Hey guys, I have a question regarding my college situation. I have been accepted to both Yale and USC and those are the two colleges I’m deciding between. I want to major in something engineering (I am thinking aerospace) so I want to know which college is better to go to for my major. I know USC has a great aerospace/astronautical engineering program and I was very impressed by their opportunities, especially with the internships available in downtown LA. I don’t know much about Yale so can anyone give me any insights about the quality of Yale engineering? There are a lot of things I really love about USC, but I feel stupid turning down YALE to go there. Also, at USC I would have to pay about $18,000 per year which is very difficult on my family, whereas at Yale I would pay $0. Would do you guys think? Should I go to Yale? What’s the benefit of going to one over the other? Thanks so much!
I think the choice is really easy, not only is Yale much better, but its also significantly cheaper
chance me- http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1773882-accept-waitlist-reject.html#latest
Agreed, Yale is the better school and it is cheaper. Not even close in my mind – go to Yale.
You are correct that among the Ivies, Yale’s Engineering isn’t as highly ranked. USNews has USC’s Engineering school ranked higher (#10 vs #33).
However, Yale is YALE. The connections and the prestige and the money you’ll save by going there is priceless.
Moreover, to be really good in your field, you’ll need a Master’s in Engineering anyway.
Go to Yale Engineering, do well, then get a 1 or 2 year Master’s at whatever your dream Aerospace engineering school is (MIT, Caltech, etc.)
No-brainer: Go to Yale. Even though their engineering program isn’t good, your network will be incredible. You can work on a lot of interdisciplinary projects with other departments as well, and research with some incredible faculty. The fact that Yale is free makes the decision even easier.
Yale
You have to even ask
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To me, Yale is the obvious choice, but I don’t think that this is so clear to you. If you would really prefer USC, call them and tell them that you are deciding between there and Yale, but USC is a serious financial stretch for your family, and you are wondering if they would be able to match Yale’s offer. See what they say.
Otherwise, IMO, it’s Yale all the way.
Someone I know did that with a WL offer they got last week. The WL was a better school and offered more $ but he wanted the RD school. So he is going back to the RD to negotiate
If you are not planning to go to graduate school but straight into the workforce, can get USC to match your Yale financial aid, are 100% sure you’ll be going into engineering, and feel that opportunities in your major trump all other considerations, then USC might actually be the better choice. Otherwise, I agree with everyone else—Yale. You should also consider the schools’ atmospheres and general student populations—they’re very, very different. If you haven’t visited both schools, you should. Also, the area outside the USC gates is a far cry from New Haven—very, very dangerous.
Yale is cheaper, and it’ll open more doors. Out of curiousity, what was your gpa and SAT/ACT score?
Is the 18k readily available to your family? Or are you low income?
If he is getting money from Yale would assume based on need. However, many shools use different need calculators. I have heard of Ivy’s matching offers. I think Dartmouth says so on its calculator. I would imagine USC would match Yale if they think you are serious and would take them over Yale.
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It’s hard to turn down USCccccccc, what with one of the best engineering schools in America and the weather, social scene, college football tradition, alumni network, first class facilities, etc. But, zero cost weighs heavily in Yale’s favor. Go East, and save the money. You can always get a USC MS.
While Yale may not be the highest ranked or best recruited (by engineering employers, as opposed to Wall Street and consulting employers) school, it does have ABET accreditation in mechanical and electrical engineering (and there is an aerodynamics course in the mechanical engineering). So it is a perfectly good choice, and the price is right. If USC’s $18,000 price is “very difficult” on your family, then it is not a good idea to live on the very edge of financial problems when there is a much lower cost option available. For $72,000 that you would save by attending Yale, you can relocate to places where there are the desired engineering jobs and seek them there if you do not see enough recruiting on campus. (However, Yale’s net price may not actually be $0 if they expect you to earn a few thousand dollars from work or work-study. But still that is a lot less than the USC price you list.)
wow thanks for all the great responses guys! I really do appreciate it!
@BrownParent yeah I am from a low income family. In fact, I am a Questridge Finalist as well. The $18K is very hard for us to come up with, especially per year.
@ZBlue17 of course! Here are my breakdowns.
SAT (Superscore): 2080
M: 770
W: 730
R: 580
ACT (superscore): 32
E: 34
M:35
R: 32
S: 29
SAT 2:
Math 2: 770
Physics: 760
Also, here is a link to my chance thread if you want to know anymore about me! Thanks again!
I went to grad school at USC, but Yale for $0? Hello, New Haven!!
If you’d prefer USC though, (and I can understand why some people would,) there’s a decent chance USC will give you more aid if you let them know you have the opportunity to go to Yale for nothing. Part of USC’s strategy to attract excellent students is to offer scholarship money to students accepted to Ivy-level schools in the hope of stealing them away.