<p>I am trying to make a final decision on graduate school in Electrical Engineering. I have been offered a TA at USC to cover tuition and living expenses, and have also been admitted into the Master's program at Stanford - but with no financial support. Is a Stanford degree worth $50,000 (mainly loans) more than USC?</p>
<p>That's tough. Considering it's masters, I would honestly go with SC and no expenses. I think regardless of what you do with your master's degree, you're going to have almost the same opportunities at both schools. The disparity between Stanford UG and USC UG is a lot larger than Stanford G and USC G in your particular major/concentration. It's always nice to save the $50k.</p>
<p>One other thing to consider is that a Master's at USC would probably take a year and a half while being a TA, while Stanford claims it's 45 units can be completed in 3 quarters (1 year) - 15 hrs / quarter sounds rough, but I'd try to do it. So I guess you have to include an extra 6 months of working as an EE and subtract the salary from the cost of Stanford.</p>
<p>Are you kidding me...USC is scum compared to Stanford, especially for grad school. Getting into USC is pretty darn easy...Stanford on the other hand is extremely difficult. Congrats on getting into Stanford though, its quite an accomplishment.</p>
<p>I'd go with Stanford. It will open so many doors.</p>
<p>I think i would go with stanford.. even though it'll cost alot. But hopefully, you'll make alot of money with your job so it wouldn't matter in the long run maybe.</p>
<p>USC isn't scum compared to Stanford. Viterbi is ranked 9th (general engineering rankings), above Cal Tech at 10th, and though Stanford is 2nd, it doesn't mean that USC's somehow way at the bottom of the pile. I don't particularly care for rankings, but to make a point...</p>
<p>FWIW, most of the people who have replied, including me, probably don't know too much about grad school and job opportunities.</p>
<p>Go where you'll enjoy living and continuing your academic career. I'm not sure what it would entail to study EE in the Silicon Valley. More competition with the benefit of a larger starting salary or something else? It would be nice to not have to work the first few years just to pay off student loans. I hope you're seeking advice on this issue through other means. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Go to Stanford if you can afford it. The name itself will get you good jobs with high paying salaries. USC will probably get you good jobs too, but with Stanford...the sky's the limit. Both schools are great so no matter which school you choose, you'll still receive an amazing education.</p>
<p>People said that USC would never pass UCLA in SAT scores. Then that USC would never pass Berkeley. Stanford is the only target left, so the question is: who is going to be the top dog in 10 to 20 years when you are in your top income earning years? I would not bet against USC.</p>
<p>honestly, the only way to make a tough decision like this is to visit both schools and see which atmosphere you like better. what type of environment do you want to live and study in? which school better connects you with the outside world through jobs and internships? answering those questions will most likely give you a clear idea of where you want to go. i think that only if you really want to go to stanford should you accumulate that loan debt.</p>
<p>How did you get a TA for a MSEE? I thought they only gave those out to PhD students...</p>
<p>It depends also on where you'd like to work for the next few years-Stanford will get you somewhat farther in the Silicon Valley area, while USC's alumni network will probably be more helpful in southern California, Hawaii, etc. though it still has a pretty important presence in SV. If finances are a big issue for you going debt-free at USC is probably the way to go-the fewer financial constraints you have to worry about the better. As fgnichols pointed out, USC's reputation is on the rise and becoming increasingly prestigious. Stanford certainly is an excellent school academically and otherwise, but Viterbi grad is nothing to sneeze at.</p>
<p>ftt, im just wondering...did you get into Berkeley's engineering program Electrical Engineering program? If you did, are you considering that as an option? I know Cal's engineering is world-renowned, especially at the graduate level. I know that overall Berkeley's grad engineering proogram is ranked #3, but i have heard that their electric engineering program is #1.</p>
<p>I actually didn't apply to Berkeley -- I knew I wanted to attend Stanford over Berkeley and that both were really hard to get into. They both have really great programs though. If I was a CA resident then I would have applied for sure.</p>
<p>Right on...Im going to Berkeley in the Fall for undergrad. Anyways, congrats on your acceptances. Have you decided where you're going yet?</p>
<p>I'm leaning toward Stanford since it was my #1 choice, even if I have to pay for it. I'll let you know - I have to decide by tomorrow.</p>
<p>Well, after thinking about it long and hard - I accepted the offer at Stanford and am now trying to figure out how to go about financing this. If anyone would like to tell me a good place to get loans I'd appreciate it. I'm excited though, Stanford was my top choice -- it's just that the money from USC (which also has a great engineering program) was very tempting...</p>