Good is University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for Electrical Engineering?

[TheMostPowerfulApplicant]

I recently got interviewed for grad EE program in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Being that I go to college in CA, I am not really familiar with great EE colleges other than Berkeley and Stanford (MIT being exception).

 

How prestigious or rigorous is UIUC in EE? Are they very selective?

 

Thanks!

[skyentist]

Why did you apply to it if you don't know anything about its EE program? Anyway you made a good choice Its ranked as the 5th best engineering program and (3rd best EE program) in the country according to US News:

 

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/electrical-engineering-rankings

 

The national research council (NRC) ranks it as 3rd as well:

 

http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/area23.html

 

So you got into a very very prestigious program! Congratulations!!!! Not sure about rigor though.

[NanoTech]

This is random, but schools ranked higher often are easier to get into than schools ranked lower. THis is typically true of public schools in the top 10 compared to private schools (e.g., schools like UIUC, Mich, GaTech are not as selective as schools like Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, UPenn despite being ranked higher). I don't know how USNews rank grad schools, but I find it very very odd. Probably the only public school which is more selective than those IVYs is Berkeley.

For example, getting into a higher ranked program than Harvard does not necessarily mean you have a good shot getting into Harvard, it only means you are probably qualified. Good luck at UIUC.

 

Realistically:

1. MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Caltech

2. Princeton, Harvard, Cornell, Penn, CMU

3. UIUC, MICH, GaTech, UCLA, UTAustin, UW, etc..

Edited January 30, 2014 by NanoTech

[skyentist]

NanoTech brings up a good point. However, Princeton or Harvard are harder to get into because of their name and prestige regardless of what program or upbringing or knowledge you  have. Pretty much everyone will know what Harvard is, but not very many will know UIUC, even though UIUC is better engineering program than Harvard. Since UIUC is not "famous" less people apply. I know a few people who applied to harvard material science just because of prestige of attending Harvard. They had good grades, GREs, LORs etc. Thats just people I know so think about how many people with decent to exceptional stats are applying to those big name schools and that is why they are harder to get into. Just a larger pool of applicants with good stats (but probably not good enough for Harvard). 

 

The point is you shouldn't go somewhere just to get to say "I went to Harvard" because if thats the case you probably didn't get much out of it except connections. Go somewhere that is the best fit for you and will give you the best opportunities, education and overall happiness.

Edited January 30, 2014 by skyentist

[TheMostPowerfulApplicant]

I agree with you skyentist, UIUC isn't a name brand, which confuses me as to why it is ranked so highly this year.

Besides the obvious MIT's, Stanfords, and Berkeley, the rest of the great engineering colleges's positions relative to each other seems to really fluctuate.

 

For nanotech. I dont completely agree with your ranking for EE grad... Harvard, Penn and Cornell have pretty bad engineering when compared with some of the public school names mentioned.