<p>I'm applying to Cornell Engineering school this upcoming fall and had some questions about it.</p>
<p>Schools I'm applying to - UIUC, Cornell, UMich, Purdue, MIT, CMU, and Northwestern.</p>
<p>Not too keen on going to Northwestern, but applying because I'm instate for IL and just want to apply for the hell of it.</p>
<p>Still applying to UIUC as safety b/c it's a good engineering school, but not to keen on attending b/c half my school goes there.</p>
<p>MIT is going to be a reach school.</p>
<p>So, the decision will most probably come down to Umich or Cornell.</p>
<p>I've visited both schools, they're both amazing places. I'll be happy at both places. Since the difference in cost is not too large, that shouldn't be a factor. But considering reputation, connections, which is better?</p>
<p>In my opinion, however great UMich may be, it's always a public school and Cornell is always an Ivy.</p>
<p>Does Ivy prestige matter that much if I'm planning on attending graduate school after?</p>
<p>Not much. But you’re comparing Cornell to UMich, and they have some clear difference in standards, not just prestige. Bottom line, Ivy League or not, Cornell is a better school and if you loved Cornell, then you should go there and not UMich.</p>
<p>Agreed–you should apply to the school that is the best fit for you. Having said that, Cornell Engineering is outstanding…and the Ivy tag kicks it all up a notch.</p>
<p>Ultimately, prestige of undergrad doesn’t matter and you may be better off attending a less ‘competitive’ school where you would get more opportunities and competition in class (not to say the major isn’t any easier)</p>
<p>You’re asking a very complicated question --</p>
<p>The really short answer – you will get an excellent education with fantastic job opportunities from either Cornell or Michigan. Cornell is generally considered to be the better school (whatever that means) but Michigan has a high enough reputation that no one could say you’re crazy to go there if it’s a clear first choice.</p>
<p>“Ultimately, prestige of undergrad doesn’t matter and you may be better off attending a less ‘competitive’ school where you would get more opportunities and competition in class (not to say the major isn’t any easier)”</p>
<p>You don’t necessarily get more opportunities in a less competitive school. Perhaps you can be the top of the class, but even then you won’t have more opportunities than the average students from MIT, Stanford, etc. That’s the whole reason why we aim for better universities, where opportunities are relatively evenly distributed, and better overall. And if you’re comparing Cornell and UMich in this case, I don’t think top UMich students have any better opportunities than average Cornell students.</p>
<p>Prestige of undergrad matters when we’re talking about top schools. No single or group of schools can match the alumni connection of HYPSM. Getting a job is significantly easier in these schools too. If we’re talking about schools a notch below, such as UCLA, Tufts, etc, then perhaps prestige doesn’t mean much. Again, people are not aiming for top schools for no reason.</p>
<p>If we’re taking grad schools into account, things are different of course. One can sort of cover his/her Bachelor’s degree with a much better Master’s degree, and that’s not a problem or anything. But not many can or will pay for Master’s degree right after grad.</p>
<p>To OP: What I meant by standards was the academic levels of those schools. Clear difference may have been an overstatement though.</p>
<p>UMich will not teach easier or less useful classes; that’s true for virtually all good schools regardless of prestige. But I believe Cornell is a notch above when it comes to faculties, facilities, and overall standards of the students (higher selectivity isn’t there for nothing). So looking beyond the prestige, Cornell is still a better school and if you come down to the choice between the two, and if you love them EQUALLY, then Cornell should be the way to go.</p>
<p>All of the responses are saying that Cornell is clearly a better choice than Michigan. But just wondering, then why is Michigan engineering ranked higher than Cornell? </p>
<p>Everything is subjective, even rankings. See what you can find out about both programs and then make your evaluation. You can look at class size, research opportunities, and outcomes for students, for starters. Also, look at faculty pages and see what their backgrounds and areas of interest are. And finally, if you can, I’d visit again after you are accepted–stay in a dorm and attend a couple of classes. Where you feel most comfortable is most important.</p>
<p>Also, just as a point of clarification–no one is “instate” for Northwestern. It is a private university and tuition is the same no matter where you come from. However, if what you meant is that you are not as interested because it is in your state, that’s different. It is a great program, though, and since you aren’t that far away it might be worth a look just as a point of comparison even if it isn’t one of your top choices right now.</p>
<p>Does it wow people? Yes. Does it help you get an amazing job/opportunities? No. Connections/your own abilities do that. For purposes of job recruitment, ivies and ivies+ (top tier schools in the respective fields and perhaps top tier schools like berkeley, jhu, chig, etc.) would get the same amount of “boost”. By then, what matters is the impression that you make.</p>