My son received acceptance from Washington University, St. Louis and Columbia University for combined program in their Engineering College. This is 3-2 program where he has done his 3 years in previous college Data Analytics as major and pre-engineering. In new college for 2 years, he intends to pursue Industrial Engg. WashU has offered him scholarship of around 55% of his tuition fee for all 3 years if he confirms to pursue MS , if he does not accept MS, no scholarship. Columbia has not offered any scholarship.
Columbia is an Ivy League college with presumably much better job opportunity being in New York as compared to St. Louis.
Though with scholarship at WashU, my son will complete MS in 3 years however , if he completes his double major BS from Columbia in 2 years , additional one year of experience would be better than doing MS which he can pursue later.
WashU is also highly ranked college however if we compare 2 years vs 2 years cost at WashU and Columbia it is same.
Request for comment and advise as to what we shall chose
What does the money mean to your family?
Columbia all the way. In a whole other league in all ways. But I can’t figure out what you are saying about money, so just going on program/reputation/location.
For banking (and consulting), Columbia would open more doors.
For engineering and other corporate jobs, opportunities would be about the same.
Wash U. It’s like a beautiful country club. And if he is serious about Industrial Engineering, he’ll have a lot of opportunity with manufacturers in the “heartland.” Check both University’s career and internship opportunities, and who they may partner/research with and go from there. Good spot to be in. Good luck.
I don’t understand how the programs work and where your son is right now in getting his college degree. Is he starting freshman year this fall? Is the Wash U program the Bachelors/Masters program? You also mention a double Major from Columbia. I am having trouble doing an apples to apples comparison of the two programs.
Is cost an issue to your family? What is the main goal your son has—is he pretty sure he wants an engineering degree? How important is a double major to him? Does he want flexibility in changing majors?
@cptofthehouse, the OP is considering the 2 part of a 3-2 program. After 3 years at a LAC, the choice is now 2 years at Columbia for an extra engineering degree or 3 years at WashU for 2 extra engineering degrees. Costs will be about the same.
You may want to read up on 3-2 programs.
Anyway, yes, WashU is beautiful like a country club. Columbia is in NYC (obviously).
I still stand by what I said in post #3.
Thank you,@PurpleTitan. I am ignorant as to how 3-2 engineering programs work. None of the kids I have known have ever completed one, though s number of them have started in them.
So, congratulations to OP’s son for getting to this point. He has two incredible choices. If he is going to go to work in engineering, school prestige does not count for a whole lot, particularly in pay. I’m seeing it right now in front rower seats with engineers from MIT and a variety of engineering schools and programs. But for those who decide to go into fields other than engineering, it’s a whole other story, with name recognition counting immensely.
All things pretty much equal, including opportunity cost of a third year even at half off, I’d go for Columbia as it opens more options and opportunities. That is, unless there is an important preference for Wash U. I like flexibility and the Columbia route seems to offer more.
He has two excellent options that anyone would be excited to have! Not much losing out here whatever he picks.
As someone who lives in “flyover country” where there is a lot of industrial manufacturing, let me say that the WashU degree is going to carry more influence than Columbia. Most folks between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains are leery of Ivy League degrees - they view them as “Yankee Outsiders” trying to come in and tell them what to do. Now, if he wants to stay on the finance side of things and live on the East Coast, then a degree from Columbia would carry more weight.
@tutumom2001, as someone who also lives in flyover country, I would say that what you say may be true outside of bigger metropolitan areas. Also would depend on the industry. In a manufacturing company in the Midwest or South, I can see that. At a bank in Chicago or Charlotte, no.
Thank you all for your valuable inputs
For better clarity…my son will be completing 3 years in Denison University , OH completing his BA in Data Analytics and Pre Engineering…he intends to join WashU or Columbia University where he will complete his engineering in 2 years whereas WashU also gives him opportunity to complete MS in 3 years with around 55% scholarship
Now I am keeping aside the total cost of education between Columbia and WashU…
My son wants to pursue here either Industrial Engg. (he will also have BA in data analytics as stated above)…his interest is not in manufacturing…he wants to work in consulting, finance and top logistics firm. For working location in USA, he is open for the same except in South
Shall he choose WashU or Columbia ?
I would choose Columbia but no one can decide for you. You can’t really outsource major decisions like this since he would have to live with whatever decision he makes. It’s the same as asking strangers “should I marry this girl”.
What pro’s and con’s does he list for both?