BU or Drexel (as if you haven't seen this type of post before)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Boston University
1

<p>Ok, so I know that CC is riddled with these types of questions…so I figured I may as well join the group and maybe get some different perspectives. I’m sure I’ll get some nice opinions here, so here we go!</p>

<p>First of all, I’m got into the Engineering schools for both colleges, and it’s likely that I will be pursuing computer engineering as my major. </p>

<p>Boston University:
PROS:
-I love the location
-Change in scenery (I live 5 minutes out of Philadelphia)
-I’ve heard great things about their academics
-I received a pretty $10,000 scholarship
-awesome-looking study abroad program (Sydney, Australia!!!)</p>

<p>CONS:
-5 hour drive from home
-not sure how their engineering department compares to Drexel’s
-parents seem to be set on Drexel, so overcoming them may be an obstacle</p>

<p>Drexel:
PROS:
-close to home
-I already know Philadelphia well
-known for engineering school
-not as chilly in the winter as Boston
-Co-Op
-$8,000 scholarship</p>

<p>CONS:
-5 years to graduate with 3 Co-Op option
-looking for change of scenery
-BU gave me more cash</p>

<p>And that’s all I have. Any help, opinions, experiences, and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!</p>

2

<p>I would definitely say BU for comp. engineering. Although Drexel is a decent school, it is right next to Upenn, which is pretty depressing imo. BU is right in the smack of Boston, which is great for internships. Since you received a larger scholarship, that should be an incentive also. You should visit BU and see how you like living in an urban campus, since it has its share of grass and community.</p>

3

<p>Hopefully I’ll be able to make it to one of their April open houses and check it out. It has been a few years since I was up in Boston.</p>

<p>And I thought the same thing about UPenn, but then again, BU is really close to MIT and Harvard!</p>

4

<p>Haha, but BU can be near par with MIT/Havard! I fell in love with BU when I visited, and I advise you to do the same. Plus plus Philly isn’t the safest city ever.</p>

5

<p>Remember, co-op’s at Drexel are paid…</p>

6

<p>That’s another nice perk to Drexel…</p>

<p>This is getting be a really tough decision…</p>

7

<p>You can Co-Op at any college though, and they are always paid. Drexel just requires it to graduate. You could pursue a Co-Op at BU, you just have to do a little more work to try and find one.</p>

8

<p>Hey! I also live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and applied to drexel, temple, penn, bu…and some other schools lol.</p>

<p>So I would say if you’re going to be paying 20k+ for Drexel, then I don’t think it’s worth it. If they’re giving you enough money, then I’d say its an option, if not, then I wouldn’t go. I personally can’t afford Drexel, but can afford BU (because of an amazing FA package, unlike Drexel -.-)</p>

<p>I talked to my teacher about choosing between Temple and BU, since it came down to those two after comparing all my FA packages. I told him my only real concern about choosing BU over Temple would be the distance. I would have chosen BU in a heartbeat if it were closer, but the distance made it a tougher decision. He told me that I’ve lived near Philly all my life and know a lot about it and the area. Going to Boston would be a great change and amazing learning experience. He also said BU is a great school to go to, and knowing the type of student I am I would do really well there. He also said that being next to Harvard/MIT/BC is actually great because it may provide you with unseen opportunities. You might be able to sit in on some lectures there! I never thought about that til he told me :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I think if you’re used to the cold we experience here in the suburbs, it’s not gonna be too bad. We’ll live :slight_smile: And I’m sure if you’re parents truly see how much you want to go to Boston (if you ultimately decide you’d rather go there), they would be able to compromise. Just sit down and have a face-to-face chat. </p>

<p>So in the end, I’m 95% choosing BU over Temple/Drexel. It’s an overall better school, is going to be a great learning experience, and I know I’ll be ok when I apply to graduate school. </p>

<p>Since you’re doing engineering, way different from my pre-med track, I recommend researching in-depth each school’s program and seeing the best fit. From there, use your other factors to help make your decision. Another tip is - talk to people! teachers, other kids, anyone.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for all of your responses! I like getting some more insight into this. </p>

<p>A few questions though:</p>

<p>I was sort of aware of Boston’s Co-Op, but if anybody had any experience with it I’d love to hear anything about it!</p>

