<p>I am in a position to jump from a low-ranked university (ranked around 65) to a top 5 university in engineering (for an MS). Although Im grateful for the opportunity I am also a bit reluctant. I dont want to bite off more than I can chew. Consequently, Im also considering enrolling in a less competitive university. However, Im not about to dismiss the higher-ranked universities and I have a few questions about jumping up to elite programs: </p>
<p>Did you find the curriculum to be far more difficult?</p>
<p>Were you able to have a life outside of grad school? Did you have time for a hobby and/or have your weekends free?</p>
<p>Did you find the environment to be overly competitive? Was there a bitter atmosphere with high tension or was it an enjoyable environment where student helped on another?</p>
<p>Overall, did you find it a negative or positive experience?</p>
<p>Surely there are people on this forum who jumped from mediocre programs to elite programs. I would love to hear about your experience. If you could answer any of these questions it would be greatly appreciated. It would be devastating if I moved 300 miles and spent a lot of tuition money only to fail out within a year.</p>
<p>You already got into a MS program at an “elite” university. Don’t lower your horizions, but just assess your weak areas, and build upon them. If you couldn’t do the work, or have any idea of the subject, they wouldn’t have admitted you in this crazy atmosphere of graduate admissions. My suggestion is to try to attend some summer school classes (if you can afford to) for the areas you are weak in; review old course materials; and talk to profs at your current university about topics where you are weak during their office hours. I am in Chemistry, and we have to take “review” examinations during the first week of the grad program to assess strenghts and weaknesses. If you fail the exam, you re-take any classes that you are weak in; if you pass, you go to the advanced class. May I ask your major? Because some professional organizations (IEEE, ACS, etc) may have review material/packets for subject just for this case. You may want to check into that.</p>
<p>While you didn’t specify exactly which program admitted you, I can tell you that the MS programs at MIT, Berkeley, and Stanford are not particularly competitive from a grade-curve standpoint. Indeed, they are almost certainly less competitive than their own undergraduate programs in the sense that, as long as you put in the work, you’re not going to flunk out. You might not get A’s - and indeed, those programs I mentioned may indeed be quite competitive if you are aiming to parley your MS program into admission to the school’s PhD program - but you’re not going to flunk out either. {This is a far cry from the undergrad programs where you can put in plenty of work…and still flunk out anyway because of harshness of the curve.} </p>
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<p>Well, let me put it to you this way. I can think of plenty of former MIT MS engineering students who, simultaneously, were also MIT Sloan MBA students who not only completed both degrees in just 2 years (whereas the MBA alone generally takes 2 years), but also while as students were full participants in the full-throated MBA-style ‘extensive networking’ (a.k.a. debaucherous drinking, partying, and dating). Yet all of them managed to complete their engineering degrees, along with their MBA’s. Granted, they would often times get mediocre engineering grades. Nevertheless they still successfully graduated. </p>
<p>And yes, to answer your question, some of those students themselves came from non-elite undergrad programs: New Mexico State, Illinois Institute of Technology, Oregon State, and the like.</p>