<p>My d was accepted at both Cornell and Lehigh for class of 2014 (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and, after visiting both schools last weekend, she is in a quandry. Lehigh seems much more hands-on and Cornell much more theoretical in their approach to engineering education. (Plus she got great $ at Lehigh) Any feeling about which approach/school would give her an edge in the real world?</p>
<p>Cornell’s in the classroom learning does tend to emphasize the theoretical. This is actually extremely helpful. One of my largest intellectual growths from coming to Cornell was the ability to finally understand the fundamentals enough that I could be given an entirely new situation and derive the principles and properties just by examination. This is now an invaluable skill. It’s not plug and chug anymore.</p>
<p>But while the in-the-classroom learning is theoretical, there are TONS of opportunities to get a practical education. Whether it’s participating in a summer REU (research experience for undergraduates) at a university, or doing research on campus (of which there are innumerable options), to joining an engineering project team (one of my most fulfilling and educational experiences at Cornell), there are clearly ways to supplement the theoretical knowledge.</p>
<p>That’s why Cornell grads are so well respected. If you get both sides, theoretical and experimental, you are so much more valuable as an engineer.</p>
<p>i wonder if lehigh’s programs arent more hands-on with the theoretical being available in office hours and extracurriculars…</p>
<p>You can’t really have a “theoretical extracurricular”</p>
<p>sci-fi folks do it all the time chendrix 
</p>
<p>by theoretical extracurricular i mean discussions and seminars on the future of engineering and the role in society :P</p>
<p>though not sure if thats considered hands on</p>
<p>A theoretical education is not one in which you “contemplate the future.”</p>
<p>It’s one where you learn the theory behind your engineering using physics, math, and chemistry. </p>
<p>So unless one of the extracurriculars becomes “let’s write Physics proofs for fun!”, you will not be supplementing your theoretical knowledge outside of the classroom anytime soon.</p>
<p>campuscsi, you seem to frequently be agaisnt cornell for the simple purpose of being against cornell. A lot of your postings have a bitter tone to them.</p>
<p>Thanks (I guess). As an engineering student at Cornell, will she have time to pursue some of the extracurriculars (drama, vocal music, intrmural athletics) she loves or is the workload too intense?</p>
<p>Every single engineer I know is involved in at least 1 extracurricular that they love (usually in addition to a more career/professionally based one).</p>
<p>While the workload is intense, it is manageable.</p>
<p>i know very little of cornell engineering…it’s awful hard to read tone from internet postings and should not be done haphazardly… </p>
<p>i was also trying to educate myself on lehigh engineering:
i wonder if lehigh’s programs arent more hands-on with the theoretical being available in office hours and extracurriculars
how is wondering something being bitter?! </p>
<p>not sure why i have to explain myself to you…but one of my best friends is in cornell engineering and has done quite well for himself…</p>
<p>it’s a great, though intense, program that offers great recruitment…</p>
<p>spud17–one of my D’s best friends graduated from Cornell last May in engineering and is now getting a Masters in Engineering at Cornell. She was a cheerleader at Cornell and in a dance troupe. Both of these activities require a lot of time. She did fine.</p>
<p>campusci----If you are a Cornell student why do you comment as though you are a student?</p>
<p>^^^
I meant to say, If you are not a Cornell student then why are you posting as though you are?</p>