<p>I'm trying to decide between George Washington (an okay engineering school), and Virginia Tech (a great engineering school). But the conflict is that GW has been my first choice for so long because I love the school so much, and it's 30 minutes away from where I live, rather than 5 hours, which is a really big priority for me. I also really like the school for it's location in DC, and the access I will have to employers and internships there. And GW will be a good school also for my business minor. Oh and I plan to go to medical school afterwards.</p>
<p>So my question is: should the prestige and size of the engineering program play a huge part in my decision? and will the school I graduate from play a big role in getting into med school or landing a job?</p>
<p>Its my personally opinion that people get too stuck up on the dream school thing. Go the best school you get into which your getting the best bang for your buck. In your case that is Virgina Tech. Tech is a really fun school !</p>
<p>are there any benefits of a small engineering program?</p>
<p>A small engineering program might allow you to invest more personal time with faculty. Developing a closer professor-student relationship could be crucial when landing interesting and/or lucrative internships.</p>
<p>As far as the reputation of the program you enroll in goes, as long as the program is not known for being too easy or inadequate, you should be fine when applying to med school. Your grades and work ethic will play a bigger role.</p>
<p>I second the “people get too stuck up on the dream school thing.” Go to the cheapest option possible (unless it’s a bad school) and do well. You will land yourself a good job and graduate with significantly less debt, which you WILL thank yourself for when it comes time to pay it back.</p>
<p>well… i got a great financial aid from gw, the price difference is not that big at all. in fact, gw is probably cheaper for me than tech. the only conflict that i have is that gw has a smaller engineering department, and tech has a notoriously good one…</p>
<p>so i’m just wondering if prestige should play a part i guess!</p>
<p>I have the same problem … trying to decide between GW and Rutgers for engineering.</p>
<p>I am going to attend both school’s Admitted Students Day to check out the programs again. Now that I am admitted, I think I will know which school will be the better fit for me. </p>
<p>I think if I graduate with an Engineering degree and a good GPA from either school, I will get good job prospects when I graduate. If I decide to get my Master’s degree, both schools offer a 5-year BS/MA program as long as my GPA holds up … so you should consider that as well if you are thinking about staying on.</p>
<p>So if all things being equal, I agree with the post that you should go with the cheapest option with the least amount of debt …</p>
<p>doesn’t GW have a descent med school?</p>