My daughter is trying to decide between Miami and Ohio State. She was also accepted at Purdue but received no aid or merit and OOS Purdue not in the budget. She thinks she wants to major in engineering but not 100% sure and OSU has the higher rated engineering school. However, she loves Miami. We’ve been to OSU twice and first time she seemed to like it. Second time earlier this week she was not as happy with OSU. She was very upset last night and said she wants to go to Miami but feels like she should go to OSU for the higher rated engineering program.
I know Miami’s program is ABET accredited which is important. The graduates seem to be getting jobs. We are going to Make it Miami Day next month and hoping that helps with a decision. I hate to encourage OSU and have her wind up unhappy if her heart is at Miami. However, from a practical standpoint seems better to go with the stronger program. She’s from a smaller high school. Only 250 in her senior class and says Miami feels like home. She said she feels like she fits in there. Of course part of this could be she if more familiar with Miami. Mom and Dad went there, it is 45 minutes from home and we’ve taken the kids back to campus. Her high school did a leadership camp there, as well. I’ve been silent and not pushed my school. I keep thinking if engineering is what she wants to go to OSU.
Both schools are about the same cost as she got a nice merit award from Miami so money not a factor in this decision. Just not sure about Miami’s engineering school and turning down the nationally ranked program at OSU. Anyone have some good advise about Miami and engineering?
Thanks!
My son was accepted into Miami’s Engineering Management program for this coming fall. (Now thinking of switching back to mechanical) I have similar questions as you about Miami’s strength of program. My son also likes Cincinnati and Dayton. We are attending all admitted student open houses and the Honors info sessions. As far as engineering at OSU, my son will not consider it. We live in central Ohio and close to campus. My husband and I both have degrees from there. None of my kids would even consider going there for undergrad. I have not done much of my own research on the OSU program but I talk to many unhappy parents about how hard it is to get into your desired program of study, how cut throat it is, and how you must have a back up plan in case you aren’t admitted to your first choice major. OSU is also not great about helping you find co-ops the way Cincinnati does. I’ve also heard 5.5 to 6 years to get through the program is not uncommon.
Personally I don’t think rankings matter much. The degree will prepare you for the work field regardless of where it’s from and I feel Miami’s smaller department would be a better fit for my son. He seems to be leaning towards Cincinnati at the moment. Im not a fan but it’s his choice.
Anxious to hear more from Miami parents or students!
Although I do not have an engineering student, we have been back and forth the past two years from all the schools you have mentioned. My husband is a Miami grad and I am a Dayton grad. We did not influence our kids at all regarding our schools. My S (last year) was considering many of the schools you mentioned for CS (housed in the Engineering schools) and other S (this year) is touring many of the same schools for business. If it has come down to OSU and Miami for engineering, I really would go for personal preference of your student. Miami is smaller and you are a direct admit into your program where OSU you are a pre-major. This can be a deciding factor for many students. College is stressful enough, having the additional requirements to get into your school/major can add more stress. UC is known for the co-op aspects which makes most kids graduate beyond five years. Kids from UC tend to have great resume material.
We have a Miami alum friend who’s S is a Senior at Miami. S went to Miami for engineering. He changed his major to Physics after a couple years…father almost flipped and pulled him out. S got an intern in Cincinnati this past Summer with a technology company. Before he left to go back to school, they offered him a job once he graduates. He will be changing cities every six months for 2 years (Cincinnati, Chicago, Seattle, ?), making a good salary with many expenses paid. He is back at school for his final year knowing he has a job waiting starting in July (after graduation and and fitting in a trip touring Europe ;)).
@breakfastclub What did you think of Dayton’s engineering program and is this University of Dayton, the Catholic University?
@ambkeegan Just saw this post, sorry I previously missed it. Yes, the U of Dayton is a private Catholic Marianist university. It is a mid-size school (feels smaller and homey) and, although it offers majors across the board, it has been known for it’s engineering program. If you have high stats, you can get good merit money plus additional perks (ex. money for study abroad program).
Miami has a solid, growing, and accredited engineering program. I would recommend you and your student attend a “Make it Miami” event soon. This will give your student an opportunity to experience Miami up close and personal, meet the engineering department professors, and tour the facilities. You will see first-hand the many projects of which the students are involved. Miami has more than 2,000 undergraduates involved in research among all majors, including engineering. So there are lots of ways even first year students can be involved and challenged.
Thank you mater. We attended a Make it Miami Day last week and had a great day. My daughter got to meet the engineering students, take a tour of the labs, ate lunch in the cafeteria, saw the dorms, etc. It was a great day and my daughter really liked it. I think she is going to attend Miami.
@Momto3smartkids and all other incoming engineering majors: you will want to declare your engineering major prior to Orientation (for enrolled students, usually held in May and June). The reason is, you will meet with your advisor who is specific to majors, even down to mechanical engineering vs chemical engineering vs general engineering etc.
Also. Your student will need to take a math placement exam prior to attending orientation. This will let your student know what math class to take.
My son loves Miami. And as a freshman mechanical engineering student was challenged and learned so much this year. Even as a freshman, he is involved in running 4-hour simulations (and even on a Saturday 
My son is finishing his junior year at Miami majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in mechanical engineering. He is getting a great education. For comparison, his older brother is graduating next month from Texas A&M in aerospace engineering and his younger brother is finishing his sophomore year at Iowa State in materials engineering.
From talking to the three of them, my son at Miami seems to get more individual attention and has smaller class sizes. He has also benefited by being accepted into Miami’s Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute, where they “engage engineering and computer science students in a unique and transformative learning experience that embraces interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork, self-knowledge, innovation, change management, emotional intelligence, cultural diversity and business acumen.”
The downside of Miami is that not as many employers recruit there as at large engineering schools such as Texas A&M, Iowa State, or Ohio State.
Thank you for your feedback! My son has decided to attend the University of Cincinnati for Aerospace Engineering. It was a tough decision, as he had a lot of great opportunities at Miami! The UC co-ops starting the sophomore year and the opportunity to graduate with an MBA in addition to a BS in the 5 year window was too great of an opportunity to pass up. Glad your son is loving Miami!
@Momto3smartkids - Cincinnati is a very good school. One of my best friends from high school got his electrical engineering degree from Cincinnati. He co-oped too. I think that his program took six years, but he co-oped four semesters and that was many years ago. Another buddy’s dad went to UC medical school.
@Beaudreau - Thanks for the feedback. Great to hear a nice success story with your son at Miami. My daughter decided on Miami and we sent the deposit last week. She said she wants to apply to the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute like your son so hopefully she gets accepted. In the end one comment she made about attending Miami really stood out to me and made me feel she made the right decision for herself. While at a recent Make it Miami Day she said she doesn’t feel like she wants the day to be over and come home like she has at the other schools we visited. She said she couldn’t wait to get home while visiting other schools. I felt like if she felt at home at Miami and happy to be attending everything else would fall more easily into place. She’s not a shy kid and I feel like she will go after opportunities at Miami and will just have to be a little more aggressive about finding jobs since it is not the large engineering school with lots of recruiters. And selfishly, Miami is only 45 minutes from home so easier on the parents to get her on breaks. Plus we have season tickets to the Broadway in Cincinnati shows and she asked me to renew them so I figure I’ll at least get to see her once/month for the shows we have always loved to attend together. Very glad a decision has been made she is happy with.
@Cooper62 - That’s very exciting for your daughter and you! I wish we were so close instead of 1800 miles away.