College Selection Dilemma: Engineering (Advice is GREATLY Appreciated!)

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys! So I’ve just recently gotten my acceptances and I’ve discovered that I’m in a bit of a pickle concerning which one to choose and which is the best for me. So just a couple of things before I explain further.

I got into:
Rice University - Engineering
University of Texas at Austin- Petroleum Engineering
Duke University - Pratt School of Engineering
Dartmouth College - Engineering (I think they accepted me for chemical idk)
NYU - Polytechnic Engineering

I know for sure know that I want to go into an engineering program that is heavy on science (ex. BioChem, Chemical, etc etc)
My first pick at a major was actually Chemical Engineering because I love Chemistry and what not but ever since I found out that Duke doesn’t have a chem E program, (I’ve actually fallen in love with Duke as a whole) I decided to widen my perspective a little more and just keep my choice of engineering major open. So here are my reasons for each and why I am in such a dilemma.

Rice: Yes it has chemical but I am not sure if I want to live in Houston. What makes Rice so better than all my other schools? (I.E Duke and Dartmouth?)

UT Austin: Probably the reason why I am in such a big dilemma. You see, UT is such a GREAT school and what not. It is ranked #1 for Petroleum and #6 for Chemical. Above all the other schools I have gotten into. However, given that I got into Duke and Dartmouth, I’ve been really hesitant on choosing. I feel like if I choose UT, it’ll be only for the Chem/Petroleum program and not for the school itself. And I’ve just thought that what if I turn down an Ivy and Kind-of Ivy (Duke) for UT but I end up hating the major that I’m in? Wouldn’t it be best to go to a top school?

Duke: I feel like as a human being I am almost born for Duke. I feel like that school just fits me character wise. I mean, this is the school that made me broaden my major choice from Chemical to just Engineering (with science) because it didn’t have my major. I have done quite a bit of research concerning Duke and so far I’ve gotten that Duke is not an engineering powerhouse like (MIT, Berkeley, Stanford etc) but I still carries along quite well. I don’t know that much about the 4 engineering departments that Pratt has but what I can see is that I can’t really find one out of the 4 that seem like the next best thing to Chemical Engineering. The sad thing is about Duke as a whole is that I love this school but I feel like I will miss out greatly on what a good engineering school should be If I choose it. I feel like it’s a massive compromise because I feel like I might miss out on the internships/opportunities that UT Austin or Dartmouth might have to offer. It’s kind of like let’s say you really fancy someone but everyone tells you that that person is not as great as he/she comes off to be, but you keep ignoring those comments because you really really fancy them lol. Maybe it’s the prestige that’s making me a bit biased.

Dartmouth: I am very very open to the programs at Dartmouth. I haven’t done too much research yet but I know I will do just fine in whatever field I choose there because Dartmouth has such an excellent engineering school. However, what makes it stand out from all the others that I’ve gotten into? And also, I am not a fan of location (seriously) and I heard Dartmouth has a heavy frat culture (ew lol) and the weather is a bit unappealing. And I’m also really big on diversity and idk if Dartmouth has it on a wide scale like NYU, Duke and UT Austin have. So for this school its kind of like Program vs. Overall/Environment Quality

NYU: I honestly don’t know why I applied here lol. I don’t know if I’ll go despite whatever I hear about this school. Nothing wrong with it, it’s just that IDK if I want to live in New York. However, I am open to any thoughts that contradict my idea. Again, what can I get at NYU that I can’t get at the others?

Any thoughts on which school is a better match for me holistically? Sorry that this is such a long post and thank you for taking out the time to read this. Please respond freely because your opinion is greatly appreciated! :slight_smile:

2

Dartmouth usually needs more than 12 quarters for the ABET accredited BE degree.

And, yes, about 2/3 of eligible (soph and higher) students there join fraternities and sororities.

3

So I was right about the frat culture. Hmm, but in terms of their engineering program what do you think?

4

Are there any differences in the costs of these programs that would matter to you and your family?

5

No financially we are pretty well off. UT tuition is around $20-30 thousand and the rest are $50,000-$65,000 I am not sure if we may get aid in grants/scholarships etc

6

Aren’t all your FA offers in by now?

7

Duke has an excellent and well-reputed engineering school/program that routinely makes top 25 lists. They’re well-known for their biomedical and environmental engineering programs. Furthermore, it is possible to double-major as an engineering student at Duke. I think the majority of Duke students have a minor or more than one major, and they really encourage that kind of interdisciplinary work - so it would be totally possible for you to double-major (maybe in biomedical engineering and chemistry, for example) and take the engineering classes that are related to chemistry (perhaps the ones in the environmental engineering department).

75% of Duke students do an internship or part-time work in the industry and 60% of them do research with a faculty member while at Duke. (Check out their page: http://www.pratt.duke.edu/about). Duke has excellent research productivity in engineering and is located nearby lots of jobs and connections. The Duke name is well-known nationally these days, not just in the Southeast.

It’s a great school, and it definitely is an engineering powerhouse. If you like Duke, then you should go there! You’ll make the major and academics work out alongside an advisor.

8

I think Rice sounds like an excellent fit… they have your preferred major, they have a very strong overall reputation in engineering, yet it has a smaller, more “elite” undergraduate experience. Houston is a very cosmopolitan city.

9

Dartmouth will likely take more than twelve quarters (four academic years) for the ABET-accredited degree. So that is a disadvantage compared to the others.