You are making it sound like Boston University does not have a good engineering school. Why are you doing that…when it’s simply not true.
If this kid wants to go to Boston University, fine. The kid should go to Boston University.
If the kid wants to go to University of Rochester, fine. The kid should go there.
But really…this kid would not be settling for a second rate program at either of these schools.
Thank you ALL for your responses to my question! The message we’re getting is that BU and UR are about the same and my daughter should go where she feels more comfortable. This will really help with her decision. Thanks so much for taking the time to weigh in!
While Rochester has taken some hits economically, I would not call it “decayed.” There is a significant number of start-ups because many of the people laid off from the corporate giants started their own companies and the U of R provides a tremendous intellectual boost to the area, especially in the sciences It is actually a quite lovely place to live and the campus is beautiful with a new Collegetown area that has a lot to offer.
OP - As far as which to choose, my impression is that they are pretty different options. Rochester has a more intellectual vibe all around if that matters to your daughter, and a strong reputation in the sciences. A friend of mine has twin sons who went to U of R undergrad and one is now in a PhD program at MIT and the other is in a PhD program at Rochester.
I said nothing with respect to BU’s engineering program. I did however think that the OP could benefit from some accurate general admissions statistics on the thread.
This source does not provide rankings, and may be less controversial:
The argument about which school is “better” is not that important. Neither is a super elite and both are good schools, with UR typically ranked about 10 places higher. But a good education will be had at either.
Boston has the better location, but also has a lot more competition for internships, classes, research positions etc because it is a much bigger school and more of a city campus. UR is not in a great city, but is much smaller and has a lovely campus. UR give out more merit money than similar types of schools and probably punches below its quality because of its location. As more kids want city schools, schools like BU and Northeaster are really becoming more popular and have higher admission standards.
Good luck in deciding!!
BU it is! I just want to thank everyone who contributed to this conversation for your insights and opinions. I think my daughter made the right choice for her. She just couldn’t see living in Rochester, being a New York City kid herself. That really was the deciding factor. But feeling more positive about the BU program enabled her to make that choice. So thank you everyone, so much!