<p>I am a high school senior trying to decide between UMich & Cornell for engineering for Fall this year. I think I'd like to study Mech Eng with a concentration in in Biomed & possibly a minor in business. I plan to go to grad school for either medicine or MBA & have no clue whether my choice will impact my chances of getting into a good school. I've heard that Cornell curves down for grades & student life is tough, but is highly ranked. But UMich is a big school & so I may be a number. I like both schools a lot and would love some advice, insights to help me.</p>
<p>If it were me, I would choose cornell in a heartbeat </p>
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<p>Thanks. Could you tell me why? Have you studied at Cornell?</p>
<p>Michigan is top ten rated in all three areas of your interests. I would attend there in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>If you like both schools equally, pick the school that will leave you with the least amount of debt so you can afford grad school. </p>
<p>Can you major in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Biomedical Engineering and minor in Business at both schools? You should check their curricula very carefully to see which one caters to your academic interests more closely. And as OsakaDad points out, cost should seriously be considered, assuming there is a difference in the CoA, and assuming that finances are a concern. </p>
<p>Once those concerns are addressed, if both universities are still standing, I would go for fit. You would think that the two universities have much in common, considering that Cornell was co-founded by a Michigan professor and that 6 of Cornell’s 12 presidents were either alums or faculty at the University of Michigan. But in truth, Cornell and Michigan offer vastly different experiences, having only their stellar academics and reputations in common (I should know, I am a proud alum of both schools). </p>
<p>Thanks everyone for so much helpful guidance!
At UMich I can do Mech Eng + a concentration in Biomed + a minor in Entrepreneurship from the Ross School of business. At Cornell, Biomed is only a graduate program, but they have a minor in business. UMich is also a little cheaper (but expensive for me since I am out of state). So I am leaning towards UMich, but dont know if the Ivy League reputation of Cornell will make a big difference for jobs or Grad school.
Alexandre - can you tell me a bit about your different experiences at the two universities?
Thanks.</p>
<p>I had a great experience at both Cornell and Michigan, but in very different ways. I do not think the Ivy League affiliation gives Cornell students an edge in terms of professional or graduate school placement opportunities. </p>
<p>Among the impressionable and less sophisticated, the Ivy League association definitely impresses more, but not among the highly educated. So if that means something to you, Cornell would be a better option. However, those who have attended good universities are demystified by the Ivy League moniker.</p>
<p>Thank you so much Alexandre for giving me such valuable info. Did you study undergrad at Cornell & grad at UMich? What did you study?</p>
<p>Cornell actually has more grade inflation than flagship state schools although its not as good as HYP. Both of these schools will provide a solid education in MechE, BME, and some business courses but I’m going to suggest Cornell because I believe it is a better undergraduate institution when all is said and done. What is the net price difference between these schools?</p>
<p>I suggest Michigan because it is stronger in engineering when all is said and done. Alexandre went to Michigan undergraduate and Cornell for graduate school btw. ennisthemenace will never recommend Michigan over any school that is its peer. </p>
<p>Michigan is not stronger in engineering than Cornell and it is not a peer of Cornell’s at the undergraduate level. Cornell UG has higher selectivity, greater financial resources, stronger students, and better postgraduate outcomes on average at the undergraduate level. This is not to say that UMich is not an outstanding institution overall.</p>
<p>Regarding the biomed engineering, we just returned from an event for admitted engineers at Cornell where they were talking about plans for that. It’s not my daughter’s particular interest and so I didn’t pay enough attention to remember now if it’s a new major or a new department or a new program, but there is something new they are organizing and bringing together faculty in that area who are currently rather dispersed among different departments. If you haven’t heard anything about this, you may want to learn more.</p>
<p>Both are great schools. I know next to nothing about engineering so I can’t speak to that but I’d agree that the cost to attend each is important. One thing I’d add for your consideration is that the sports culture is huge (and very fun) at Michigan and could be a big “pro” if that’s something that’s of interest to you.</p>
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<p>Thanks everyone for your help and guidance. I am not getting scholarship/grant from either school - so its a lot of money. The net price for Cornell is ~$9-10K higher per year.
Cornell did tell us that they plan to start a Biomed Eng Dept in a couple of years because there is a lot of interest. They have a Bioengineering program from which I could take courses to get a concentration - but it didn’t seem like one of their strong departments.
There are many things I liked a lot about both schools which makes my decision difficult - Cornell campus is gorgeous while UMich had incredible school spirit and great sports. So I think I should decide based on what is best for my future since I plan to go to grad school in either medicine or do an MBA.
I am a pretty good student & I think I can survive either school, but people tell me that I’ll need to have a 3.5 GPA to get into a good grad school in either area. One of the things that worries me about Cornell is that people say that there is cut throat competition and less collaboration which makes life very stressful & they curve down - dont know if this is true in engineering. The big size of UMich worries me in that I wonder if it will result in poorer education & not get to know any profs.
So still not sure what to do.</p>
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<p>cookiestealer, I did my undergrad at Michigan (LSA Economics) and graduate studies at Cornell (ILR). Still, many of my friends studied Engineering at Michigan and Cornell, so I am familiar with both, and they are truly excellent. </p>
<p>Michigan is big, but it has the resources to handle its size nicely (Cornell is also large by the way). Cornell is no more cutthroat than other top universities. Whenever you hear such sweeping generalizations, ignore them. Those two universities are excellent. But if you can save $40k by attending Michigan, that is something to consider.</p>
<p>If money is not a concern, go with your gut. You cannot lose regardless.</p>
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<p>“Michigan is not stronger in engineering than Cornell and it is not a peer of Cornell’s at the undergraduate level.”</p>
<p>I misspoke. Michigan and Cornell are indeed peers in engineering. I got confused and thought I was comparing Michigan engineering to Duke engineering…and yes goldenennisthemenaceboy, Michigan and Cornell are academic peers. </p>
<p>These are two fantastic schools (top 10 in almost any survey) for engineering. </p>
<p>Surely you have a preference for big-time football vs big-time hockey. Do you like Ithaca or Ann Arbor better. Ithaca is gorges. </p>
<p>I think that Cornell has a more academic feel. Is that a plus or a minus for you?</p>
<p>Michigan has a top business school. Maybe you’ll make friends with the person whose going to run your startup. </p>
<p>This is one time where other factors ought to sway you. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies! They’re really useful. I think that Michigan has the following pros:
More free time to invest in research, clubs, other ECs since it will probably be easier to have a 3.75+ there
More school spirit</p>
<p>So I guess I’m wondering if going to Cornell and having a comparable GPA albeit with less Extracurriculars will give me a better chance at going to a top grad school (Stanford, Harvard, MIT…)?
I assume the advising would be better at Cornell since it’s private and an Ivy, but I’m likely wrong. </p>
<p>@ClassicRockerDad Surprisingly enough, I don’t have preference either way. I like both sports. Ithaca is more natural beauty and Ann Arbor is a better college town from what I’ve heard so it’s a toss up. </p>