UC Berkeley vs. MIT (Mechanical Engineering)

[hutsler]

Hi all..

I have been accepted to the MS/PhD program at Berkeley and the MS program at MIT in the field of energy science. My final degree objective is PhD. Disregarding funding issues, what would be the better school in general to attend for the following future goals

1) getting into industry or being an entrepreneur

2) academia

P.S: Professor at Berkeley is relatively newer (BS. Berkeley, PhD MIT) with a young and small group, while the group at MIT is very well established but has around 40 group members. The environment at Berkeley might be better. Both professors are very good in their fields.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[hope4fall2012]

Congratulations on your admits to two really good schools.. Whatever you decide, I guess you cannot go really wrong..

Since your final objective is a PhD, IMHO, you really apply to a professor rather than the school itself. Of course, the school is really important too, but once you are in the top schools, it's your advisor, or potential advisor, that you should be looking at. Do you see yourself preferring one prof (his research, projects in pipeline, mannerisms, opinions of current grad students, etc) over the other? If so, that should help you decide.

Good that you brought up the young, trying-to-get-established prof v/s the older, established prof issue. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and stereotyping wouldn't really be of much help. But getting into your next job (industry/academia) in a field such as energy science might require that your professor know a lot of right people in the right places. You might be better off choosing the well established prof, from this perspective.

Also, in Berkeley, is it the ERG? That's pretty well reputed isn't it??

[hutsler]

Thanks for your reply. No, it is not the ERG, but I am accepted to the Mechanical Engineering department itself. They have subcategories of research areas of which one is energy science and technology.