<p>Junior D wants to go into ChemE. Some schools require coops, some emphasize them, others offer them but don't offer much support. Others emphasize and encourage research. Three questions for those who are engineers. First, do you think co-ops are a good idea? Second, of those who have been through co-ops what has been your experience? Finally, is the rank of the university as important to an employer for an undergraduate student who is doing a co-op vs. one who is not?</p>
<p>It really depends on the focus. If the idea is to get a BS and then a job, then you want to go coop to get some experience and perhaps catch on with the coop employer. If you want to get a PhD and do research as your chosen career, then the research options for undergrad is obviosuly the way to go. As for rank and all other things being equal, you always want to choose the best school you can.</p>
<p>Co-ops are a great idea if you intend to work as an engineer in industry after graduating. If you intend to go into academia or professional school, then relevant research is more important.</p>
<p>I know kids who have co-oped and they were glad for the experience. They gained some valuable experience, got paid, and had a chance to see if engineering was a good fit for them. The only knock I’ve heard is that it tends to delay graduation and some companies don’t let you do much. </p>
<p>Employers prefer certain colleges for different reasons. Companies may prefer to recruit from in-state or local colleges or from schools where management has ties (alma maters, etc). Top ranking schools tend to have more connections.</p>