<p>And thanks sinceredesichick for that…I was hoping I could catch somebody that is/was in a similar situation. The funny thing is I was really banking on Drexel; like for months. And now, I’ve been reading more and more about BU and I’m really starting to get into the idea of going to school up in Boston. I just know a lot rides on my decision and I don’t want to make the wrong one and end up coming home 3 months…</p>

10

<p>Go to Boston!!!</p>

<p>Look at college a way to be independent and change from the high school setting?</p>

<p>Hey how did you get that 10,000 ( I am just a sophomore but want to know what stats I should have to win major scholarships like you) :)</p>

11

<p>I’m a suburban Philadelphian too, and a former BU student and current Temple student. BU’s engineering is fine, and for whatever reason, Drexel’s engineering has been overrated for quite some time. BU being less money makes the answer obvious. I will warn you, the winters are really brutal. Much more mild here in Philly.</p>

12

<p>@sunny: The $10,000 i got was a Dean’s Scholarship. To be eligible just make sure you submit your FAFSA and CSS/PROFILE before February 15th. Just make sure you keep your grades up and do plenty and of activities and you should get a nice chunk o’ change from them!</p>

<p>@diotechristmas: That was the one thing about Boston I was worried about, but hopefully I could adjust. I wasn’t sure about the money situation, just because the little extra money Boston gave me that Drexel didn’t may be gone after all of the trips I’ll need to take up there for open houses and orientation!</p>

13

<p>Not everybody thinks that Boston winters are that much worse than winters in the Philadelphia area (we live right across the river in South Jersey). The thing is, both cities are near the coast, which makes the weather milder than inland, in general. </p>

<p>This past winter, Boston got much less snow than we did (my freshman son said, “I missed the record snows!”). It does tend to be really windy on the BU campus, which makes it seem a little worse sometimes.</p>

<p>My son somehow managed to move up to Boston without a pair of gloves. He never felt he really needed them until he visited NYC over winter break and was walking around the city on a really cold day!!</p>

<p>The distance is a bit of a drag, but bus fares are reasonable, and there are even new lower airfares now.</p>

14

<p>

</p>

<p>Yes, they do.</p>

15

<p>diontechristmas</p>

<p>Everyone knows you hate Boston and Boston University. Why don’t you stick with your Temple U. thread and stop bad mouthing the city and university where you were unhappy.</p>

16

<p>Bad mouthing the city? I’m a Red Sox fan. What are you talking about???</p>

17

<p>

</p>

<p>I knew the airfares were not too expensive, but I just looked up real roundtrip airfares from Southwest and they’re about $60! </p>

<p>That should make a good talking point with my parents…they insisting that BU is a bit too far.</p>

18

<p>60!?!?!?! I definitely did not see that anywhere and I’ve been searching everywhereeeeee!! I’m from the suburbs of philly as well, and my family is going absolutely nuts about how we’re actually going to get to open house, since we don’t want my dad to be driving ( for legit reasons) and apparently I’m too inexperienced to drive there. Please show me where you see 60 dollar flightss :D</p>

19

<p>If you don’t mind riding coach and boarding last you can get $60 one way with Southwest! As long as you plan the trip a few months in advance you can get some really great deals apparently. </p>

<p>Try this link out [Southwest</a> Airlines - Select Flight(s)](<a href=“http://■■■■■■■.com/yzpn6ew]Southwest”>http://■■■■■■■.com/yzpn6ew) - it should lead you to what I’m looking at. The Wanna Get Away option has the flight at 60 bucks for a trip 3 months in advance! So round trip with tax would be about 140! Pretty cheap if you ask me!</p>

20

<p>I know zilch about Drexel except where it is so I looked up the ASEE profile. (Go to asee.org and to publications home and then search the profiles.) Drexel gets substantial research funding, but less than BU, across the board. In terms of total dollars, they are similar. You can see the allocations are different - BU gets a ton of biomed money - but both get substantial funding in computer & electrical engineering.</p>

<p>I would not worry about the difference between Boston and Philly. We’re talking 2 east coast cities with similar climates and similar histories. Philly is larger but has more poverty issues. Both schools are located near the center. </p>

<p>If we’re talking southern California or Georgia winters versus the east coast that would be a different matter.</p>