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UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:07 am
by nininininini
hey,guys, first post here:D

Im highly interested in IP law and I guess I want to be an IP attorney in the future.
Major in electrical engineering for my college.
I have already been admitted to UIUC law with 10k/y and I am also admitted to Stanford, Master of Science in electrical engineering.
My SO is probably going to UIUC for an engineering Phd program and i do want to stay with him.
Any idea which one shall i choose if i want to practice IP? is it a big plus if i apply the law school after i finish my master degree at Stanford?

Thank you so much!

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:24 am
by englawyer
the MS degree is probably not worth the opportunity costs if you KNOW you want patent law. but if there is any chance at all that you want to be an engineer, an MS at Stanford is an amazing opportunity.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:25 am
by englawyer
btw, i am assuming you are paying for the MS. if you have a scholarship that would change my vote

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:47 am
by Derrex
I'd just go to UIUC, stanford ee is not necessary to do patent law. Its about 1.5 years and about 70k total. Odds of financial aid are usually close to 0, especially if you're masters only. If you do want to go engineering though, MSEE will help you a bit.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:16 am
by nininininini
englawyer wrote:btw, i am assuming you are paying for the MS. if you have a scholarship that would change my vote
yeah, i dont have any financial aid for the MS.
but my family are quite supportive. Thanks a lot!

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:16 am
by im_blue
If you want IP law, the Stanford MSEE is not necessary. It will delay your law school by 2 years and cost $40k in tuition.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:33 am
by engineer
nininininini wrote:hey,guys, first post here:D

Im highly interested in IP law and I guess I want to be an IP attorney in the future.
Major in electrical engineering for my college.
I have already been admitted to UIUC law with 10k/y and I am also admitted to Stanford, Master of Science in electrical engineering.
My SO is probably going to UIUC for an engineering Phd program and i do want to stay with him.
Any idea which one shall i choose if i want to practice IP? is it a big plus if i apply the law school after i finish my master degree at Stanford?

Thank you so much!
I'm also an electrical engineer. I did a double in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering, and I have talked about this with one of my profs, who has a masters in biomedical engineering. This professor told me that if you want to be really useful in the patent law field (this person is a patent attorney and a visiting professor), you absolutely must have an advanced degree. I mean, you know as well as I do that a bachelor's in EE didn't really teach you too much.

Personally, if I were you, I'd take the MS program at Stanford in a heart beat. If you're still interested in law after that, you will have a better chance at getting into a top-ranked school.

It's true, you don't need an MS to be a patent attorney. However, from what I've heard from someone in the field, it REALLY helps. According to this professor, however, a Ph.D. isn't necessary and won't provide you with too much more.

Just my opinion.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:05 am
by nininininini
engineer wrote:
nininininini wrote:hey,guys, first post here:D

Im highly interested in IP law and I guess I want to be an IP attorney in the future.
Major in electrical engineering for my college.
I have already been admitted to UIUC law with 10k/y and I am also admitted to Stanford, Master of Science in electrical engineering.
My SO is probably going to UIUC for an engineering Phd program and i do want to stay with him.
Any idea which one shall i choose if i want to practice IP? is it a big plus if i apply the law school after i finish my master degree at Stanford?

Thank you so much!
I'm also an electrical engineer. I did a double in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering, and I have talked about this with one of my profs, who has a masters in biomedical engineering. This professor told me that if you want to be really useful in the patent law field (this person is a patent attorney and a visiting professor), you absolutely must have an advanced degree. I mean, you know as well as I do that a bachelor's in EE didn't really teach you too much.

Personally, if I were you, I'd take the MS program at Stanford in a heart beat. If you're still interested in law after that, you will have a better chance at getting into a top-ranked school.

It's true, you don't need an MS to be a patent attorney. However, from what I've heard from someone in the field, it REALLY helps. According to this professor, however, a Ph.D. isn't necessary and won't provide you with too much more.

Just my opinion.
Thanks a lot! actually what you suggested was exactly my parents' advice~~~
still thinking about it though~~~

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:28 pm
by zreinhar
I realize this thread is a little old but thought I could contribute. I was planning on going to Georgia State this fall and applied to Stanford on a whim, and then ended up getting in (for the MSEE). I'll be delaying law school to get the MSEE but my situation is a little different. I have a great engineering job that will pay for the MSEE and I feel as though I underperformed on the LSAT so sitting two years, getting good WE and a prestigious degree will make things alot better for me from an application standpoint. I mean if I can bring my LSAT up a few points the schools I could go to would drastically change. But UIUC is a great school and has a good IP program as well..

