Probably an impossible question to answer, but son was accepted to Case and wants to study EE. CIT waitlisted him for everything except EE (or ECE as they call it), which they basically told him will be completely full. Case also gave nice FA. My son is lukewarm about the CIT wait list, partly because he prefers EE, and if he gets into CIT off the wait list, as noted, ECE is not anticipating any spots. But … students on the CMU thread insist that every year there are in fact some spots in ECE. And also, note that he did include MechE as a second choice of major on the CMU app, so that is something he is at least interested in.
Son is ready to turn down the CIT wait list but now family members are weighing in and suggesting he at least remain on the wait list for MechE, with the idea that CMU is a more fabled school with a bigger “name” and therefore worth it. And that he can probably can take EE classes even while pursuing MechE degree.
I suppose this is actually an easy question. Because, sure, he can remain on the CIT wait list. The real question is whether there is an important difference between CMU and Case, such that going to CMU and possibly not being an EE major is preferable to going to Case and being able to study EE.
As he (and I) mulls this over, any thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
If I had that choice and I wanted to be an EE, I would definitely go to Case and definitely be an EE. Those two schools are in the same ballpark (#25 (CMU) vs #38 (CWRU) on US News). For people who hire engineers, CMU is not that much a bigger name in Engineering to risk not getting into the major he wants.
Also tell your son that this is his decision…just because the family members have an opinion, does not make it the right choice for him. THis is his life. If he goes to Case for EE, he won’t think “what if I had gone to CMU” but he might think “I didn’t get into EE after all, what if I had gone to Case”
My kid visited both CMU and Case on the same weekend and didn’t like CMU and did like Case, so the two definitely have a different vibe - although it sounds like that’s not factoring into it. If it was (if he liked CMU better), then sure, stay on the waiting list. If not, then I think Case would be a great option. I agree that in most types of engineering, I don’t think the two are regarded significantly differently by employers or grad schools.
Thanks @Case16mom and @bopper. My family (really my father ) is driving me insane with this stuff. None of us are engineers, but he is obsessing over the various options and keeps emailing me about it. And then I wonder if I should be questioning my son’s decision.
I think I need to politely cut this off and let everyone know the decision has been made, before we all go mad.
I am an EE at Case. I love it and have had many opportunities. There are a lot of good and research is readily available.
Case is particularly well regarded in academic circles (currently, I am applying to grad schools). People have no problem getting into top programs. There are many job opportunities too. I have friends who work for the companies, including the ones that don’t actively recruit at Case.
The one major that is very well known at CMU is computer science. Other than that major, which may be more rigorous at CMU, Case Western is very similar in education, and offers solid EE and ME. Also the internship and payed job options are outstanding at Case Western, every kid in engineering can find a good work experience or on campus research. My son attends CWRU (sophomore) and I tend to agree with cle4life, Case is well known in academic circles, in many fields, (physics, chemistry, engineering etc). Because of the nursing college at Case and the music school and solid humanities and social sciences, Case is not so male dominated as other engineering colleges are. My son enjoys the film courses in the English department, and the business school is solid too. The opportunities in medical/engineering or medical big data are fantastic! Cleveland Clinic is a mile from campus, as is University hospitals, so engineers get exposed to various medical engineering applications. My son is enjoying Cleveland, and goes to Cleveland Orchestra concerts right on campus, and enjoys the theatre too. He has tutored inner city Cleveland middle school students in a math tutoring program right on campus, he gets a free bus pass, to travel to the West Side Market, and downtown Cleveland on the Lake Erie waterfront.
Sounds like a good plan, but it would be reasonable to stay on the waitlist while keeping it a secret. Never know what might happen. I would leave the decision up to your son, though. If he is enthusiastic about CMU, then staying on the waitlist is a good idea.
@NROTCgrad, you are right that there is no downside to remaining on the wait list. At the moment, there is no affirmative step to be taken unless he wants to commit to the “priority waiting list” which would need to be done by April 10. I’m not sure his enthusiasm rises to that level. But simply remaining on the regular wait list seems harmless as long as we can refrain from a family debate.