<p>And is paying OOS rates at all of these public schools worth it when i already have 2 quality in state choices at UT Austin and A&M?</p>
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<p>The rankings are highly unreliable as a means to determine the right college for you. There’s quite a bit of politics and corruption behind them, and quite honestly they don’t measure much of what’s important. They can be slightly helpful in giving you a rough picture of where various colleges stand, but I would by no means try to use them to decide between, say, a #8 college and a #15 college…</p>
<p>I would say the top 10 colleges are pretty accurate, but after that, pretty much anything between #10 and #200 would make for a good school. The reality is that the quality of schools in the US is very high overall, and since competition is so fierce, schools can’t afford to fall behind. </p>
<p>Look for ABET accreditation at the very least. Beyond that it’s a preference thing (i.e. size, location, etc). You could also see what type of companies recruit from the school by checking out their career fairs.</p>
<p>Just as an example, New Mexico State University, ranked #190 is highly regarded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, and many of the national labs in New Mexico for it’s involvement in research.</p>
<p>Most people on this forum would turn their noses up at New Mexico State based on the fact that it’s not a very selective school, but this proves my point that schools can and do provide a high quality education independent of selectivity. As such, these people are missing out on some truly great schools…</p>
<p>@fractalmstr What about cost? Is it worth it to go OOS when i have good options at UT Austin and A&M in-state? Or would paying the extra money to go to an oos public be worth it?</p>
<p>So I know RPI has a very good mechanical program, so if that is apparently the same department as aerospace there, it stands to reason that their aerospace department is of similar quality. I don’t have any firsthand experience with their graduates, however. They don’t seem to have a lot of presence in my particular niche field.</p>
<p>Rankings are good for sorting schools roughly into tiers. You can generally assume that a school ranked 7 is “better” than a school ranked 70, but not really 7 versus 10. I put “better” in quotes because that’s really quite a subjective thing to measure, as one school might be great for some people and just a terrible choice for you.</p>
<p>ABET sets the minimum bar that a program must meet in order to be accredited, and in general, that means that the core classes at all ABET-accredited programs will cover the same core principles. Some schools go above and beyond those requirements, though. Schools with a reputation for more rigor might treat the problem more mathematically or may dig deeper into some topics than is required by ABET. You can also see a difference based on the number and variety of electives offered, which are generally a function of the research interests of the professors in the department.</p>
<p>Paying in-state versus out-of-state tuition is really a personal question. Without knowing your (and/or your family’s) financial situation, I can’t really say if it is worth it. At that point it is probably best to visit the places that interest you and weigh cost versus the fit of the program for you. It can be worth it to pay more if it means you will be happier and more likely to thrive.</p>
<p>@fractalmstr @boneh3ad Do you guys think that an Aerospace degree or an industrial engineering degree would better help me get a job at Boeing/Airbus/ any of the engine manufacturers/ airlines?</p>
<p>That depends on whether you want an industrial engineering type job or a job more typical of aerospace engineers. There is only some overlap.</p>
<p>The best thing to do to get a job at Boeing and the like is to get an internship. The degree should be aero or mechanical and the school does not matter as long as it’s ABET accredited. Once you get that internship, you’re set. </p>
<p>Source: a current mech/aero student and aviation co-op/intern.</p>
<p>@radicalnegative1 Would you mind if I asked you what school you currently attend?</p>
<p>Years ago, I worked in the Operations Analysis department at Boeing. While we had people with Aero and IE degrees, we probably had more people with Math degrees than anything else. We also had people with ME, EE, CE, CS degrees, among others. One guy even had a Fisheries PhD - he got his job because he was good at statistics.</p>
<p>My gut feeling is that it would be easier to get a job at Boeing with an Aero degree than IE, although ME would trump them both. (I have a Bachelors in CS and Masters in IE.) And I don’t know if they still have it, but Boeing used to have a list of preferred schools they would hire new college graduates from. </p>
<p>@simba9 What makes an ME better than an AE at an aviation related company?</p>
<p>Aero is very specialized. ME can be applied to lots of positions. Much of what goes on at Boeing is basic manufacturing.</p>
<p>@simba9 What about at airlines?</p>
