I got admitted to RPI, WPI, Villanova, The Commonwealth Honors College at UMass Amherst, The Honors Program at UMass Lowell, and Manhattan College. I have no school which school to go to. Assuming money was no object and I liked all of the schools equally which one do you think has the best programs for engineering in general and ChemE? I know the schools are not very similar, but I like Umass Amherst and Villanova because they aren’t strictly engineering, but i think RPI might have the best program.
“Best” is VERY subjective. They’re all fine, but very different. Don’t worry about best, but think about fit…for YOU. What hobbies do you have? Do you prefer large, medium, or small? Does the WPI project based curriculum appeal to you. There’s nothing else like it. Have you visited them all. If so, did you tour the engineering facilities? Have you compared curricula?
Same boat in my house. RPI, WPI, UMASS Amherst (Honors College), BAMA (Honors) and CLEMSON (Honors). All very different. All very different price ranges. Hard decisions ahead. But in the end, what will employers prefer is the true questions. I understand fit is important because you have to live there for 4 years. But isn’t the education and contacts at the end the most important thing?
I agree with @Michthebeech I am willing to put off some of the fit for the “better” school. For instance I am not interested in a large school but the research opportunities at UMass Amherst makes me reconsider it. I guess I am leaning towards RPI at this point but I want to see Villanova and WPI again to be certain.
You should definitely visit and if you are concerned with a school being limiting because you might want to change direction at some point, I think that is a valid concern. My D eliminated some schools for that very reason and I think it was a good decision.
You can determine employability by looking at their job placement surveys. The truth however is that no magic name can override a poor GPA. If you earn a high GPA at Podunk U and have experience through research, club or projects that sets you apart, you will fare better than the middling MIT student with no experience. It’s about what you do, not where you go. Don’t take my word. Look at the institutions that place students into highly prestigious graduate fellowships, like Fulbright. They aren’t big names. Choose the one you like the best and thrive, not the name you think some employer might prefer. They’ll choose the high GPA with experience.
You didn’t mention cost. Would you need to take on debt for any of these?
I have toured UMass Amherst twice (once with each daughter). To me it looks like a very good choice. I have also worked with some very good folks who graduated from UMass Amherst. I have not however looked at their Chem E program (neither daughter had any interest in Chem E).
I think that the right major from any of these would get you your job interview. Great grades from any of these would get you into graduate school. After that it is up to you. What did you learn? How much do you know your stuff? Are you smart and a hard worker?
If you have not already done so, you might want to check this out: https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/chemical-engineering/research.
Reputation-wise, RPI is probably the arguably on your list. It’s well liked by the industry and lots of big companies from around the country recruit there. It also has a reputation of being very hard (academically). My D is a ChemE major at RPI, and has friends who transferred in/out from/to other schools and have all commented how much easier it is elsewhere. But the student body is good, collaborative, and you come out knowing your stuff.
Thank you all for the amazing advice! I still am up in the air about where I will attend, but appreciate all of the insight you have on these schools!
RPI.
I also ended up being accepted at Bucknell and Lafayette if people have opinions on those as well