<p>I recently learned that I got into both programs. I am actually having a hard time picking between the two. I am still undecided and am not biased to either. Want to get an outsider's perspective on what I should do! </p>
<p>I would be considered OOS for both, so I'm not looking at the money factor. I also did not get any scholarships from any of them.</p>
<p>My background is I'm planning on majoring in EE and hoping to apply for medical school. I realize both Cali and TX have some decent medical schools, but I surmise the underlying undergrad institution in this case does not play a large role on "improving my chances" for medical school as they "cancel" each other out</p>
<p>My opinion is that both schools have close rankings for EE. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>I’d choose UCLA over UT because its in a better city, better recognition, better weather. Austin is a great city but no comparison to LA. Even though UTs engineering is ranked higher, I think a degree at UCLA is recognized more on a national scale. The weather in Austin is too hot, LA weather is perfect.</p>
<p>Are you applying in state for either school?
From a financial standpoint I would suggest going with the in state tuition if available…cause you’ll be spending a fortune on Med school.</p>
<p>Another thing to look at would be the degree requirements/curriculum. Both programs are probably very rigid and may require 41/2-5 years in school. I’m a little interesting in why you want to apply for EE when you’re applying to med school though…most pre-med students I know are either majoring in Bio or Biomed Engineering.</p>
<p>If you want to look, the Biomed is here
[Curriculum</a> Overview - Undergraduate Program - Academics - Department of Biomedical Engineering - University of Texas at Austin](<a href=“Custom 404 page”>Custom 404 page)</p>
<p>If school atmosphere and feel is important, then by all means take those into consideration. Are you a basketball person? (UCLA) Or a football person? (UT) Are you into a crowded entertainment capital (LA) or a crowded music capital (Austin)? Just a few more things to consider.</p>
<p>As an LA guy who has a daughter about to enroll at UT, here are my thoughts.
I can not offer an opinion comparing the EE programs. I can speak to the differences in the cities. From a college perspective, Austin is a smaller city. It is much easier to get around. You do not need a car. L.A. is very big and spread out. Public transportation is poor. While Westwood is a nice little village, it is not the best college area. It pales in comparison to 6th street as far as night life. If you are willing to go to hollywood, you can find a great club, music scene. However, it will not feel like a college experience. It will mostly comprise of 25-35 year olds. 6th street is much better for a collegian. Off campus living is very expensive around UCLA. Austin has more options that are predominate students and less money.
UCLA is a higher ranking national institution. While texas is awesome, its reputation is not as far reaching as UCLA. It is hard to grqduate from UCLA in 4 years. I expect with the governators budget cuts, that will only get worse. I can not speak for Texas budget cuts or how long it takes.<br>
Either way you can not go wrong. I would say that UT offers a more fun and spirited experience. Austin might get small by year four, but I doubt it. If oyu do well in school, it should not matter much. It all depends on what you want out of your four years. </p>
<p>Good Luck and congrats on having great choices.</p>
<p>Although his opinions may be a bit outdated, you could contact Jack Lee. He’s one of the best professors I’ve had in EE at UT and he did both his BS and MS at UCLA. He’s also really kind of scary in class, but I’m sure he would be more than willing to answer questions about the relative strengths of the programs. His email is <a href=“mailto:jacklee@mail.utexas.edu”>jacklee@mail.utexas.edu</a>.</p>