<p>I am an international student and have got accepts into the Chemical Engg PhD program in Caltech, UT Austin, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara. I am interested in computational research but would love to mix it up a bit with some experimentation in the field of energy/polymers. I plan to take up industrial research after grad school. Which school would be best for me? What would be their pros/cons? Funding is not an issue for me in any of these schools.</p>
<p>From an academic perspective, this really is a question for prospective mentors at each school, not for random strangers on an undergraduate-focused forum. Which school (and which mentor(s)) does research in areas that best match your own specific interests? </p>
<p>In the sub-forum for each of these colleges, you may be able to get good feedback on the social life, surrounding town, and other quality-of-life issues.</p>
<p>Yes, agree that for PhD study, the type of research activity and faculty interests at each school will be of top importance.</p>
<p>Caltech is, of course, the most prestigious science college. The catch is that if you want to indulge any sneaking interests in art or philosophy or Russian literature, you’re going to feel a bit constrained.
I’m currently torn between UCB and UCSB CCS. I’ve been studying physics as a high-school student dual-enrolled with the College of Creative Studies at UCSB, and I must say that it’s wonderful. Not only is the physics curriculum rigorous and intensively comprehension-oriented, but we get special treatment as automatic honors students, and the classes are small and intimate (20 students or so). I’m not familiar with the chemical engineering scene, but the Materials Science Dept. at UCSB can’t be beat; I interned there one summer, and worked with some of the top-cited scientists in the field.
Cons of UCSB: it may be flooded with substandard students if you aren’t CCS/Honors, I hate the math department, the liberal arts are /weak/, chemical engineering isn’t as well-ranked as physics, and Santa Barbara culture is flaky and bourgeois.
The Berkeley brand name is better, but most likely not important for grad-school apps. They do have many well-respected departments, so you could branch out more easily. Also, they’ve a good theater/art scene, diverse food, and are 20 minutes from SF.
The main argument for UCSB over UCB is that you’ll have an easier time competing for professor attention and research opportunities as a high-caliber student.
As for UT Austin, I have no real insight, except that Texas as a state is a hellhole (though Austin is said to be the exception).
Good luck!</p>
<p>Ah, I just realized that you’re pondering grad school. In that case, all of my advice is worthless except perhaps that the UCSB Materials Science department is fantastic.</p>