internship/research opportunities at UCSD?
- Is the academic environment highly competitive and difficult to maintain a good GPA?
Thank you so much!
They’re both good. Are either cheaper?
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Yes, a Jacobs School of Engineering degree is well-respected by graduate schools and employers. Your resume would also be strengthened by the startup connections and research opportunities within San Diego itself.
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Yes, many large SV and SD corporations (especially in CSE and other engineering disciplines) send representatives to hire interns and full-time employees. There are numerous research labs (largest research budget in the UC system), and with a good mix of local startups and corporations, you’d have numerous internship opportunities.
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Yes, the academics are competitive (not in the sense that they’re cutthroat but more as in everyone’s working hard for the same grade). I think if you work hard enough you can still manage a decent GPA. It won’t be easy, though; CSE professors don’t do favors.
Definitely consider price.
You can’t go wrong on either choice. I would choose based on cost and personal preference.
@groverrohan Thank you so much for your response. I feel that UCSD would be an excellent choice.
@groverrohan Thank you so much for your response. I feel that UCSD would be an excellent choice.
@PurpleTitan Thank you for your response. UCSD is cheaper (about 32k) than UIUC (about 50k) for me.
Go with cheaper. Success will be far more dependent on what you do than which of these excellent engineering schools you go to.