<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I’m a US citizen abroad with the following academic stats:
40 predicted IB - 3 7s HL (Math, Phy, Chem), 7,6,6 SL
SAT M800 V690 Wr790
SAT II M2 - 800, Phy - 800, Chem - 800
Major: Engineering (not sure yet between materials and electrical/computers)</p>
<p>I’ve been admitted to the following schools: UC-Berkeley (engineering math&stat), Harvey Mudd (undeclared), Carnegie Mellon (ECE and CS) and Northwestern (Materials sc. and eng.). I need help in deciding which school to choose. Because I’m not sure about my major yet, I’ve ruled out Northwestern, which doesn’t have an extremely strong eng. program, i think, apart from that in materials (compared to the other schools, of course). so, i’ve narrowed it down, in a flexible list, to UC-Berkeley, Carnegie, and Harvey Mudd, in that order. I’m also waitlisted at Caltech, but I’ll come back to that later.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, Berkeley is my first choice because I am unsure about my engineering major, and berkeley would allow me to choose from all strong programs (i know that to change my major, i have to have a high GPA and go through a difficult process). However, in the case of CMU, I know that apart from its excellent ECE and CS programs, its chemical/materials engineering program is not as strong (correct me if i’m wrong - this is in comparison to berkeley) and therefore, Berkeley seems a better option. As for Harvey mudd, the simple truth is I don’t know much about it - and I fear that that may be the case with future employers (i.e. ones outside of CA, esp. abroad).</p>
<p>Before I go on, though, I want to make something clear - I do NOT plan to work after undergrad, and I will almost certainly obtain a PhD - if not, at least two masters degrees. I want to specialize eventually in nanotechnology - however, because their are so many elements to it,
whether it be nanoelectrics (mostly ECE, some chemistry), nanotechnology relating to medicine directly (bio/materials dual major) or indirectly (applications of nanoelectronics), nano-robotics (almost solely ECE) and general nanotechnology (leaning on materials), i’m unsure of my major. thus, with the added benefit of expanding research in nanotech, berkeley is my first choice.</p>
<p>Now, part of my confusion stems from the fact that although Berkeley is my first choice, and I’ve heard great things about its engineering programs, the general vibe I get seems to be something like students attending Berkeley almost solely for the prestige or brand value, which, incidentally, stems from its grad programs (seemingly) rather than its undergrad programs. Also, its ‘publicness’ has been criticized heavily by current and former students, and students who chose not to go there. I know that any college experience largely depends on what you make of it, but for me, other variables are virtually non-existent: the financial aid packages for me are similar (the amount of loans + EFC) at all 3 schools, i don’t really mind the proximity to family in los angeles either way, and i’m not too obsessed with social life either. although californian weather is a plus at berkeley (and harvey mudd), i’m primarily concerned with the quality of courses offered, and, where available, the quality of research experiences for undergrads. based on this information, as a student who has lived outside the US for 10 years, what would be my best choice? I have certain preferences, which may help you give me any advice that I can get from you:</p>
<li><p>I think the weather will be significant, not because I won’t cope with the cold, but because of the psychological factor - hotter weather may be ‘easier’ to cope with.</p></li>
<li><p>I definitely prefer smaller class sizes, which is one of my few pauses on berkeley at the moment. I saw the department size for the materials department - 95. What does this mean, exactly? What would a typical freshman class, such as an advanced level (freshman) course in Math, for eg
multi-variable calculus, have as its class size? And what would the class size be for an upper-division specialized materials science course? How would this compare with the ‘elite’ counterparts, eg Stanford/MIT, and even the other two schools, i.e. Harvey Mudd and CMU? </p></li>
<li><p>Transfer options - I want to keep this open, if possible. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Should I end up being unhappy at Berkeley, for whatever reason, how easy is it to transfer to Stanford, for example? I know MIT is extremely difficult, so I’m not asking, but does anyone out there actually transferred to Stanford, or more importantly, out of Berkeley to another school?</p>
<li><p>Based on my above preferences, would it be better to take a drop for a year, focus on the upcoming IB exams (getting a 43+ score for eg), take the SAT again (to improve Verbal score) and reapply Early to say, Stanford? (with possibly stronger ECs, recos) Or would it make more sense to attend one of these schools, for eg berkeley, and then, only if i’m unhappy, transfer to stanford (or any other school)? based on my earlier comment about pursuing a PhD, how much does an undergrad degree really matter (i.e. the prestige of the undergrad school)? and more importantly, how does it compare, specifically for ENGINEERING, in the eyes of employers, at the undergrad level, to say, Stanford/MIT? (note: I will most likely attend another school for grad, that could range from MIT or Stanford to Carnegie Mellon (if i decide on robotics) and Cambridge (they have a MSc specific nanotech degree)</p></li>
<li><p>If anyone recommends Harvey mudd, for instance, over berkeley for a potentially more rewarding undergrad experience, then, in relation to Q4, how much does the degree matter (for employers and otherwise)? And, how important is it to specialize in a particular branch of engineering at the
undergrad level? (I ask because harvey mudd has no specialization for its engineering program)</p></li>
<li><p>How much of a factor does the ‘publicness’ of Berkeley play, not just in the undergrad experience, but when it comes to employers? Does anyone know what ranking, or evaluation, systems employers use to determine where the best applicants graduate from, for particular jobs? And as far as Berkeley is concerned, how hard is it to get the classes of choice, and how difficult is
it to change majors (for eg from my current eng math&stat major to materials eng., or the much more popular EECS) within the engineering school, even with a high GPA?</p></li>
<li><p>Finally, assuming I do decide on Berkeley, what course of action should i take should i be admitted off the unranked caltech waitlist? now, i know that as far as prestige and overall undergrad experience (academically at least), caltech may offer a (much?) better program in any engineering branch i decide on. that said, how will its difficulty level for undergrad courses
(in relation to berkeley’s) affect my GPA, and consequently, my chances for grad school? is caltech’s engineering program as good (as its undergrad program) for grad? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>i know the ‘fit’ of the school is also an important factor in deciding, but i’ve changed schools a lot, so i fairly certain that i won’t have problems adjusting to any of the schools that i’ve been admitted to; my key concerns, for better or worse, are outlined above.</p>
<p>I know i’ve asked a LOT of questions, and i don’t expect answers to all of them, but i’d really appreciate any help i can get because i’m confused - and not just because i have to decide on one school for a particular program, but also because there are so many factors i have to consider that, well, i’m not used to thinking about. </p>
<p>thanks a lot,
kishore</p>