Aerospace Engg.

Is WPI a good school for aerospace engg. would it be advised to go to WPI rather than the university of illinois UC??

U of IL has a stronger reputation in Aerospace Engineering. It’s a more hard-core and research focused school and likely has more recruiting at the national level.

@frontpage
So U of IL will be a better option?

I think UIUC is the more reputable school. US News reports UIUC as a top 10 engineering school at both the undergraduate and graduate level in most disciplines. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate.

If I were you, I would apply to both schools and deciding after receiving admission and financial aid. Also, if you are admitted and can afford to do so, visit both schools and determine for yourself:

Where did you get in? I don’t know which school is more selective at the undergraduate level.

Also, would you be more likely to succeed at a larger or smaller university? Is a large, impersonal and highly competitive environment best for you? Are you in state or out of state at UIUC? What are the costs of each school? Do you have an affinity to either city, school, or department? If you are international, what is the environment and support structure for international students? Do you want to study abroad, and if so, what opportunities are available at each school?

Both schools have strong students. PM me if you have questions specifically about WPI.

I can’t answer all these questions, but these are questions I would consider when applying or deciding on a school.

@frontpage I am an international student, so I don’t really know what colleges in the states are like, anyway I could get a further insight? I have applied, am currently awaiting the results.

Both schools have a acceptance rate of around 60%, I think I’ll get accepted there. I’m also going to apply to the U of Michigan, which I think is the best of the three but am not sure if I’ll get in.

If you are an international student, you are aware that jobs in aerospace industry in the US are limited to US citizens?. If you are planning to return to you country with that degree, then it shouldn’t be an issue.

@UNIV27 I’m not sure how exactly to compare universities, not having attended more than one university. But if you want to compare universities, you can do the following:

  1. Look at the graduation requirements for the major you are interested in at each school. What courses within your major are required for graduation? What courses outside your major are required for graduation? Does the university offer a co-terminal MS program in which you can finish your undergrad and MS degree in less time?
  2. Look at the course catalog of the universities. Look at the variety of courses offered and how frequently each specific course is offered.
  3. Google (or Bing) the course number and you will likely find a web page of at least one offering of the course complete with assignments, projects, syllabus, and homework assignments. While you may not have any specific knowledge, it can be easy to determine how challenging the homework and assignments are at a specific university. Look at the syllabus on MIT OpenCourseWare and you should get a sense of an upper bound on the depth and rigor for a particular subject.

Keep in mind that students at WPI take WPI has 6-7 seven week courses per semester while students at other schools typically take 4-5 semester-long courses.

  1. Google the [Nationality] Student Association to see what kind of support is available for international students from your country.
  2. Look at the starting salaries by major and list of graduate schools (also ask, whether they were admitted to an MS/MEng or PhD program) attended by recent graduates. You can find this on Google or by calling the department directly if the information is not available.

Aunt bea is technically incorrect. Aerospace jobs are NOT limited to US citizens. But, they are still hard to get for foreign citizens. You will need to have work authorization in the US (a “green card” for example). A company can sponsor a foreign national to get the proper work authorization but this is EXTREMELY rare because of all the rules associated with that sponsorship.

The net result is the same, you will probably have to return to your country to find work. This also applies to most jobs within the US, not just aerospace.

@HPuck35 so is it not advisable to do aerospace engg. in the united states? i mean for an international student?

I can not say whether it is advisable to do aerospace engineering or not. It is advisable to know what your job opportunities are after graduation. College is expensive and is 4 years or more out of your life; so a plan is necessary.

As I stated in my last sentence of my reply, the work authorization issue will arise for any job within the US, not just aerospace.

Many (most?) of my friends at WPI who were international students got good jobs, though sometimes not in their field. Aerospace grads can often get jobs as mechanical engineers provided a sufficiently broad background. At some companies, such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, defense contractors and federally funded R&D labs (e.g. Lincoln Labs), you cannot be considered for many positions. But in commercial companies such as Pratt and Whitney, this may not be the case. In any case, I agree with HPuck35; the likelihood of getting interesting aerospace work as an international student is close to nil.

To maximize your likelihood of a job, study hard and get as high grades as possible. Make sure to take advantage of any available support system if you need help adjusting or studying for your math and science courses. Also, try to get internships over the summer or do research if you want to pursue graduate school.

For your first year, you can work under your OPT, after which you need H1-B processing. It’s a lottery but if you work at a large company and do well, they will try to work around the system to retain you even if you are not selected.

If you go to UIUC or University of Michigan, aim for 3.5+; if you are at WPI, aim for 3.75+ GPA. In any case, the higher the better.