<p>I'm a high school junior,
I've finally decided I'd like to go into engineering but can't decide on a school. I'm interested in either AE and ME.
I know the obvious choice seems like Columbia but I've also heard their engineering program isn't that strong (please correct me if I'm misinformed, I'd really like to know.)
I've heard University of Maryland does have a pretty decent program. I'm also interested in Brown (obviously) but haven't seen much in regards to their engineering programs. </p>
<p>Or could anyone recommend any other North East/Mid Atlantic schools? (I know the other obvious is MIT but I'm not certain how realistic it is that I'd ever get accepted to MIT.)</p>
<p>If you can afford to go to Columbia, go to Columbia. Whatever shortcomings Columbia may have in in its engineering program is made up by the fact that it is an Ivy League school. You have greater mobility than a graduate from Purdue or Drexel.</p>
<p>well it really depends on your personality, some would rather have a large public school experience, others may prefer a more prestigious institution</p>
<p>Depending on what your career focus is after undergrad (graduate school or job), should play a role in selecting a undergraduate program. </p>
<p>If you are looking for an Ivy for engineering, Cornell would be, most likely, the best choice. </p>
<p>Engineering is a different animal than most majors. Many state schools have excellent engineering programs and their graduates are highly recruited by companies such as Boeing, GE, Conoco Philips, Exxon, etc. I would suggest doing some research the career services websites for the universities you are interested in and make your own judgments.</p>
<p>any of the schools you are interested in are more than good enough from and undergraduate level. visit and see what its like and how much YOU like it, not how much potential employers like it.</p>
<p>also, if you dont think you have a shot at MIT, its going to be difficult to get into Columbia engr. all of my friends who got into prestigious engr schools (like caltech, upenn) got waitlisted for mit or in. [with the exception of one guy…]</p>
<p>just remember, at the end of the day, individuals succeed, not institutions.</p>
<p>engineering employers don’t value school name that much, so its not like some aerospace company will value UMD over Columbia. so even if you have a “superior” undergraduate education, its not going to affect your job prospects or career path to a large degree.</p>
<p>the reason for columbia, however, is pretty much any other job field. you might catch the banking bug after a couple years, or try to break into management consulting. heck you might even want to become a newspaper journalist.</p>
<p>you are 17 or 18 yrs old…there is no way you KNOW you want engineering. don’t limit your options…go to columbia.</p>
<p>“you are 17 or 18 yrs old…there is no way you KNOW you want engineering. don’t limit your options…go to columbia.”</p>
<p>Thats an interesting point to think about. I never thought of it that way. They’re ranked very similiar but Columbia does have that Ivy League option. Like everyone else has said, go to Columbia if you can get in and then afford it. If not then maryland is certainly a good alternative.
Other Ivy League schools that also have solid engineering programs are Cornell and UPenn. So look into those too, especially cornell.</p>