All three schools have provided me with similar financial aid so sverything comes down to making a decision.
I am currently leaning toward Notre Dame due to its overall prestige and strong alumni network although, I am aware that the other schools are better in engineering overall.
After coming from a STEM-based public high school I wish to attend a university that has a variety of people attending with different interests.
As an engineering major I am aware that I can definitely secure an internship or job but which schools do you guys think will launch my career the most?
You’ve summed it up well. ND has the weakest engineering of the three, but the strongest alumni network. Overall prestige of a school doesn’t matter in engineering, but the alumni network will. You understand the compromise you’re making, so just do it. Congrats!
This is what worries me. This is no reason to choose a school. You can go to name your 3rd level state flagship school and likely secure a job in Electrical Engineering with similar ease and the same salary as these three. And all three will have a variety of people attending with different interests (including many with a music/theater interest at CWRU). And alumni networks are vastly overrated - even the behemoths especially known for them like Penn State.
So I would look at all three - and decide where you belong for the right reasons - since you will spend four years there day after day. Which did you like best? If it’s the location, feel, and football love of Notre Dame, great. If it’s being in a major city and near downtown, it’s CWRU - then great. If it’s wanting to be on a gorgeous hilly campus and you’d want to be in the Northteast and it’s Lehigh, then great.
Who has the best dorms? Who has the best food? Who is easiest to access travel wise? Who has the best activities or clubs you want to partake in?
I see no issue with you choosing Notre Dame - but I would choose it because you want to be there and for no other reason. One other thing to check - since 40-60% of engineers (depending on the study) don’t actually finish in engineering, who else has other programs of interest for you (likely all three but some schools have one offs) or more ability to do double majors, etc.
I have been looking at dorm life and dining halls lately but they all seem similar to me haha. I will take a different approach to this decision now, thank you!
I know CWRU and Lehigh very well. They have very different campus environments. Have never been or researched ND. Do you have any preferences outside of alumni network?
ND is Catholic and proud of it. You DO NOT need to be Catholic yourself but you do need to understand that it permeates everything at the school, including behavior rules&expectations, as well as general education requirements (theology, philosophy - those can be a good thing but you need to be aware of them).
Football is taken VERY seriously. It’s quite difficult to escape it. Can be awesome or not so awesome depending on your personality.
CWRU is “nerdier” (all variations, ranging from artists to robotics competitors to AV Club types to RPG): there, football is NOT taken seriously - again, can be aweome or not so awesome depending on your personality.
It’s the only urban university on your list, meaning direct access to work experiences/internships, concerts, foodies’ paradise near University Circle, museums…
Lehigh is work hard/play hard: although some of the frats and groups have been reined in due to problematic excesses, it’s still a hard drinking place with lots of parties. Can be a plus or a minus depending on your personality.
You may have to move off campus for housing and live in student apartments (again: could be + or -!)
Yeah, I am interested in the quality of dorms and variety students, dining hall food too I guess? I know CWRU is more STEM-like and I do NOT want highschool 2.0 if you know what I mean haha. In terms of dorms, I just dont want to be in an old and unrenovated building.
I would research further because many schools are building or refurbishing dorms and bringing in better food (I mean, if it’s food you want you should have applied to Umass or Va Tech…supposedly gourmet ish. A co worker told me she’d eat every meal now at UMASS if she could…was that good.
Anyway - Niche rates by dorm and food:
Lehigh C+ / B-
CWRU C / C
ND A-/A
Again, I’d research further - but it appears there’s a clear winner there.
First year dorms at CWRU and Lehigh are not great but the dorms get better every year after that. I think food opinions are very subjective. CWRU and Lehigh have options on campus so you can most likely find something.
You also understand that at ND the allocation of room mate/s, room style and dorm is completely random and that you have no choice (unless documented medical reasons)?
Also, keep in mind ND is the only school with single sex dorms and parietals – rules about when members of the opposite sex must leave the dorm. It’s also a violation of the student code of conduct to have sex. People debate the pros and cons of that set-up, but it’s important to know about going in.