Hello, I’m a current senior trying to decide where to ED. I’m planning on majoring in engineering (undecided, possibly mechanical/civil?). I have good stats: 1560 SAT, 34 ACT, 3.9/4.1 unweighted GPA with mostly honors/ap classes, national merit commended scholar. Price is not a huge concern.
My current options are Boston university, northeastern, tufts, nyu, or columbia. (I have legacy in Columbia, but it’s graduate and not undergraduate. How much of an impact does this have?)
In terms of preferences, I do like Boston more than New York. I’d prefer a more cooperative social atmosphere to a competetive one. The social atmosphere matters to me, although I’m having a hard time parsing what the social scenes in schools are actually like. Preparation for jobs after college is also important.
Smaller classes/being able to know my professors would also be good, although not essential. Flexibility in class selection/potentially changing majors would also be a plus.
Yes - don’t apply ED and go visit the schools - and maybe talk to student advisors.
Why these schools? They’re fine for engineering but not necessarily the best known, etc. They don’t scream - I should ED because these are the hottest tickets…all fine of course but you should only ED to a school you’d absolutely love to be at and can afford.
Columbia says this about legacy:
We are always pleased to receive applications from students whose family members have graduated from Columbia. When an applicant is competitive and compares favorably with other similarly talented candidates, being a “legacy” candidate may be a slight advantage in the admission process. A “legacy” candidate is defined as the child of a Columbia College or Columbia Engineering graduate.
Agree with the others about not applying ED. ED is like a marriage, a big commitment you need to be ready to make.
I’m familiar with Northeastern. It has a lot of what you are looking for, including flexibility in changing majors or doing combined majors and small class sizes. Many students are offered a job after graduation from a co-op employer. There are many opportunities to study abroad. The engineering students do well in national competitions, beating students from MIT, CalTech and other top schools. They have Husky Ambassadors (student tour guides) you can talk to if you want more info.
Engineering is a field where the “prestige” of your undergraduate university really does not matter. There are a lot of universities with very good engineering programs. You most likely should look for a school that is ABET accredited, but many schools are. Your in-state public university is most likely ABET accredited and very good for engineering (although I do not know which state you are from).
I am not a big fan of ED, particularly when you do not have a clear #1 top choice. You do not need to apply ED anywhere.
What state are you in? People here can probably suggest some other schools that are very good for engineering.
Noting that you are applying to multiple schools in Massachusetts, I will point out that U.Mass Amherst is very good for engineering (and is ABET accredited for mechanical, civil, and multiple other types of engineering). Several of the SUNY’s are also very good, although I am not as familiar with them.
If you’re not totally sure about what kind of engineering you’d like to do, look at the course catalogs of all and see what your academic program would look like at each and where the decision nodes are.
The benefit to doing ED is that you may have a decision in December and while your odds won’t be notably better, it’s perhaps a finger on the scale. Do you think you would be able to get a better feel for the schools over the year? If the answer is no, the extra time may not help. Or if you are largely adaptable, it may not matter to you. If there is a way you could get yourself to the campuses of greatest interest, it might help.
You can be arbitrary and say if you prefer Boston, you’ll only consider the 3 there. Of them, Tufts has the most “traditional campus” with all that involves. Robust student life, everything in close proximity, weekend activities, etc. It’s also the least integrated into the city although access is easy. Does that appeal to you? The engineering students are collaborative.
Do you love the coops at Northeastern? They come with some trade-offs, but for many students are a deciding differentiator.
I’m less familiar with BU’s engineering program, but it’s a classic city school that is mixed in with its environment. If you want that experience, it’s a great choice.
I note UMass Amherst also has a non-binding EA option. Seems like a good opportunity for someone who wants to study engineering in Massachusetts but without having to prematurely commit.
Great for engineering, but I wonder what the OP means about possibly changing majors. If they might want to change out of engineering entirely, Olin becomes problematic.