Agreed if you happen to live in a state with a strong research institution. Also agree that the school isn’t going to make you a great engineer, you’re going to have to do that yourself. Schools can only offer opportunities. It’s on the student to make the most of those opportunities and excel if they can.
This is very true for PhD programs, but not especially applicable to MS programs. In engineering a PhD is relatively less common than a MS. Working engineers tend to have a BS or MS, those aspiring to architect roles have more of a need for a PhD.
It isn’t clear what the OP meant by grad school and honestly I doubt he actually knows; “grad school” seems to be something every HS kid on the forum plans on attending these days without really knowing what the programs entail or why she/he would want a grad degree.
For a MS in engineering at many schools it is driven by grades and scores. And at many top schools (Stanford, USC, etc) any working engineer with employer sponsorship can enroll in the part-time MS program.
we’re in similar boat as OP, & several tech gurus have indicated that the special name matters for
FIRST job
but that does not mean you won’t find a good career with a public school (depends on if you Co-op, and make a connection)
As someone who has recruited literally hundreds of engineers in high-tech companies, I can say that in my experience going to a good school will result in your resume being given a more thorough look and can open doors. In addition, larger alumni networks can help push you to the front of the line. But how you do in the interview & the job afterwards have little to no correlation to the name of the school. It has everything to do with what you know and how you’ve made use of your opportunities. Conversely, there are lots of gems from less well-known schools who deserve just as much of an opportunity as those who go to Ivy League schools.
Having said that, top tier schools, due to a process of self-selection, do foster an environment of excellence that can either be extremely motivating or disheartening, depending on the individual student’s personality. We’re going through a similar calculus with our son, who has been accepted at UIUC (CS + Math without scholarship) & Rutgers (honors program with a generous scholarship). There are, unfortunately, no simple answers.
College Pedigree does matter greatly and for the rest of your life. The only way to equalize it, if you go to a lesser known program, is to be a top student.
@mikemac Sure, I have a uninformed conception of what grad school is. I just want the option to be available in case I want it.
I sent an email to Caltech, asking them whether or not undergrad school name matters. Their response:
“Thank you for your interest in Caltech.
Your undergraduate school will have no impact in the admission review. Only your personal academic record and achievements.
Please refer to our website for information on the Admission requirements, selection criteria, and application guidelines.”
I was just at a Computer Engineering session at UT Austin, and the professor who spoke said that “the single most important factor in grad school acceptance is the quality of your undergraduate education.” Basically the opposite of what Caltech said. He said that if you go to an approximately top ten school, you can get into any grad school. If you go to a top 50 school, you can get into a top 20 school…
(Kind of interesting to note that he sent his daughter to Virginia, one of his sons to TAMU, and the other son to Rice) :-?
Just thought I would post that before getting to what I really wanted to ask.
I know this post is a bit redundant… Please understand.
I’m an ambitious student, but I want to make a wise decision.
Basically now I’m choosing between
NJIT: $2500 per year (I can make this in the summer --> $0 per year)
TAMU: $25000 per year
UT Austin: $26000 per year
My parents have said that if I go to NJIT, they could theoretically give me $100,000 (the amount they would approximately spend if I went to TAMU or UTA) at graduation, meaning I would start on a “better” foot.
As I’m writing this, I’m beginning to see that the decision is seemingly between graduating from a well-known (strong network) engineering school, or starting with $100,000 (and living more independently during college as well as putting the family under a lot less stress).
If this were your future (or your kids), what school would you choose?
If the financial stress on your family is too great, then it may not be a good idea to spend that amount of money.
It’s doable. Just not easy.
what did you decide? Good luck! You have great options.