Asking for my S25 - who has interest in Engineering track in general . Preference is definitely industry eventually.
UC Berkely Applied Math - [ College of letter and Sciences - Not sure about flexibility to take any computer courses which is also a factor] Though ENG is his preference, this major got him in for his strengths shown in app, so he may be fine ~ 45k
UC Irvine - CSE [DonaldBren+Henri Samueli cross major] ~ 42k
3.University of Washington - ECE [ Good fit for major] - but fees whopping ~ 65k
4.UIUC - Systems Eng & Design [College offered this major instead of the major he asked ECE] - so not sure about going to OOS for a major we are not sure about, for a high fees ~ 65k
5.UCSB - CE - [good fit for major] - but not sure if it will overtake UC Berkeley name despite a major fit. ~ 44k
We are California , hence 2 of these are OOS for us. So debating on which to prioritize College âlabelâ vs flexibility to take Engineering / CS classes â eventually a college that would give good ROI. Parents pay, Not going for any student loans.
We are also researching regional concentration of companies for each of these colleges for better prospects of internships in each- also a factor to prioritize .
Getting into upper division CS courses at UCB should not be counted on for students in L&S majors. See Getting into CS Classes - EECS at Berkeley . So if taking upper division CS courses (other than two specific ones listed there) as an applied math major is the goal, realize that it is unlikely. Changing into a major in CCDSS or CoE is unlikely and requires a comprehensive review in competitive admission.
Thanks all, a clarification about UC Berkeley -he âdidâ ask for this major (as eng was highly competitive) , and will still thrive considering his application shows the strength in math - just that he has to now compare apples vs oranges considering also the fact that his preference is not to do a phD in math.
Apparently common destinations for applied math majors include finance and operations research, in addition to computing (although lack of access to CS classes may make preparing for computing type jobs more difficult). Teaching high school math is another obvious destination. Are these types of jobs of interest to him, relative to computing or engineering jobs?
As a follow-up, any thoughts [comparing just the eng choices ], if the additional 20k extra in UWash worth it ? i.e, Is the program significantly better than UCI and UCSB ? How would be you compare these 3 . Thanks .
Yes. I was a math major with a focus on applied math. Of course this means that I knew quite a few other math majors. As far as I know we have all done well with this major. There are quite a few things that a person can do with a major in mathematics. Some of the things that you can do with a math degree involve subsequently getting a masterâs degree, but I did not know anyone who went on for a PhD after getting their bachelorâs degree in math (one friend did get a law degree).
Quite a few of the things that you can do with a math major do however involve using computers. For a math major, the ability to get into computer science classes (including things such as algorithms and data structures) can be valuable.
And this is very true also.
UC Berkeley is a great university. However, the other universities that you are considering are also very good, and there are not a lot of mathematical or engineering secrets that UC Berkeley (or MIT or Stanford) are going to teach an undergraduate student.
I also think that all of your in-state options are very good, and I am not convinced that I would pay the big bucks to go out of state.
Which leaves me suggesting that you look for the best fit among all three in-state schools, with both UCI and UCSB schools that are worth very serious consideration.
I have heard that Santa Barbara is quite nice although I do not think that I have ever been there.
Companies pay based on where they are. For example, my son is in a program - heâs Alabama but he has Michigan, Washington, Purdue, CWRU and more but also W Michigan and Akron. They all make the same - but thereâs an adjustment based on location. So he was in Irvine and he made $700 a month more than he now makes in Naples, Florida. Where he went is irrelevant to the money.
So UW for ECE and I donât know the timing (when was the snapshot) - 60% found jobs in ECE, 28% in school, and 8% seeking (thatâs what I mean - was this at grad or 6 months later)? Interesting they donât list a salary but I found a 2021 flyer that shows $82,500 (so obviously will be higher now).
UCI - Interesting Boeing is the top employer it seems just like UW. They donât seem to list salaries.
UCSB - I found a generic sheet. I canât even tell the year itâs from.
I would suggest you contact each schoolâs department or career center - especially the UCs and request info such as % employed vs. seeking, company, location, and salary.
I suspect that wonât be that different - short of geographical differences - like the Bay area would pay more.
Unfortunately, many schools donât put out complete info.
Washington admits to engineering undeclared and has secondary admission to engineering majors. This may be advantageous for undecided engineering students who are not aiming for the few more competitive majors (aero/astro, bio, mechanical). Electrical appears to be just at the edge of being a more competitive major. Note that computer engineering and computer science are in a separate division, and will be very difficult or competitive to change into.
But a student who does not fit this description may not find Washington to be of significant advantage here (and may find the secondary admission to be a disadvantage versus having direct admission to the major elsewhere).
If there is any advantage for the student, whether it is worth an additional $20k per year depends on the student, and how difficult changing to another engineering major at UCI or UCSB would be.
My kid was an applied math major at an Ivy. He interned and or was offered jobs from top tier investment banks and management consulting firms. He ultimately cofounded a start up while in college that has recently received 3rd round funding with an implied valuation in the 8 figures.
Certainly his focus on math wasnât a limitation as there is no such thing as a âmath jobâ. Actually, to the contrary, his math focus seemed to confirm rigor and implied practical academic applicability to prospective employers. The schoolâs reputation, resources and alumni network however were instrumental in these various opportunities and eventual success.
His school was a target for the IBs and management consultants. Once selected to be interviewed he received tremendous support from various alum he had networked with. In many cases he didnât have to go looking on line for these employers, they were coming on campus looking for students like him. In several cases he was referred directly by professors into the interview process.
In terms of his venture the school provided access to a variety of seed funding and he was able to work with several of the graduate schools staff to get legislation passed and access other resources. Subsequent rounds of funding and being selected by a top 3 accelerator have all been positively influenced by his
alma mater.
Prior to having seen first hand my kids experience, I wouldnât have realized just how influential and impactful an elite school can be. It certainly doesnât guarantee success (and I give my kid a lot of credit) but this potential value is often under appreciated by those that havenât attended these types of schools. It is easy to dismiss something as unimportant if you havenât ever experienced the impact personally, that however doesnât mean it doesnât exist.
Berkeley appears to potentially be one of these impactful schools for those that study applied math as it consistently shows up amongst the top.
Is my interpretation correct? : With the CCDSS branching out from L&S recently, the doors to a minor in CCDSS are also shut (for admitted students in L&S). correct? Or no?