So here’s a tall order. I’m looking for a California college that is well known for its Biology (leaning more towards conservation and ecology than microbiology) and Mechanical Engineering. I’ve heard things about the UC schools (Cal, UCSD), but I’ve also been told that they aren’t the best for undergrad in terms of being hands on and interesting. SLO has come up a couple times, but I’m wondering, are there any other schools where both of those programs are strong and are generally well respected especially in the view of a potential grad program?
PS. I’m not looking for a double major, I personally will major biology, while my brother intends to major in mechanical engineering. We’d prefer to attend the same college as were pursuing the idea of a cross disciplinary career working together. Both of us are 4.0 students (OOS with no weighted GPAs) with well above average SAT scores.
SLO is a great school for both Biology and Mechanical Engineering and they pride themselves on the “learning by doing philosphy”. You sound very competitive so you would have a decent chance for an acceptance. UC Davis would be another option, although a UC, their Biology and ME programs are highly ranked. UCD also has a highly ranked Environmental science program in the School of Agriculture with concentrations in Ecology/Biodiversity and Conservation you should check out. Just so you are aware, as an OOS student, you will receive little to no financial aid for either the Cal State (Cal Poly SLO) or UC system. Expect to pay full price at $32K/year for SLO and $55K for the UC’s. You do not mention the state where you reside, but since you and your brother will be in college together (same time?), you and your parents would need to consider costs and should first start with any in-state options.
In reference to Grad programs, the UC’s are more geared to preparing students for Graduate studies than the Cal States. Good Luck
Well, there is CalTech. That is a great school for Mech E, and I believe they are also good for Biology. I have to say, I am a real fan of UCSB- College of Creative Studies for hands-on bio that grad schools favor. UCSB’s College of Engineering is excellent in electro-physics (EE) [cf. Nobel Prize in Physics, 2014]; not sure about Mechanical Engineering. CSU-SLO is not that far up the coast, so you could be close enough to your brother to visit on weekends (CalTech is a couple of hours away, as well).
I believe Stanford is strong in both of those areas, as well, and is looked upon favorably by graduate programs.
Thanks! And yes Gumbymom you’re correct in assuming the same time. I think you’re right with the cost of OOS. However, I’m from Washington, and there aren’t many schools with the competitive edge in tech and research up here like there are in Cali, which is why I gravitated there in the first place. The main concern comes down to the difference between UCs vs CSUs. I know the prestige and name recognition will follow any UC into grad school, but from what I’ve been told, I’ll majorly sacrifice any hands on experience there. Will the practical knowledge look better to employers than the name recognition following said schools? Would going to a CSU negatively affect I or my brother’s chances of Grad school? If so, by how much? The help is much appreciated.
OP, did someone tell you this?
It is truly baffling to me- it sounds like sour grapes. I think your premises are incorrect. I would readily hire from a UC for a design-level position, but would look to CSUs more for design detailing and interpretation. If I were looking for someone to run CAD and do parts drawings and interact with a shop, my prejudice would lead me towards a CSU, for a possibly lower-cost hire. If I wanted someone to contribute creatively to product ideation and design approach, I may use the filter (more difficult to matriculate) of the UC as a starting point for hiring. These are general statements and obviously involve generalizations and pre-judgements. They may be starting points for companies (certainly not endpoints).
Also, grad schools are generally not looking for prestige and name recognition, they are looking for quality of applicant, and any research or project performed as an undergraduate. If there is prestige to be had, it would be the reputation of the individual researcher.
Going to CSU may provide fewer opportunities for undergraduate research, since CSUs are defined by their charters as teaching institutions, where professors are paid to teach and have to “fit in” any research they choose to perform. Therefore, it is less likely a professor who writes your recommendation will have a consistent record of publications. However, what you do in your summers can easily compensate.
You will be able to go to a great grad school regardless of your choice if you make opportunities over the summer, etc. You only need a couple of recommendation letters. It will likely be much easier coming from a UC. UCs, by charter, are research institutions.
