[CD44hi]

Actually, for a technical career, Worcester (WPI) is not a bad choice at all. Their ME/EE/CS depts were quite good and well regarded about 10 yrs ago when I was there, since then I have no idea though. I did a masters there (on a different field though). I don't have much info on RPI. I know their tuitions/board costs are about the same, but that is about all I know...

However, concerning WPI, here is the "partial-rub" :
-even with that $ they are offering you, you would still be about $20K shy per year as they do require (or at least did 10 years ago

), that you live/eat on campus for freshman year, which adds about 10K to the remaining 10K you'd have to provide for the tuition(besides the $ they offer you). That said, it is a good school and classes were thought by professors not TA's like in other bigger schools. The punch line here is read the fine print as some schools do require room/board on campus the first or even the second year.

On the social side, Worcester is kind of lagging, and WPI, as an engineering school, is famous for not having "the girls." But then, there is HolyCross and Clark in town for that, he he. Also Boston would be about 45 min away only. So going there for social is easy.

I am in the same boat as the others that have advised that go larger at last. In other words, if you plan to specialize or do further work. That's where I'd put my eggs.

good luck!

 

[F1GTR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtp The real point is don't sweat it too much. If you are good, it will show and you will do well in life no matter what decision you make. All of the schools you list are very good, so I would pick the school that fits in most closely with your personality and interests. This should be obvious from your visits.

Best advice given in this thread.

Don't choose a school based on the name. Choose the school where you'll have the best college experience.

 

[PSmith08]

Don't worry about the name. Make campus visits, talk to real students, and talk to real instructors. You might find yourself impressed by a school about which you hadn't before thought much. The name doesn't matter. Not as much as you think it does, anyway. If you're a sharp guy, you can go almost anywhere and develop impressive credentials.

 

[Omega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood Depends if you are planning on graduate school. Your last degree is more important. I don't know - I think it's just as ignorant to believe those idiotic ratings. Visit the school. Talk to people who went there. Make your choice. Don't choose a school based on the name. Choose the school where you'll have the best college experience.

These posts are brilliant, heed the wisdom! If you ask 10 people, you'll get 10 answers, but the only one that matters if yours. US News & World Reports are bullspit--unless you would rank your decisions based on the same criteria that they use (and you probably don't). "Prestige" is something your grandma wants so she can brag to her friends. Good results, knowing the right people for what you do, and a positive attitude will get you farther than prestige and a $100,00 hole. That's a lot of money, spend it wisely or at least enjoy the hell out of it. $100,000...or an Orpheus setup, an M3 (the car, not the amp) and a summer of royal debauchery....

I got my undergrad at a decent state school (engineering) and did well. I'm now at one of the top schools in the country getting a graduate degree (and doing well). You know the biggest difference? $36,000 a year buys better beer at happy hours, and fresh grass for parents to see during graudation week. Of course, the undergrads aren't usually invited to happy hours for beer . WHen I'm done here, my resume will look as good as all my current classmates who came from Penn, Brown, Harvard, other state schools, etc...and I've put myself through school free and clear.

 

[Oistrakh]

one of my friend's mom was accepted to Brown but decided to go to the University of Massachusetts, said Brown cost too much...

 

[daycart1]

If you intend to concentrate heavily on engineering, want a career in engineering, and don't care about much else, I'd recommend taking the money at RPI.
You should know that it is possible that Cornell will come across with some money if you let them know about your other nice offers. STudent recruitment, even at the undergrad level is a lot like signing basketball players!

 

[dreamnid]

I'm actually at RPI for a co-op doing PHP scripting... but I really go to RIT in Rochester, NY. Since I am new in the area, it is only natural for me to compare RPI to RIT and where they are based (Troy vs. Rochester/Henrietta).

From what I saw of the campus (30 minute walk-through) the overall campus is a lot nicer compared to RIT's "brick-city" decor and has a lot more buildings.

The big thing with Troy ('Home of Uncle Sam') is that it is pretty old and very hilly. Mom and Pop shops/resturants dominate the area if you like trying local eateries. If you're like me and are used to retail stores, you have to drive to either Latham or Brunwick (gas price is around $2.70). I haven't been to Albany yet, but there is supposed to be many forms of entertainment there.

Concerning Cornell - I haven't seen Cornell, but I heard some things from my family who toured the campus, cousin, etc. The campus is supposed to be gorgeous since the terrain is on the hilly side (according to my mom). However, I guess anyone who lives in Ithica really works for Cornell, and sorta in the middle of nowhere (the route [SR-414?] that you take from I-90 I believe is 1 lane each way). I only mention this if you're into the social scene - I guess Cornell students go to Rochester for their entertainment and even Rochester does not have much to offer.

Back to RPI - it seems that RIT has a better program (at least for CS majors). Both my boss and co-worker thought that most of the things they've learned at RPI could have been better spent reading a textbook and were pretty impressed with the things that we're doing in RIT.

In general, RPI social scene seems to be similar to RIT's - there is a decent amount of people walking around in the campus although that is a different story when you're not in campus. I think the male:female ratio is better than RIT's judging from walking around the campus. Supposingly, one of my classmates at RIT took a tour at RPI and was told not to walk alone because of the high chance of being mugged. I have been here for two weeks, and I don't really see that being the case (my boss has been here for 10 years and never had trouble). I live on 15th Street (one of the streets bordering the campus), and I do see some children playing around so I'm sure the area is pretty safe as long as you follow common sense (like any other college).

