Can't decide where to attend. Help!

College Search & Selection
1

I want to make a decision soon, but I can’t decide whether to attend Purdue University or University of Alabama.

I am going for Mechanical Engineering.

Purdue-
PROS- top ranked engineering, 3 hr drive from home, in state tuition, some friends/family are going, big university, nice campus, lots of opportunities, alumni connections, job placement
CONS- school of engineering is huge, not very personal, very rigorous, tough competition for co-op or internships, little time for extracurriculars, $25,000 pricetag

Alabama-
PROS- large scholarships, $15,000 pricetag, beautiful campus, program that I could excel in, less competition for co-ops and internships, likely more time to get involved with extracurricular
CONS- I don’t know anyone that is going there, 7 hours from home, less respected engineering school, culture shock/southern culture (I’m originally from Chicago, now Southern Indiana)

Basically, I see it as: Do I pay more to be more stressed but get a better education close to home? Or do I pay less to be in a less stressful environment and hope I make friends and get the same opportunities?
Purdue is safe, stressful, and expensive while Alabama is risky, more doable, and cheap.

If I can make friends and get good co-op and internship experience (which can lead to a decent job), I see Alabama as an obvious choice, but I don’t know if that will happen. Do I take the gamble, or do I pay extra to have a safer but less enjoyable college experience?

2

And by “less enjoyable”, I speak relative to the best-case-scenario at Alabama.

3

I think the education you get at both colleges will, for the most part, be comparable since both are ABET accredited. You use the word safer for Purdue but it’s merely discomfort at someplace new. It’s going to happen sooner or later and what better time to do it than when you have everyone in the same boat. I would head to Bama.

4

So you don’t think the “Purdue name” means as much as they advertise? How important is that name for job placement? Or do internships and co-op experience matter much more?
If I went to Alabama, would I get the same co-op or intern opportunities as Purdue? (I know Alabama has connections with Mercedes Benz, but I’m sure that is extremely competitive. What other employers look to get engineers from Alabama? Purdue advertises that almost all the ‘big names’ come to them.)