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:41 pm
by 09042014
Will UIUC ECE department let you do an MSEE combo with JD? UIUC is almost as good in EE as Stanford.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:46 pm
by zreinhar
OP probably doesn't get on too much anymore... Im just excited to post something about going to a school someone has heard of :D so DF you start at NW this fall? Or are you there now?

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:49 pm
by romothesavior
Desert Fox wrote:Will UIUC ECE department let you do an MSEE combo with JD? UIUC is almost as good in EE as Stanford.
+1. A dual degree sounds like a good idea if you can swing it, since it sounds like pursuing a higher degree in engineering is important to you.

And if your SO is going to be at UIUC, don't discount the importance of that. Happiness in life is defined by more things than education, job prospects, etc.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:55 pm
by zreinhar
I agree, look into the JD/MSEE combo, I talked to a rep at Mich about it and they usually are cool with working something out.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:08 am
by 09042014
zreinhar wrote:OP probably doesn't get on too much anymore... Im just excited to post something about going to a school someone has heard of :D so DF you start at NW this fall? Or are you there now?
Fall. I'm excited to start.

I did my BSEE at UIUC.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:09 am
by 09042014
zreinhar wrote:I agree, look into the JD/MSEE combo, I talked to a rep at Mich about it and they usually are cool with working something out.
The hard part is UIUC ECE accepting OP, but if Stanford did, chances are decent.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:46 pm
by zreinhar
Desert Fox wrote:
zreinhar wrote:I agree, look into the JD/MSEE combo, I talked to a rep at Mich about it and they usually are cool with working something out.
The hard part is UIUC ECE accepting OP, but if Stanford did, chances are decent.
Yeah, I didn't realize it was quite that hard to get into UIUC, then I looked at their admission statistics and saw their admission percentage is on par (I think even lower than) Stanford's

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:49 pm
by 09042014
zreinhar wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:
zreinhar wrote:I agree, look into the JD/MSEE combo, I talked to a rep at Mich about it and they usually are cool with working something out.
The hard part is UIUC ECE accepting OP, but if Stanford did, chances are decent.
Yeah, I didn't realize it was quite that hard to get into UIUC, then I looked at their admission statistics and saw their admission percentage is on par (I think even lower than) Stanford's
They are one of the best EE schools in the world. Also I get the feeling they don't take too many Masters students. Almost all the grad students I met when I was there were PhD students. MS was basically awarded to PhD drop outs. Though they do take some.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:45 pm
by rayiner
OMG Stanford!!!

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:54 pm
by byunbee
Desert Fox wrote:Fall. I'm excited to start.

I did my BSEE at UIUC.
DF, I knew some BSEEs during my time in Champaign, let's just say you don't seem as nerdy (I could be wrong).

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:56 pm
by 09042014
byunbee wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Fall. I'm excited to start.

I did my BSEE at UIUC.
DF, I knew some BSEEs during my time in Champaign, let's just say you don't seem as nerdy (I could be wrong).
I'm pretty nerdy, but nearly as aggressively nerdy, and I'm not an aspergers case.

When were you in Champaign.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:00 pm
by byunbee
Graduated in '09, I lived just north of the engineering quad with a couple of engineers. Nice quiet living north of Springfield, probably the only reason I was able to finish my thesis on time.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:01 pm
by 09042014
byunbee wrote:Graduated in '09, I lived just north of the engineering quad with a couple of engineers. Nice quiet living north of Springfield, probably the only reason I was able to finish my thesis on time.
I lived on white and 6th from 07-08.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:10 pm
by byunbee
Jeez, it must've been like a ghost town up there.

I'm assuming you're going to live in Chicago, if you aren't there already.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:17 pm
by 09042014
byunbee wrote:Jeez, it must've been like a ghost town up there.

I'm assuming you're going to live in Chicago, if you aren't there already.
Surburbs now. Looking for an apartment for Aug 1 in the city now.

Yea it was a ghost town, but it was in walking distance of the bars, my classes (engineering quad) and Dos Reales.

Re: UIUC vs Stanford EE?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:22 pm
by byunbee
Desert Fox wrote:Surburbs now. Looking for an apartment for Aug 1 in the city now.

Yea it was a ghost town, but it was in walking distance of the bars, my classes (engineering quad) and Dos Reales.
Yeesh, good luck with that.

Living a block from DQ, Taco Bell, and Dos + junk addiction = 20 lbs gained senior year

LS stress + living in another college town for 3 years = switching to pants with elastic waistbands