<p>Hi there!! I really need advice, help, comments, etc, etc. I got in as a freshman for engineering, at UMich. I'm planning to do electrical engineering in the future...though I want to transfer to UCLA (for the same field). </p>
<p>Is it worth it (educationally - don't worry about costs, and other minor matters)?</p>
<p>Is UCLA recognized as much as Michigan for electrical engineering?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for your opinions. Cheers.</p>
<p>No, it is not worth the additional cost. Michigan is better.</p>
<p>What state are you a resident of?</p>
<p>
Do you read rjk? This is what the OP mentioned explicitly:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>to add to my previous question; where do you want to work post-graduation? </p>
<p>West Coast: UCLA obviously.
Midwest: Michigan
East Coast: probably a slight edge to Michigan.</p>
<p>Costs are a “minor matter”? Wish I had your resources…</p>
<p>Both are great schools. Have you visited them both?</p>
<p>Nonsense. Overall edge to Michigan in engineering.</p>
<p>I would pick University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, very well known for engineering.</p>
<p>As much as I would like to say UCLA, I believe that Michigan would offer the better electrical engineering program. Michigan just has so much resource. They have an entire north campus dedicated to engineering.</p>
<p>Thank you guys/girls for your input.</p>
<p>Well, the reason I have started this thread in the first place is because UCLA’ undergraduate electrical engineering program is its best undergraduate engineering program without a doubt. ON the USnews rankings, its ranked 11th…michigan 10th. They are pretty neck-and-neck in this particular program though I am aware of the fact that Michigan is ahead in engineering overall.</p>
<p>Now heres the real question…will firms be looking at the specialized rankings (i.e. each program individually) or at the overall program?</p>
<p>Cheers.</p>
<p>In most cases employers probably are only aware of a university’s overall reputation in the field of engineering. This is not to say that some employers do not know specialized rankings but some employers do not even care about rankings. Some employers look for high gpa while other just want to see that you are intelligent or have good character. So my advice to you would be go to the school that you like more because both programs are excellent. I have a feeling you are slightly leaning toward UCLA and I would be the first to encourage you to go there. Good luck.</p>
<p>I would not transfer from Michigan to UCLA just for the electrical engineering program. </p>
<p>IMO, Michigan offers the better engineering program and you’re already there…why stress and worry about transferring?</p>
<p>Which leads to my next point…if you absolutely hate the environment at Michigan and think you’d like UCLA better, go ahead and transfer.</p>
<p>“Well, the reason I have started this thread in the first place is because UCLA’ undergraduate electrical engineering program is its best undergraduate engineering program without a doubt. ON the USnews rankings, its ranked 11th…michigan 10th.”</p>
<p>guava, where did you get those USNWR rankings for Electrical Engineering? Below are rankings from the most recent rankings that I am aware of:</p>
<p>USNWR undergraduate rankings (released in August, 2008) - Engineering overall
Michigan #7
UCLA #21</p>
<p>USNWR undergraduate rankings (released in August, 2008) - Electrical Engineering
Michigan is #6
UCLA is #15</p>
<p>USNWR graduate rankings (released in April, 2009) - Engineering overall
Michigan #9
UCLA #14</p>
<p>USNWR graduate rankings (released in April, 2009) - Electrical Engineering
Michigan #7
UCLA #14</p>
<p>UCLA is very good in Engineering, but Michigan is slightly better. If UCLA is much cheaper, or if your parents can afford UCLA at a higher price and you really prefer the environment at UCLA, go for UCLA. Otherwise, I would recommend Michigan for Engineering.</p>
<p>I would go for UCLA for the beautiful environment and almost perfect weather. But other than that, I’d go for Michigan.</p>
<p>Beautiful environment? Is that with or without the smog?</p>
<p>
If you are to go west, why settle for less. Go for UC-Berkeley … now that’s a powerhouse in Electrical Engineering.</p>
<p>Or Stanford…</p>
<p>^ But Berkeley is extremely hard to get into for OOS especially for the OP’s program choice, electrical engineering. And Stanford is even more difficult to get into than Berkeley, in general.</p>
<p>Thank you guys/girls for your input. Now does anyone know the strength of the UCLA electrical engineering program…how well is it recognized. Its obvious that Michigan’ program is better, but is the gap very marginal, or is it considerable? </p>
<p>Cheers.</p>
<p>guava91011,
It sounds to me like you really want to be at UCLA and you’re trying to find an academic reason to justify it, but I don’t think you can. You’re proposing to transfer from one of the nation’s premier engineering programs to a program that is very good indeed but clearly the next rung down from Michigan. It’s not irrational to do that if you really prefer southern California for the weather, or for social or cultural or family reasons, or because you think being on the West Coast will give you a leg up on certain jobs when you enter the job market, or even because you prefer the Bruins to the Wolverines and your sports allegiances are highly meaningful to you. But in your field I don’t think you’ll find an academic justification; no objective observer is going to say “UCLA is just as good,” they’ll say “UCLA is very good indeed, but Michigan is even better.” I think you just need to be honest about what your real reasons are, and decide what’s most important to you.</p>