@alicantekid Wow, that was extremely insightful. Thx alot! Are you saying that we don’t need to take GRE’s or need rec letters from our professors? Do you know where I can find on UCLA’s website that states a 3.5 GPA guarantees admission to UCLA’s EE M.S. program? If that’s the case, I would definitely take UCLA over SD. Also, wouldn’t u say UCSD would be slightly easier to do well at, since the students there aren’t as “smart” as compared to those from UCLA, thus working the curve in my favor, or is that very insignificant? Finally, the big question: how hard is it to maintain a 3.5 for EE at UCLA for a high school admit like myself who I would say is average (didn’t get engineering likely letter for top admits) I’m not naturally smart (didn’t pass the AMC or anything like that), but extremely hard working with a good work ethic, which I would say got me through the tough classes in HS.
@alexphan202020 I had a friend who did that program, and from what he told me, he did not need to take the GRE but he did still need letters of rec, but only 2 (regular applicants need 3).
I just got into materials engineering, but I actually want to do EE, CS, or CSE. Is it easy to transfer into those majors if I pass all the prep courses, or at least any easier than those applying from out of HSSEAS? What exactly is the chance of transferring successfully? It seems like CS has a lot more prereqs than EE…Just in case I cant transfer, how is the job outlook for material engineering at UCLA?
im an incoming freshman materials engineering major, any1 knws how i can transfer to computer science? totally clueless, what prereq courses do i need 2 take 2 transfer?
@alicantekid man seriously, need to take like 5 courses just to transfer? what if i dont get in cs, a waste of 2 quarters.
Hi, I got accepted for Mechanical Engineering, and I will probably attend UCLA. I have a few questions:
- What is the ranking of UCLA mech engineering?
- When, if ever, will students be able to do hands-on projects in the classroom (ie what year)?
- What’s the gender ratio like?
- How rigorous is it, i.e. how many hours spent studying, how much work, etc.? I am also considering Purdue, which I heard is really hellish, and I’m wondering if UCLA is the same.
Thanks!
Anyone know how good the BioE major is at LA? I’ve heard that it was pretty limited in opportunities and research. Is this true?
@Genius123 Shoulda just applied as CS then. Can’t have it both ways.
@Genius123 more like 2 classes really, CS31 and CS32. CS classes are what they are looking at. You will need to take other classes (Math, physics, chem) no matter which engineering you are. You will need CS31 anyway so it’s really just CS32. It’s better for you since CS32 is a weeder class. If you don’t do well in CS32, you don’t really have good chance succeeding in CS. If you do, you are more likely to change your major.
@zmy8686 , do you guys knw whats the transfer rate into cs for hsseas students? im not talking abt the general transfer rate for all applicants, cuz i suppose the transfer rate within the HSSEAS should be higher.
oh and what abt math 61, is that required for transfer to cs?
@Genius123
It’s not required to make the change, per my counselor. The transfer rate is very depended because it depends on how many people transferred out from CS and how many new CS students they admitted. But as long as you do very well in CS31, 32, and possibly 33 and 35L, (maybe M51 too but that’s more EE than CS) you are fine. The more CS classes you take (and do well in), the better chance you have.
@zmy8686 how abt transferring to EE? what coirses are looked at?
Not many people want to get into EE so I’m not sure. Physics 1C is a priority since it used to be EE1. It’s the basic of all EE classes. And Math 32AB and 33B will help. 33A isn’t that useful for EE, but 33B is extremely valuable. Other than those that any engineering students will take, the more EE class you take (and do well in) the better. Although the only one you might get a chance to take is EE10. Nonetheless I think that’s a lot of extra work unless you are a CSE major. Anyhow, any major except CS is a little difficult to switch to given that the major classes you are looking at aren’t a part of your current curriculum. On the other side, you will most likely have to take CS. (It used to be everyone, now some people get a Matlab alternative option.)
From my personal experience, EE is probably one of the least “likable” major here. Unless you already like electronics and stuffs, and therefore already come in as EE, you are unlikely to get through the program, given the difficulty, stress, bad professors and other things. Many people come in with lots of love for EE and got discouraged and changed their major, like myself.
@zmy8686 Did you transfer from EE to CS? Because I plan to do the same thing. How hard is it?
@zmy8686 Hi, I recently got into UCLA’s EE program and was particularly compelled by what you said. Is EE at UCLA really that difficult and bad because of the professors? I’m deciding between ucsd and ucla and have about three weeks to send my SIR haha… According to the 2014 rankings, UCSD ranks higher than UCLA for EE. What about now—do you know? I’m seriously considering ucsd but am not sure.
@zmy8686 Also, given the high/competitive academic quality of the students at UCLA, would u say it’s harder to get A’s and research oppurtunitiesat UCLA? thanks
@alexphan202020 so I hope my reply isn’t too late for you.
- Professor is not the only reason. I would say it's a combination of three factors: a. EE is very difficult to approach, especially if you are self-learning. b. unlike CS, there isn't much online resources/helps available for EE. c. professors and TAs don't really help here, which is pretty common in universities but makes the situation really bad for EE. Sure lots of people can still do it, but it takes tons of commitment and time. But anyhow, most people need a good instructor to be successful in EE, which can be tricky at UCLA. This is especially true for circuits design. Digital circuits are a little better, but analog circuits design is 95% based on experience. When you graduate, you are just beginning to learn.
- I don't really look at the rankings, since many factors that affect the ranking have not much to do with students. Surely you can use it as a reference. But I prefer a "Tier" system than a ranking system. Since my parents run a semiconductor company in the bay area, I get the chance to talk to many engineers and recruiters. Basically, there are the top Tier schools Stanford and MIT; then there are the Tier 1 schools like Berkeley, Caltech, Cornell, UIUC(graduate only), etc. UCLA is more like a Tier 1.5 since it's slightly behind these Tier 1 schools, but better than schools like Georgia tech, UTA, etc. From what I heard, UCSD is more like a Tier 2 school. However, if you are interested in wireless communication or algorithm things like that, UCSD can be a great choice because of Qualcomm (mostly) and Broadcom. Also note that the difference is not very big that it's really up to what you can do not what school you go to. Being from a top tier school doesn't secure you a job. It might make it easier for you to get through the first round but that's pretty much it.
- It's just harder to get As in UC. UCLA EE students are not the smartest but very studious. It's definitely not easy to get As but it's doable if you spend a lot of time solving problems. EE is extremely time consuming regardless of how smart you are. (which is why I wanted to switch to CS, since CS's time commitment is very dependent on one's intelligence and skills.) Research opportunity isn't great here, but you can possibly get one if you do extremely well in one of the challenging upper division classes, probably in your 3rd or 4th year. You don't get to study actual EE materials until your second year, so don't expect much research opportunity before the end of your second year. It's easier outside the school of engineering if you really want.
Hi, does anyone know if it is possible to minor in a language, graduate in 4 years, and study abroad, while pursuing a degree in Environmental (Civil) Engineering?