<p>yes, jags, your right it is truely amazing how clueless some people are. It is obvious that you have no experience in the world of engineering.</p>
<p>This isn't even worth arguing with someone who thinks that Yale engineering is a better decision than GIT. </p>
<p>I am seriously just speechless at how elitist and ignorant you are about engineering.</p>
<p>I'm not going to get into this. But I will say that I am being turned off of UVA with the attitude. </p>
<p>both are great schools for different things.</p>
<p>
Look, VT has a very strong engineering school, but the rankings you see are for their graduate programs
</p>
<p>Actually, those are for the undergrad programs. If you click this link: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/topprogs_withphd_brief.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/topprogs_withphd_brief.php</a>
you'll see that it says "Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs" and then if you have the premium edition it will give you the complete list. If you don't you can see that it starts off the same way as shoebox's list.</p>
<p>Also, the graduate program rankings are here: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/eng/brief/engrank_brief.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/eng/brief/engrank_brief.php</a></p>
<p>Tech's graduate engineering program is actually ranked lower than it's undergrad program, but it's still ahead of UVA.</p>
<p>wow this thread is totally different than I intended for it to be haha</p>
<p>sorry jaw,</p>
<p>you can have your thread back *hands back thread to jaw.</p>
<p>I think everyone is stressed out because of decisions coming out. Not that it totally excuses everything....lol, but I tried.</p>
<p>oh yeah, and uh...three days?</p>
<p>The big difference between VT and UVA lies in the curriculum. And trust me, I've studied all of the main programs at both (ME, EE, AE, and IE at VT and SysE at UVA) and their curriculums are TOTALLY different. (Which is why I want to transfer). VT has very few electives, and has a curriculum full of strictly engineerin/science/tech/math/this type of classes. UVA, however, has a first year EE class that is more paper based (second semester), and an STS101 class that is engineering, but again, is more logical/paper based. VT's first year engineering classes are strictly problem solving/technical. The curriculum at both are so different, its hard to say which is better. For someone like me, UVA's is better because I want to do other things post-grad. But for students that want to fully concentrate on engineering, VT wins. It doesn't make UVA any lesser of a school, and doesn't make VT any better of a school. It just depends department to department (think about going to MIT to study art. Yes, it is a top notch engineering school, but would you get to have a great art department? No. Just like an engineering major wouldn't go to Juliard.)</p>
<p>Jags- you must not be an E-school applicant. In the engineering world, that top 20 list of schools I mentioned will land you a job at top engineering firms with a 3.0 or better. Trust me, I've been applying for internships and when I go for interviews the first thing they ask me is where I attend, and when I say "Virginia Tech", they are instantly interested. When I say I have a GPA above a 3.0, next comes the questions about what I want to do within their company during the summer. I've gotten 6/7 offers/applications so far, and mostly because I'm coming from VT. The engineering world knows UT-Austin, GT, VT, UMich, UC-B, ect, and they know they're the best engineering schools behind Standford/MIT/Caltech. You can try to say UVA is so good all around that it beats out those schools, which is probably does, all-around. But in engineering, for a true, top notch engineering education, those top 20 will serve it. However, UVA does VERY well in BioE, SysE, and even EE (that new Nano building is awesome!). But it's department is smaller and more liberal-arts based, which is why it doesn't have a high overall ranking. In no way am I trying to bash UVA, trust me, I WANT TO GO THERE. I'm just stating facts, plain and simple. VT may suck in other departments, but it's engineering students are top of the line upon graduation, no doubt about it.</p>
<p>Ehiunno - you'll do well in the engineering field. I can tell already that you're chosing a school for the type of engineering education you want, and that's a smart move. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about either school. I know first-hand about VT, and have done extensive(!!) research about UVA and have many friends there. Good luck.</p>
<p>^^ did you mean Jags in the second paragraph because I havent even talked about this lol</p>
<p>ehiunno, I'm going to have to side with jags here. I'm not pulling anything I've said out of my a$$...I have family members who are employed as scientists and engineers at top private firms and well-respected universities, and I have a number of friends majoring in engineering at a wide range of colleges. I just don't know what else I can do to communicate to you that the undergraduate engineering education is no worse at a school like Yale or UVA than it is at VT, that students at UVA and Yale are more talented than students at VT, and that the exit opps for students at UVA and Yale are better than those for students at VT. For a graduate degree, Yale engineering probably would be a bad choice if you could attend VT. But at the undergraduate level? Good lord, no. Suppose you're an engineering student and you decide that you'd like to explore non-engineering fields after graduation. At Yale, you'd have your pick of investment firms, consulting firms, IT boutiques, etc. At VT? You'd have options, but nothing in the same league as what you'd get at Yale. Similarly, recruiting at UVA isn't what it is at Yale, but it's significantly better than it is at VT.</p>
<p>
[quote]
