UPenn vs USC vs UCI opinion

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
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<p>so im in a dilemma. ive been fortunate enough to been accepted to 3 schools for GRADUATE studies:</p>

<p>University of Southern California for Elec Engr
University of California, Irvine for Elec Engr
University of Pennsylvania for Systems Engr</p>

<p>I am from california and i went to UCI for my undergraduate studies in EE. now i am figuring out what I should do for grad school. I made a list of key features whether good or bad</p>

<p>UCI:
-Cheap, ~20k for the program
-I know the faculty and some students. Easier to make friends and i know the school.
-I can commute from home to save money.</p>

<p>USC:
- Better name than UCI. Nationally known (partially to its football). Best engineering rank.
- Can possibly commute or take train. But nonetheless its 40 miles from home so i know the area alright and i have a car.
- Expensive, 100k for the program</p>

<p>UPenn:
- Probably more worldwide known than the other two being an Ivy league.
- Expensive, 100k
- Far from home. Don't know about weather, living habits, etc.
-Major is systems engr. Curriculum is 1/2 business which is REALLY what I like. Some will be taken at Wharton.</p>

<p>So I have talked to many professionals and most tell me that I should go to either UCI or USC. They said that if I want to work in California after, which I do, I should stay in California since UPenn's network is mostly east coast. on top of that USC and UCI would be economically cheaper in terms of having a car and knowing the area. on top of that i have a current internship i can keep. they said work experience is the most important thing looking for jobs.</p>

<p>so its logical to stay in california. BUT heres the dilemma. i want to eventually do an MBA and go on doing business or sales. maybe even entrepreneurship. If I go to UPenn, I am simply buying their brand name. Will it help in admissions to a MBA program saying I've taken classes at a top tier business school like Wharton? Also, say in business or sales, does it help to have come from a well known name?</p>

<p>I am looking for a long term return on investment. Any comments/opinions welcome.</p>

<p>For your reference:
USC National Rank ~ 25s, Engr Rank #7
UCI National Rank ~ 40s, Engr Rank ~40s
UPenn National Rank #4, Engr Rank ~30s</p>

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<p>Do you want to study electrical or systems engineering? The answer should help you decide…</p>

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<p>National rank is more important than subject rank in my opinion…</p>

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<p>Geographical restrictions aside, if your intent was to focus primarily on engineering, then an argument to attend UCI or USC could be made. (I grew up in Irvine and currently go to USC for undergrad so I have a good idea of where your biases may reside.) But since you mentioned a long-term goal of getting in to business, Penn’s worldwide reputation and “One University” concept would add an intangible value to both your engineering and pre-business education that I think neither UCI nor USC would be able to compete with. UCI and USC are lagging when it comes to the interdisciplinary and broad-based education concept. The myriad administrative obstacles keeping the faculty and academic departments from developing their curriculum’s based on a shared belief in cross-disciplinary studies is one warning sign. The marginalized writing programs and lack of cross-registration capabilities at both colleges can also attest to this fact. When you go up to your engineering professor and ask him a question about how the material you are learning might be applicable to an idea say in economics or finance, and he/she responds, “How would I know? I’m not an economist, you’re out of luck…”, then you know you’ve made a wrong decision. With all the marketing going on in college these days, one shouldn’t expect to notice these kinds of details but I speak from experience. Not really a tough decision here, at least from my perspective that is. Hope this helps. Best of luck to you!</p>

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<p>Very interesting question for me especially since my son is at Penn studying EE and we live in Northern California. He had no problem adjusting to Philly from CA–he says the weather is not as big of a deal as he thought. Ironically, he intends to get his Masters in EE from Penn. He is a sophomore and GPA is over 3.6. </p>

<p>Also ironic is my other son just submitted his application to USC for EE major. Son at Penn is heavily involved in a cutting edge research program as a sophomore which is really unusual. He has gotten to know a lot of the grad EE students and is relatively impressed with what he has heard about the program. </p>

<p>It’s a tough choice between Penn and USC, but in my opinion, Irvine would not be in the running. I’d go to Davis before I’d go to Irvine. Sorry if this offends anyone.</p>