Again, I haven't taken classes at RPI and am just offering what I experience at their campus. I don't really know anything about ME (Computer Engineering Tech and Computer Science here), so take my ramblings with a grain of salt

One of the coolest thing that RIT did when I went there for their "High School Seniors" program was showing "Orange County." If you haven't seen it, long story short, don't worry too much about going to a school based off its prestige - you want to find the college that is what is best for you and where you feel comfortable spending gobs of time (and money!) for four+ years. Sorry, I had to add the last part!

Good luck with your search!

 

[Jon.]

I have two things to say. One may be my backwards atlantic canadian knowhow, but 34,000$ is how much my ex-gf's entire buildup of student loansfor her university career in Halifax cost, and that's only half a year's worth of tuition for you?? Yikes.

That's complete ignorance (not the bad kind) I know, I just have NO idea of the education system down there. Just seems steep from where I'm sitting. I dunno



And when did UPS get their own university?

 

[dvallere]

I went to Penn State for the money reasons (for me it was PSU versus a non-scholarship Princeton, and the fear of debt made me choose PSU). I'd say avoid it. It was a great time and all; cool campus, lots of non-academic activities, and so forth. But overall it had the flavor of four more years of high school. It's so large and impersonal that many of my friends and I didn't feel we had gained any "real world life experience" by living and studying there.

Also, it's miles from anything except more boontowns, and it doesn't seem to have a well-respected rep anymore - not nationally, I mean. Spout off the names of your other choices and people all over the country will have a reaction, know something about it, etc. (witness this thread) but nobody stands up for Dear Old State anymore

This post isn't adding much to the overall discussion, I know, since nobody was standing up for Dear Old State to begin with, but, hey, it's another 2 cents.

 

[Elec]

Go with nearly-free. A big name school may help you get that first job, but as time goes on, your work experience will matter more and "degree" will almost be a check box (you have one or you don't). I have my undergrad from a largely unknown state school, and I now have the same job as people with Master's degrees from CMU, MIT, Cornell, Brown, etc. They make slightly more than me because of the Bachelor's vs. Master's thing, but we really do have the same position and job title. I know that I paid for my education as I went, and came out of school debt-free. Hopefully most of them had big scholarships.

There is a definite benefit to finishing school without big time debt, and I'd argue it's potentially greater than the benefit from putting a fancy name on your resume. Aside from that, go to the place you like best, the place you think you will enjoying living for the next 4-5 years, and the place you personally feel will provide you with the educational opportunities you're looking for.

 

[Trippytiger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon. I have two things to say. One may be my backwards atlantic canadian knowhow, but 34,000$ is how much my ex-gf's entire buildup of student loansfor her university career in Halifax cost, and that's only half a year's worth of tuition for you?? Yikes. That's complete ignorance (not the bad kind) I know, I just have NO idea of the education system down there. Just seems steep from where I'm sitting. I dunno And when did UPS get their own university?

I'm with you - this is nuts! I'm paying around ~$5,500 a year (yes, year) for tuition to take engineering at the University of Alberta. And that's with one of the highest tuition rates in Canada (I believe only Newfoundland has higher fees). Not only that, but the U of A is considered to be one of the best universities in Canada, and the Dean of Engineering claims that our engineering department is rated in the top 10 or something in North America. And it's all only 45 minutes away.

So educate a couple of ignorant Canucks - what's the deal with these American schools? What makes them worth so much?

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaceconvoy The really great Ivies are worth the money (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, even Brown. They have a similar saying - "Sorry about your parent's wallet"). But Cornell, much like Penn, is a half-hearted Ivy. They're no more or less prestigious than great-but-not-techically-Ivies like UVA and Georgetown. Especially if you get a good package from UVA, I'd suggest you go there.

Penn is #4 according to USNews. Even if you don't agree with USNews, most people would agree than Penn > Brown overall, even for graduate/professional programs.
Cornell is ranked higher than both UVA and Georgetown.

BTW, Penn medicine >>> Yale medicine. Penn med is neck-and-neck with Harvard med.

 

[johnmatrix]

I currently go to Virginia and I know you would get a great education here. On the E-school side, we may not be as good as the techs, but I have friends who are engineers themselves and they have no trouble getting jobs or going to grad schools. As far as prestige is concerned, your work ethic is more important. In college the impetus is on you to achieve. UVA may not be known for its chemistry program, but I am a Biochem major and got into UNC Chapel Hill's Analytical chem graduate program.

 

[Whitebread]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trippytiger I'm with you - this is nuts! I'm paying around ~$5,500 a year (yes, year) for tuition to take engineering at the University of Alberta. And that's with one of the highest tuition rates in Canada (I believe only Newfoundland has higher fees). Not only that, but the U of A is considered to be one of the best universities in Canada, and the Dean of Engineering claims that our engineering department is rated in the top 10 or something in North America. And it's all only 45 minutes away. So educate a couple of ignorant Canucks - what's the deal with these American schools? What makes them worth so much?

The Canadian governmetn subsidizes education at every level, the American governmetn does not.

 

[dhp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trippytiger I'm with you - this is nuts! I'm paying around ~$5,500 a year (yes, year) for tuition to take engineering at the University of Alberta. And that's with one of the highest tuition rates in Canada (I believe only Newfoundland has higher fees). Not only that, but the U of A is considered to be one of the best universities in Canada, and the Dean of Engineering claims that our engineering department is rated in the top 10 or something in North America. And it's all only 45 minutes away. So educate a couple of ignorant Canucks - what's the deal with these American schools? What makes them worth so much?

these are private schools we're discussing... state schools are much cheaper