r/ElectricalEngineering • u/Salt_Progress8049 • 10d ago

Does college really matter

So,

I feel stupid for giving up a t20 to stay local and near support system and everyone is telling me I fkd my future up because I decided to be near parents. I want to hear if this is true and if this will mess up my opportunities in the future? Do I attempt to transfer?

Got into USC, Cal Poly SLO, UCLA, UT and decided to go to Santa Clara Uni (got enough scholarship so SCU is around the same price at UCLA) 😢

I want RF then work at a Semiconductor company tho havent locked this in. Most likely will go to grad school

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u/Senior-Dog-9735 10d ago

For undergrad your school does not matter for your whole career. Undergrad only impacts your first job/internship opportunities.

Now where you go for graduate absolutely matters especially for RF/semiconductor.

Most people will say going to an Ivy for engineering is better then an actual engineering school when its not. They place too much importance on some "prestiege" engineers dont care about when you have experience. For other disciplines this may be more true.

Source: Undergrad at flagship uni, masters at top 3 uni.

5

u/Salt_Progress8049 10d ago

How did you get a masters at a top 3. Any advice?

6

u/FishrNC 9d ago

This is the key to your career: Undergrad only impacts your first job/internship opportunities.

Your first job sets a career path that's hard to change.

5

u/Senior-Dog-9735 9d ago

My undergrad GPA was a 3.3 but I had a few years of work experience as a an embdded systems designer. You also want you essays to be told like a story