<p>Ahhh!! Can't decide between both. I got accepted into USC for Environmental Engineering and UC San Diego for Mechanical Engineering (Warren). Both engineering programs are par to par, but depending on the major I was accepted into, which one would be recommended?</p>
<p>I do not mind attending either one, but I wanted to know which one would offer a better education knowledge-wise. Honestly, class sizes big or small is not a problem.
Also how is the campus? I heard USC is centered in a, how should I say, "mischievous" neighborhood. What about UC San Diego?</p>
<p>How is the environment for dormitories? I'll probably be living on campus.</p>
<p>Not to mention financial aid, USC or UC San Diego? I heard USC has a great financial aid program so does UC San Diego.</p>
<p>Any suggestions? >.<</p>
<p>^ bump (mechanical engineer who got accepted into usc and ucsd engineering departments)</p>
<p>i know that ucsd ranks higher in their engineering (17th vs 28th): </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/555743-us-news-2009-undergraduate-engineering-rankings-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/555743-us-news-2009-undergraduate-engineering-rankings-2.html</a></p>
<p>however, will employers really know the difference between these two institutions engineering rankings? i feel like usc is more well-known than ucsd. any thoughts?</p>
<p>If $$ is truly not an issue, then USC. take a trip on over to a website called students review dot com - have a thorough look at the comments by UCSD students. More than 50% say they would not choose that school again. Compare that to UCLA and Berkeley – each around 25%, Irvine and SB (around 30%), etc. The consensus opinion is that the school is simply no fun… kind of grey, dreary (psychologically), and completely lacking in school spirit. Sort of like UChicago gone bad.</p>
<p>Who knows, you might be in the group that likes it, but looks like the odds are against that.</p>
<p>Here is a representative excerpt (there are dozens more) from the first review that comes up, from a week ago, by a 4th year Bio Major:</p>
<p>“THE SCHOOL IS JUST BAD…there is nothing else that can be said, the students are close-minded anti-social mob… no1 makes the effort to interact and get to know others… partially due to quarter system (sucks!) and they way the school is built… the professors are okay and would help you if you go to them, but their office hours are limited since most of them are researchers. It extremely hard to get A’s in your classes especially in science classes since professors expect you to treat their class like its the only class you got, and with the sheer number of students in your classes it just makes it impossible to seek help/…” </p>
<p>and it goes on. “the way the school is built” is a comment that seems to recur among several reviews.</p>
<p>I find it amazing that USC is ranked 28th in undergrad engineering, but 10th in graduate engineering :</p>
<p>[Rankings</a> - Best Engineering Schools - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rankings]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rankings)</p>
<p>something is not right there</p>
<p>UCSD, for instance is 17th and 13th</p>
<p>@DunninLA 50% is huge… that’s really sad to hear. although i’m not looking for the “ideal college experience.” i’m interested in the educational and employment opportunities. if we have a student from USC and another from UCSD both applying for a job (equal credentials), who would the company choose? and for what reasons? would they expect USC to be better in leadership? and UCSD to be more technical? or would USC have a more well-known name to help that student land the job? of course, this is all hypothetical and it really boils down to who you are and what you have done but i’m just curious what is going on in employers mind when they are put in this situation.</p>
<p>@JohnAdams12 ya, that is a little strange. but i’m sure the faculty is weighed much more heavily in the graduate program (factors such as these can change rankings dramatically).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Employers choose people, not the colleges they come from. If they like one person more than another, whether it be the classes they took, their grades, their personality and drive, or their extra curricular involvement, they will choose that person regardless of the school they came from. Firms in San Diego will be more likely to recruit at UCSD, likewise, firms in LA will get more applicants from USC. And also from Irvine, and UCLA, and Long Beach State, and Cal Poly and on and on. </p>
<p>Choose the school where you feel you will personally do your best, and take full advantage of the opportunities you have while you go there.</p>
<p>@UCLA Band Mom Thanks for the response! Employers will undoubtedly choose people from their personal qualities that make them who they are. But I don’t think we can hide the fact that employers will also choose to give a Harvard student an opportunity for an interview and ignore an equally qualified student from another university. As sad as it might sound, I believe this is just the way the world works. In regards to USC and UCSD, which one will be Harvard?</p>
<p>Neither one is Harvard.</p>
<p>It is very important that you visit both of these schools before you make a decision. They are so different from each other and their campuses and surrounding areas are so different. One is likely to appeal to you more than the other. And I agree with what someone said about employers hiring people not colleges. These two schools are too close academically that I don’t think employers would pick a candidate from one over a candidate from the other just based on what school they went to. Perhaps if one candidate had done well at Harvard and another went to a 4th tier state school that no one had ever heard of then there might be some credence to that argument. What you do in school, how well you do it and the opportunities you take advantage of are more important then which school you choose when the two you are choosing between are of a similar caliber. The big difference with these two schools is the atmosphere and the surrounding areas so make the effort to visit them both and spend time in the neighborhoods and you will probably prefer one over the other.</p>
<p>@UCLA Band Mom .____. Come on now, we can try harder than this…</p>
<p>@Inquiringmind2 Haha alright. I’ve made plans to see each campus later this month. Hopefully I’ll be able to better understand which university can help me achieve what I want to do with myself.</p>
<p>Please don’t get me wrong. I also believe that “employers [hire] people [and] not colleges.” However, for many undergraduate students who are trying to get an internship, what college they are attending are one of the few things that employers can reference. As young adults, many of us are just beginning to apply ourselves in the real world.</p>