<p>I want to go to LSU because I believe that graduating from there would lead to better job opportunities. Just about every other engineering school in the state is unranked as far as engineering schools go, but I'm almost certain that I could get a higher GPA at either one of them. </p>
<p>Should I risk getting a lower GPA at a more known school, or a higher GPA at a less known one?</p>
<p>It is not a given that you will get a lower GPA at a more selective or prestigious school, since more selective or prestigious schools tend to have more grade inflation.</p>
<p>For engineering, what matters most from your first job or internship perspective is recruiting at your school. Bigger schools and schools with a better reputation in the subject tend to attract more non-local recruiters; every school will have some local bias in recruiting.</p>
<p>Prestige has the potential to ‘open doors’ by giving you access to high-profile networking, but it is not necessary for career success and/or happiness. </p>
<p>Any ABET accredited engineering program (regardless of overall school prestige) will have the tools and resources necessary to develop competent and successful graduates. That being said, some schools have stronger programs than others since faculty members have different specialty areas and years of experience. Additionally, each campus will have different facilities and resources available to its students… a school strong in Aerospace Engineering might have access to various types of wind tunnels, structural labs, CFD labs, controls labs, experienced Aero faculty, etc, but have very little facilities/resources for, say, EE majors. This would be an example of a school with strengths in Aero Engineering, but weak in EE. These are the types of criteria you want to look for in a school.</p>
<p>My advice has always been to look for the school that offers the best overall fit for YOU. Don’t just run down the USNWR top 10 list and pick the school with the best SAT/ACT match… Look outside of the box - There are a lot of great schools out there. Most importantly, which schools offer solid programs in your field of interest? Which geographical location do you prefer? Weather? What’s the local area like around the campus? Campus aesthetics? Outdoor opportunities? These are all things you should look at. If LSU has what you like and offers a good program in your field, then go for it. Keep your grades up and you’ll do fine.</p>
<p>I visited LA Tech with my son and my feeling was he would get a good engineering education there. Have you considered it?</p>
<p>I’ve considered both LA Tech. and Mississippi State (They offer a substantial PTK scholarship) as schools that I would attend following the completion of my Associates. LA Tech campus looks absolutely beautiful–from the little I’ve seen–but my primary choice is LSU because it’s the best public institution in the state.</p>
<p>We visited MSU too and I like it a lot.</p>
<p>I think I need to tour each institution’s engineering program during my final year at DCC.</p>
<p>For engineering, go to the school that spends the most on engineering research so you can do undergraduate research (more fun than any internship).</p>
<p>Doing what is ‘more fun’ isn’t the best career choice. Doing an internship at one or more companies will help you to better understand your options once you graduate and also give perspective employers a chance to see you on the job.</p>
<p>Where you go to college is no guarantee of success. How well you perform on the job means far more to most companies then where you got your degree.</p>
<p>You should go to which ever is the best fit for you, including the best ______ Engineering programme. The school needed be renowned, just accredited and with good facilities. Two of my closest friends are bot going into engineering, but different types. Subsequently each is at a different school, one very well known, the other a state school which is rising in recognition and rankings.</p>
<p>Internships and undergraduate research positions are not mutually exclusive, a lot of engineering majors do both.</p>
<p>Prestige doesn’t matter as much as you would think it does. </p>
<p>I turned down a Top 50 school for a school that’s bordering 200. The only fear I have is what every college student fears (Top 10 or not): not having a job. Landing a job depends a lot more than just name recognition. Sure the name can get your resume looked at, but there are other ways to overcome that when you’re coming from a not so recognizable school.</p>
<p>I’ll tell you what is more important that prestige…</p>
<p>…the ability to conduct a SEARCH on a message board</p>
<p>Go to “search”… type “prestige”…select “engineering forums”… and read</p>
<p>This topic has been brought up 1,474,184 times on this forum</p>
<p>Thanks,
Mgmt</p>
<p>P.S.: Can “prestige” threads be ice-creamed?</p>
<p>If you review the threads, you will hear lots of people constantly repeating go to the school with the “best fit”. The problem is there is no way to determine whether a school will be a good fit until you attend, and that will be dependent on your roommates, your faculty, whether you meet the right girl or boyfriend, etc. So really what you need to do is get the best education you can get for the best monetary value out there. LSU is a public school and a well regarded one. It also has the Tigers, and don’t discount how important sports and spirit to really enjoy a school. If LSU has the right courses for you, that’s where you should go imho. By the way, prestige is for narcissists and you will find more and more of these entitled souls the hire up the prestige ladder you climb. Concentrate instead on getting the best education you can get in your field of study for reasonable cost. LSU is a great school. Good luck.</p>
<p>talking about prestige …what do you think about Cleveland State University for electrical engineering ??</p>
<p>It seems like a decent school, but Cleveland State isn’t well known, so you couldn’t call it prestigious. It’s overshadowed in Cleveland by Case Western.</p>
<p>I grew up in Ohio and had never even heard of Cleveland State. I did work with one guy who graduated from there, and he was definitely a competent engineer.</p>
<p>so when graduating from CSU ,do I have a good chance to find a Job in Big companies in Cleveland?</p>
<p>Going to as prestigious school might help you get an opening position in a field that you are likely to find a job in either way. That’s about the only advantage that I see here. Is that worth the massive tuition gap? You decide.</p>
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<p>what about the education quality?</p>
<p>The education quality isn’t that different between certain accredited prestigious and non-prestigious universities.</p>