I am about to decide on college but am really stressing, mostly concerning the “prestige” aspects of universities. I am going into engineering, yet I am one to socialize and have a well-balanced life as well.
Clemson offered me almost half off of the tuition, and admission into the honors program, however the rankings do not compare to those of GT or UVA.
GT obviously has a renowned engineering reputation, and their internship programs are great.
UVA is not necessarily known for engineering, but it is a great school known for its name.
My questions are:
- How much does the name of a school impact future career opportunities?
- Does graduating Clemson with Honors compare to these two other prestigious schools?
- What is the best option, in your opinions?
How are your finances? It sounds like GT or UVA would be full OOS for you, yes?
Correct, I am out of state for all of the aforementioned schools.
And yes, full tuition for GT and UVA.
No advice but following. All 3 strong possibilities for my son. We are in state for GT and I went to UVA. My initial reaction is that for engineering you would be better off at GT because of the incredibly strong internship and job opportunities plus a worldwide alumni network. Of course cost is a factor. Clemson is supposed to have strong engineering and honors program. I have the same concerns you do so will be interested what you decide.
Can you clarify? Are you saying that you have to pay full tuition to those two? And what did you receive for Clemson?
What is the net cost to you/your family of each school and is your family paying the net costs
Not engineering but…we revisited UVA yesterday with the intent of deciding between UVA OOS, Clemson Honors OOS with $15,000 scholarship, Colgate (does not offer merit) and UConn (our state flagship). My daughter intends to major in biology with long term goal of seeking a PharmD. UVA was lovely in a shabby, founded by Thomas Jefferson way. (Let’s face it UVA wouldn’t be UVA if it were new and shiny) That said, one faculty member that was presenting as part of panel we attended related his surprise that a neighbor was spending $68,000 to send his child to what sounded like Princeton. He said (I’m paraphrasing) we are so very fortunate to be able to offer a UVA education at a much more affordable price. There was an uncomfortable shifting in chairs among the out of state crowd that was aware of the $61,000 sticker at UVA. The takeaway: hard to justify the cost difference particularly with the extra opportunities offered to Clemson Honors students.
GT, hands down engineering is higher ranked.
@mom2collegekids Sorry for the confusion. I have to pay full tuition for UVA and GT. Clemson provided mea $15,000 scholarship. GT will cost about $45,000. UVA is closer to $65,000. Clemson with the scholarship should be around $30,000.
Between Georgia Tech & Clemson as UVA is too expensive relative to your other options.
I would recommend attending Accepted Students’ Weekends if you haven’t already. Walk the campus. Speak with current engineering students. See if it feels right to you. Only you can make this very personal decision. My husband attended Clemson for for engineering and said they have a fine engineering program with very small class size. Their honors program is a plus and your savings of $60,000 over four years is something to consider. You also should ponder whether or not you would like to go to graduate school. If so, you will have saved money to cover a Masters in Engineering should you choose to earn one. Best of luck in your decision.