They scoff at becoming engineering managers and would gladly give up the possible salary increase to do what they love. In fact, almost every good scientist could do just that, but they don't.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Lol. No. That's just ridiculous - it sounds like something your parents told you or you read in a guidebook. VT engineering students aren't more "passionate" about engineering and they're not idiots - they're not going to give up large salary increases to remain engineers. You don't know many engineers, do you? Besides, by "other things" I meant "other jobs, possibly outside of engineering". Like banking, consulting, whatever. Most likely something that pays better.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I hate to say it, but UVa is not as prestigious as tech for engineering. It just isn't. Even for the sciences I have heard that they are treated about equally. For anything else, UVa has the clear upper hand and the vastly more talented students.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>UVA might not be as good overall at engineering as VT, but as I said, that shouldn't be a huge concern for you at the undergraduate level, as the quality of education at the undergraduate level is no worse at UVA, and you only stand to gain from superior peers and more faculty interaction. What you say about the sciences is just wrong - look up rankings or talk to people "in the know". UVA outranks VT in physics, math, astronomy, and most other major science areas.</p>
<p>seufork, I don't understand what attitude you're seeing or how you're being turned off by the current discussion. Plz share.</p>
<p>Datkid, I understand, but the reputation scores are undoubtedly based on the assessors' familiarity with the schools as research institutions and faculty at those schools...not necessarily things like student quality, class sizes, exit opps, etc.</p>
<p>Also, on a side note ehiunno: You may think you want a PhD in engineering now, but give it a few years. Plans change, and a PhD in any science field is a HUGE undertaking. It's something I thought I'd end up doing when I entered college (and I had a very good idea of what they were like from family members), but now it's likely that I won't. Once you get into your courses and get a better idea from professors what PhD programs are like, it's almost likely that you won't end up attending one. And I don't mean that in a bad way.</p>
<p>Cav - thanks for not ripping me apart =P And you're right, there's passionate students at both places. UVA students just seem to have other passions, whereas VT kids have only engineering/science/math/technical passions. But yes, there's the lazy kids everywhere just using mommy and daddys money.<br>
And I agree, either place will get you an excellent undergrad education. VT I still think would serve better those who are deeply interested in doing engineering their entire life, simply because it will better prepare them for engineering grad school (IMO, just because its all engineering courses in the curriculum, which will lead to more experience in the field).</p>
<p>Ehiunno - Cav is right. I wouldn't think about PhD right now. Masters, yes, its important to think about how you want to prepare for grad school. But most people take time before going for their PhD, so don't worry too much about it.</p>
<p>lol *** VT sux end of story</p>
<p>well, our points about Yale aren't far off. You are undoubtedly correct that a Yale grad would have many more NON-engineering opportunities after graduation, but for someone who wants to actually go into engineering, they would be far fewer than even VT. I don't mean to say there aren't passionate students at UVa, just not many passionate about engineering.</p>
<p>Its not that UVa wouldn't give anyone a good undergraduate education, its that the education is very different from the one at tech and I am trying to pick the one thats best for me.</p>
<p>and yeah, your probably both right, I shouldn't be thing about a PhD right now, but its still something I want to have as a viable option and something I have wanted for a long time. That could certainly change, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did because of my lack of experience in the area, but its something I want to have as an option.</p>
<p>btw, yeah, the new nanotech building at UVa is killer, one of the best parts of the e school imo. As a potential EE, its very enticing!</p>
<p>Ehiunno, come to Days on the Lawn and talk to Paxton Marshall. He'll be frank and answer your questions honestly. He's probably my favorite faculty member here.</p>
<p>Something I personally like about SEAS is the commitment many seem to have to using engineering in service work. Maybe that's not important to you at this point in your life, but after working at a highly selective engineering school with a similar philosophy, I think it's a fantastic characteristic to instill in engineers.</p>
<p>ehiunno - just because some of your friends that are in the e-school here at uva are not as passionate as your other friends at tech can not necessarily be expanded to describe the typical tech or uva e-school student. Many e-schoolers at uva enjoy the field and are very passionate about learning (yes I myself am in the e-school). In the end your job outlook to will come down to how well you do and not which school you actually went too. There are many upsides and downsides to both programs and you just have to decide which is a better fit for yourself.</p>
<p>oh and to all those waiting on decisions, good luck!</p>
<p>cavalier--
not responding. It's pretty obvious.</p>
<p>I think yr reading a bit between the lines, d00d.</p>
<p>protean, the people I was referring to aren't friends of mine, they are people I met at UVa when I visited. So yeah, I am not basing it off a sample of my friends, just an impression I got from the Eschool/university tour guides and reps when I visited and talked to students.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, Dean J, I may have to take you up on that</p>
<p>ehiunno, it's wonderful that you got such a favorable impression of UVA. You must have had outstanding tour guides! Sometimes the students you meet on a campus can make all the difference....</p>
<p>Ehiunno - if you do get a chance to talk to Paxton, definently take it. Dean J is right, he's incredible. He's helped me so much in dealing with applying to transfer, and is really easy to get in touch with (email, phone, or in person). It's faculty like him that make me want to attend UVA, as it helps make up for other weaknesses.</p>
<p>LBP, do I detect a hint of sarcasm? Its not that I didn't get a favorable impression of UVa, in fact I really did like the school. I could definitely see myself there, I just got the impression that the E school was missing something that I have seen elsewhere.</p>