I’m a rising senior, and right now I’m unsure of whether or not I should apply ED to Cornell. I feel like if I do, I might miss the opportunity to go to Georgia Tech for a cheaper price(about 20k as opposed to 37k at cornell). At the same time, if I don’t, I’ll miss the chance of a higher acceptance rate at Cornell.
Is Cornell engineering physics really worth the extra money over Georgia Tech applied physics? Especially now during the pandemic, is it really worth applying ED?
Not in my opinion. Both are great schools, but I’d probably even give GT a very slight edge in Engineering/STEM majors
While I disagree with @RichInPitt about the which college is better in STEM (I think that Cornell would be better with STEM, but not engineering), I absolutely agree that Cornell is not worth an extra $17,000 a year over GTech, not even close.
Your engineering physics coursework may be similar between the two, but your college experience will likely not be the same . Where you might choose depends on your budget and how you want to experience college. IMO. My own D1 turned down a free ride to go to school elsewhere. She preferred it, and we could afford it. YMMV.
Engineering Physics is an elite major at Cornell. IIRC, there are non-trivial standards to enter the major (you should check these yourself). Graduates of the program that I knew when I attended were outstanding, and did well afterwards.
Cornell is a campus based university located in a college town in the Northeast, with a diversity of colleges, majors and students, studying in diverse fields. Excellences there span well beyond engineering. The largest undergraduate college there is the Arts & Sciences college, not the engineering college. You will be thrown in socially with all sorts of people, not mostly engineers. It has a balanced Male-Female ratio. You can study a wide range of subjects and courses, at high levels.
Everywhere I’ve lived, there has been an active Cornell alumni group. I have attended many interesting lectures, etc. through them.
Georgia Tech is an excellent engineering school, located in a city the South. With other programs and students as well. Sixty percent of its students are from the state of Georgia. (Whereas 25% of Cornell students are from New York). There are those who like that situation better. Engineering physics notwithstanding. And others, who wouldn’t even apply there, economics be darned . And vica versa.
If you are on the fence, don’t apply binding ED anywhere. You will get a great education at either if you are accepted.