<p>I’ve never worked at an airline. I don’t know that airlines would need many Aeros or MEs. When I was getting my IE Masters, there were lots of things we learned that could apply to airlines, or any transportation or logistics company.</p>
<p>@simba9 so an IE would be more useful than an AE when working for a transportation company?</p>
<p>OP, we are also in-state for UT and TAMU. S1 opted to go to OU due to a better money package. Had it been closer, he would have gone in-state. If you can get into your program at one of the twin-flagships in Texas you have a real bargain. They are both top-notch schools and you will get an awesome education at a reasonable price.</p>
<p>I would recommend applying to about 6 schools. UT/TAMU + 2 OOS that offer great aid to the point of full-ride if possible + 2 highly regarded ‘reach’ schools for Aeronautical Engineering.</p>
<p>Another thought would be to consider USAFA. Great engineering school and where better to learn about aircraft than in the USAF?</p>
<p>@Torveaux The problem with UT and A&M is that I’m probably not going to be top 7% (i’ll be top 8% or so at a top 5 public school) so it’ll be hard to get into UT for Aerospace as I’ve been told that Cockrell is hard to get into if you’re not auto admit. My parents don’t want me to go to A&M as they would rather pay full pay at any OOS college than go there, not sure why as UT Austin is the only instate school they would let me go to. Another problem I have is that i don’t know many employers that are based in the Texas area, as well as I don’t want to live in Texas after college. I’m still a junior though, so my opinions could still change in the coming year.</p>
<p>As of right now, this is my college list: UT (instate), Georgia Tech, Purdue, Wichita State (safety). Money isn’t really a problem as my parents said they’ll pay for whatever college i get into (income >200,000 before taxes so probably no need based aid)</p>
<p>I thought any service academy required you to serve in the armed forces after graduation? My parents don’t really want me to carry that risk of dying in war or whatever.</p>
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<p>I really, really hope your parents aren’t putting a sports rivalry ahead of making intelligent choices about your education. Texas A&M are nearly indistinguishable in terms of the quality of the engineering programs, especially in aerospace, and A&M is slightly easier to be admitted and a bit cheaper. The fact that they immediately write it off is troubling.</p>
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<p>Well, there is a lot of aerospace work going on in Texas. Lockheed has major operations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Boeing has major facilities in DFW and Houston, and NASA obviously has a large operation in Houston (JSC does aeronautics as well as space stuff), to name a few. Of course, if you want to leave Texas, the aerospace programs at both schools are recruited heavily by national companies. The Texas schools do have a bit of a reputation for being very heavily in-state students and heavily recruited by in-state companies since a lot of students want to stay in Texas, but I know for a fact that this is much less of an issue in aerospace engineering.</p>
<p>Now, if you legitimately just want to get out of Texas now and not even go to school in the state, then that is a legitimate concern, if you ask me.</p>
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<p>This is true, though with the Air Force the odds of that are quite slim given that there aren’t really any prospects for an air war seeing as how most modern conflicts are asymmetric. Additionally, most Air Force personnel are not in harm’s way even in the event of a war compared to the other service branches. Still, if you aren’t interested in serving, then definitely don’t go to an academy.</p>
<p>Good questions. I would ask about why no TAMU. Unless they are die-hard Longhorn fans, TAMU is a excellent school especially for engineering. I would still take your shots at both.</p>
<p>Employers for Aerospace? There are MANY in Texas. Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Bombardier, General Dynamics, Gulfstream, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, etc. I would venture to say that Texas likely has more options for Aeronautical or Aerospace than any other state.</p>
<p>You have more risk of dying on campus walking across the street at Purdue than in the military as an Air Force Officer. The beauty of military service is that you get 4-6 years of experience in your field and considerably more opportunity to get jobs with the big aerospace companies. </p>
<p>Sometimes parents fear what they do not know or understand. You may need to do some research and help them with your choices. </p>
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<p>It’s still an excellent program even if his/her parents are die-hard Longhorns fans. I really hope that isn’t the reason his parents won’t consider A&M, but it is the first thing that jumped to mind when I read that.</p>
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<p>Probably second to California.</p>