I’m currently trying to decide (before tomorrow, hopefully) between two schools to which I’ve been accepted. The issue is, while they’ve both got huge advantages, they’re so different it’s nearly impossible to compare the two.
I’ve got to decide between:
Webb Institute: 45 mins away from NYC with very little close by, tiny (90 kids total!) enrollment, undergrad only, only one major offered (naval architecture + marine engineering), 100% job placement with pretty high salaries
McGill University: downtown Montreal, very big (40k or so total) enrollment, research university, large variety of degrees offered including lots of engineering (my interest), fairly good job placement and salaries
They’re both around ~20k COA per year without any scholarships/aid
I realize that I’m the only one who can make this decision, but I guess I’m curious about how other people in similar situations were able to decide. What it seems like it boils down to for me is good school experience + mediocre advantages after graduation vs. mediocre school experience + good advantages after graduation. It’s hard for me to justify either choice when I consider the disadvantages in certain domains compared to the other.
Though, obviously, if anyone has experience with Webb Institute or McGill engineering, I’d love that insight too.
Thanks!
Are you 100% certain that you want a career in naval architecture + marine engineering? Why do you think that McGill would give you a mediocre advantage after graduation? McGill engineering is fully recognized by ABET.
@TomSrOfBoston I’m 100% sure I want a career in engineering, but beyond that, I guess I’m not positive what I might end up liking most. To me, naval architecture + marine engineering seems like as a good a career pathway as any, but it is true that I don’t know for sure if I won’t end up regretting that down the line. It’s such a small field, too, that it’s somewhat tricky to get much information on what the job is like that might suggest I wouldn’t end up enjoying it.
Plus, job demand/growth + salaries seem very good in that field, so that’s a consideration of mine as well.
@TomSrOfBoston and regarding the second part of your response, I guess I’ve just gotten it in my head that, when comparing McGill to Webb, the latter’s job placement and starting salaries seem much higher, making McGill seem like a mediocre option. I don’t know to what extent that’s accurate, and don’t know if that makes it worthwhile to pass up McGill, since I think I’d probably be much happier there.
I am not familiar with naval architecture + marine engineering and how translatable those skills would be to other engineering specialties. As a McGill (or any) engineering grad in one of the main engineering disciplines you would be competing with other such grads for jobs. That is dependent on the economy four years from now. My son, an American, graduated from McGill in business and had a job at graduation. He had a great four years and the added bonus of meeting there the woman who eventually became his wife.
All I can advise you is to “go with your gut” and make the most of whatever you decide.
Webb is for people who are passionate about ships and their design, in the same way that Air Force Academy is for people who are passionate about flying, or Westminster Choir College is for people who are passionate about vocal music.
If you have a single-minded passion, then a specialty school devoted to that passion may be a great choice. If you aren’t passionate about a particular subject, then it may not not be a good idea to enroll at a specialty school where everybody else is.