@ItsJustSchool I do see your point, and a friend of mine and professor at a private college in Cali did tell me said information. Seeing as he was my only primary source of information as of yet, I felt asking these questions would provide people of opposing opinions the chance to rebut some of my assumptions, for as you can see, I would like to broaden my perspectives as to make a wiser choice. Considering your preference for UC students in design and ideation roles, how would you look upon a potential employee with an undergraduate degree from somewhere like SLO and a graduate degree from a more research oriented UC (i.e. UCB)? Would they not present a more rounded educational background than another candidate? Given the fact that prestige of an undergraduate school doesn’t heavily factor into the admission of a student for grad school, does it likewise, not heavily factor into the selection of a candidate for jobs post grad school?
I don’t understand your premise of going to school in California with your brother because you claim that the schools in Washington don’t have competitive tech schools. REALLY?
Here is my issue, I am paying for two kids in California schools and it is tough.
So, your parents will either be paying 80K, or, 110K per year for you and your brother to attend school in California, correct?
Can your family pay that amount? It seems like you are putting the cart before the horse. Have you asked your parents if they are willing to go along with this expensive financial venture? CSU and UC decisions should be considered for cost of attending.
Personal experience with graduates from a given school will affect future hirings. SLO is considered a very good school, mentioned in the same conversations as UCs, and regarded as much better than the less-selective UCs. I think people will have prejudices- good and bad- regarding school of attendance and I think it will affect both initial pay and assignments at an employer. Your last school of attendance will be what people are judging, not really your undergraduate (or whether you first went to community college, or studied abroad, or took time off), if you have a graduate degree.
The actual individual that you become will depend on the path you take. Outside validation usually is basically used as a filter in an initial evaluation/hiring decision. How you conduct your profession; your habits, your approach to a problem or task, will be molded through your education and early jobs. That is what will have persistence. I would try to get a quality education in those areas, rather than worry about how you are perceived in an interview. In the long run, that will matter more.
In both Engineering and Biology, you will have hands-on opportunities in lab-based classes and in undergraduate research at any school you attend.
@aunt bea Aside from UW, Washington doesn’t carry with it the industry that California does, ESPECIALLY in biology. Most of the colleges close to me lack the strong sciences particularly in the specializations of interest. Many of these are private religious institutions that hold a tuition higher than SLO even for in state students. WSU’s program is primarily pre vet med, and is a well known party school. UW has an attendance of 44,000 people excluding extensions, and the third ranked college of Evergreen state in Olympia doesn’t carry with it neither the name recognition or qualified program necessary to satisfy graduate school requirements. I have valid reason to narrow my search to the well known and respected California school systems. Cost of attendance will be a determining factor as to which schools are a feasible choice in the near future, I’ll grant you that. That fact however, won’t be a strong enough deterrent for a qualified student looking for an excellent education.
The response is much appreciated @ItsJustSchool Thank you
I am assuming that you have a good handle on the excellent programs at UW, especially in forest and oceanographic ecology, through their “College of the Environment”.
Yeah, I’ve done the research, but in biology there seems to be a noticeable divergence between a major like ecology, and biology with a focus in the area. Where one degree leads to a career in fish and wildlife, the other frequently sees people in teaching positions, research and consultation
Biology graduate job prospects are generally weak. Here are the career surveys of Berkeley and Cal Poly:
https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm
https://careers.calpoly.edu/search.php?yr=2012%20-%202013
I don’t see why you consider the University of Washington to be an academically unsuitable school for biology or mechanical engineering.
I agree with @ucbalumnus.^^^^^
I was impressed with UW medical school training. My dd was admitted to their program, but we couldn’t afford the OOS fees, so she went to a UC.
Honestly, are you aware of how much money this will cost your parents with two OOS fees, for 4 years, each?
If your plan was to attend a UC and then assume California residency, it’s not going to happen. You won’t get instate tuition because it really is not as easy as you might think. The UC’s and Cal States indicate that if your primary and initial purpose, when arriving in California, is for education, you won’t get instate tuition in California, at all, for the 4 years you are here. Additionally, because it is assumed you will be a dependent of your parents, and you will be under the age of 24 with your UG degree, you wouldn’t be able to file for independent status.
Assuming a UC education, that’s $220k each! Wow! You really need to discuss this cost with your parents. This is a LOT of money to get an education in a neighboring state.