Dartmouth vs. Cornell vs. Northeastern

College Search & Selection
1

I’m super indecisive, sorry. My major at any of these schools would be engineering (I haven’t decided what type). Any advice is REALLY appreciated, and I’m happy to hear whatever.

Dartmouth:
I really like the core. Though I’m majoring in engineering, I’d like to have the chance to dabble in a bunch of subjects. I’m also head over heels for the campus/New Hampshire (I would absolutely love to snowboard and skate a good deal in the winter). I also really want to study abroad, and Dartmouth makes that easy. All the attention given to undergraduates seems wonderful. In the short period since I’ve been accepted I’ve already experienced how incredibly phenomenal their alumni network is as well. I’m also in this program that lets me get an A.B. and a B.E. in four years, which would be awfully nice. The prestige helps too. However, it’s very expensive, so I’d probably come out of the whole thing (all 4 years) probably 20k in debt, maybe a bit less if we cut back on a few things. I’m also not sure about greek life, nor am I terribly sure about all the rumored partying and drinking.

Cornell:
They’re my best option for engineering, and I like that they have a COOP for engineering. The campus was positively gorgeous, and I don’t think I’d mind the size. When I visited overnight, the kids seemed really into the class I attended, which I appreciated. They’ve also got a team in a relatively obscure sport which I’d love to be a part of. The prestige is certainly a plus here as well. However, I’m not sure that I want to set myself on the engineering path with such certainty. I’m worried about my chances to pursue other subjects I like. The cost of attendance is just as high as it was with Dartmouth, so I’d end up roughly 20k in debt.

Northeastern:
This is my best financial option by far. With merit money and COOP money, I won’t actually have to spend the entirety of the money my parents have saved for my college education. This means that they can put the extra money (plus the money they save up while I’m in college) toward my sibling’s college education. I get the feeling said sibling will want to go somewhere expensive lol, but it’s too early to really know. I’m in honors, which is nice. I’d also graduate in five years with a Master’s and Bachelor’s, and COOP is another enormous plus. However, Northeastern’s a little uncomfortably close to home, and I don’t love the campus. I’m also worried that the students won’t be as intent on academics as at Cornell or Dartmouth. It’s also not as prestigious, though that isn’t that important. I guess the main problem is I don’t feel that “click” here, if that makes any sense.

2

I would think that 20 k in debt for engineering would be very manageable. It sounds like you felt much more at home at Cornell than NEU. If your heart says that NEU isn’t for you, and you wouldn’t have insane amounts of debt at Cornell or Dartmouth…well, in your situation, I would pick Cornell.

3

Most engineering employers most typically hire by discipline/major (electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, etc,). They want to hire people with ABET accredited engineering degrees. If you want to be qualified for that, then you have to take a certain number of engineering courses in four years, which leaves you just so much room for other courses.

If you are taking all these other non-engineering courses instead ,then you are not getting the requisite training in engineering, which may lead you towards a fifth year (or more) in school.

The course requirements of Cornell or Northeastern aren’t mean, that’'s what is expected to practice.

I think you will find, if you inquire, that most people majoring in engineering at Dartmouth do not actually become engineers. At least not without a fifth year.Which is fine. But perhaps I am mistaken.

Now there are some fields such as computer science that do not have ABET certification and may not have such uniform course expectations, and grads could very possibly do that. And you could major in anything and go to Wall Street. I’m not suggesting you would be unemployed or anything.

But there is no free lunch. You cannot take whatever you want, and still be equally prepared for a job that requires specific preparation.

Cornell’s program actually requires two freshman seminars and 6 liberal studies electives outside of engineering, and two other approved electives (? not sure what those are). You can check Dartmouth BE thing and see what it enables you to do.

If you are in a “real” engineering program and decide it is not your cup of tea you would have to apply to switch colleges . But this is quite feasible to do. All but a couple of the courses you take in your first two years are taught in the College of Arts & Sciences anyway, so you’d hardly lose a step. The alternative, if you don’t take that program, you’d be behind the eight ball if you really do ultimately want to be a real engineer with an accredited degree in one of the recognized disciplines.

4

As for the money thing, that’s a tough family decision for which I have no answer.