<p>Hi, I got into the chemical engineering programs at Cooper Union and U Penn, and the biomedical engineering program at Duke and im having a hard time deciding where to go. I live in New York, and Cooper is not only a presitigous school, but FREE! besides room and board. It is convenient because it is close and is in New York City. Cooper also guarantees me a decent job?
Penn's engineering program is the weakest of the three, but it has one of the stronger overall educations. It is decently close, is an ivy, and is still reputable. It also leaves for flexibility in my major.
Duke is a 10hour drive, or an expensive flight away. But my brother went there and loved it. The campus life was amazing, and biomedical engineering is rising up. Duke's reputation is alittle bit weaker in my area so job's will be slighly more difficult as well. But I love Blue Devil basketball too!
Cooper is restrictive, and very small with no campus. I don't want to have to work and study 24/7 and be miserable for four years, while as the other two provide more friends and social life.
Penn is a weak engineering school and gave me the least financial aid.
Duke is far but gave me better financial aid package.
Where would you go if you were in my situation?
Thanks for any advice or feedback you have for me.</p>
<p>If you like to be Pre-med, MBA, or Pre-law go Penn.
Otherwise, it is better go Duke.</p>
<p>DUDE, you got a free ride to a top engineering program in the world! If you are seriously considering to be an engineer later on in your life, Cooper is the way to go. You will be debt free after graduation and that's a HUGE HUGE plus. If I were you, I would go to Cooper, work my ass off and come out debt free. After all, you have years ahead of you to enjoy life. I don't think you want to worry about college loans when you turn 30.</p>
<p>I agree with ecc. Cooper offers an incredibly unique opportunity that's tough to turn down.</p>
<p>Would you be living at home if you go to Cooper? If not as you know room and board are very high in nyc so it really isn't free. So I'm wondering if Duke with a decent financial aid package would be that much more than room and board and other fees at CU. </p>
<p>Needless to say you'd get a much better campus experience at Penn or Duke. I'll disagree with the others. Here's my vote: Duke first, then Penn and CU last by a mile.</p>
<p>Room and board is about $13,000 for Cooper, but the average freshman total gift is $12,247, so that's still a lot cheaper. It's obvious that you will get a better campus experience at Penn or Duke, but the opportunity to save thousands of dollars in loans is just hard to turn down. Imagine four years from now you work in an engineering firm beside kids from ivy league and other top engineering programs. What's the difference between you and them? You will be debt free, while they are all have to pay off 10K to 20K (or even more) in loan plus interest. </p>
<p>wow, you have some really nice choices. Im already going to upenn for engineering, and they really do have a pretty good program, even though their rankings are not as high as coopers or dukes. If you were planning on doing anything with business and engineering, i would strongly suggest penn for their joint and dual degree programs. </p>
<p>my thoughts on cooper are that it is an amazing school, incredibly cheap, and would certainly land you a great job in the future. However, college is supposed to be the best 4 years of your life, and I doubt youll have much of a social life, or that much fun at all, at cooper union. So, unless youre absolutely set on studying engineering and landing a great job in the future, i would nix cooper union.</p>
<p>Now duke is where i think you should commit to. dukes biomed program is incredible (#1 or 2 in the country, tied with johns hopkins). you cant go wrong studying biomed there, and the duke campus and atmosphere is incredible. If i were you, id go to duke, because youre likely to both word hard and play hard :-)</p>
<p>Unless you are big-time on the Biomed, which Cooper doesn't have as an established program, come to Cooper. It's certainly rough, but there's fun to be had if you want it. I wouldn't "nix" it because I was afraid of "wording" hard.</p>