Engineering at UMich or Cornell

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I will be going to school for engineering in the fall of 2012. I have been admitted to quite a few schools but I have narrowed it down to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Cornell but now I am stuck on deciding between those two schools. Could anyone help me learn more about these schools so I can make a more informed decision? </p>

<p>Here are some things you should know...
1. I plan on studying Electrical Engineering (although I know a lot of people change engineering majors once they get into college so who knows). </p>

<ol>
<li><p>I have no financial aid for either school so I would either be paying 55K for Michigan or 59K for Cornell. </p></li>
<li><p>I don't mind cold weather</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Here are some questions I have
1. When companies hire, do they hire more engineers from either Michigan or Cornell ?</p>

<ol>
<li><p>If I go to grad school (which I think I will) will I get into a better school if I go to Michigan or Cornell assuming I get the same grades </p></li>
<li><p>Are both places interesting? I have taken some colleges off my list because there is absolutely nothing to do around campus. </p></li>
<li><p>Are engineering students at each campus creative and fun? I applied to MIT (waitlisted...so still some hope) not just because it's a great school, but because I like the atmosphere of inventing and hacking and doing stupid dorky things. Is there any of that on either of these campuses?</p></li>
<li><p>What kind of extra curricular teams, like robotics, do these schools have? </p></li>
<li><p>Does one school have more research opportunities than the other?</p></li>
<li><p>what is the curriculum like for electrical engineers? Is Michigan much different than Cornell</p></li>
<li><p>Overall, which would you recommend?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks for all of the help!</p>

2

<ol>
<li>When companies hire, do they hire more engineers from either Michigan or Cornell?</li>
</ol>

<p>Both are very highly recruited. It is not possible to compare the two exactly, but I would assume employers are equally keen on both schools.</p>

<p>Advantage: Tie</p>

<ol>
<li>If I go to grad school (which I think I will) will I get into a better school if I go to Michigan or Cornell assuming I get the same grades </li>
</ol>

<p>Graduate schools will generally regard applicants from either program very highly. </p>

<p>Advantage: Tie</p>

<ol>
<li>Are both places interesting? I have taken some colleges off my list because there is absolutely nothing to do around campus. </li>
</ol>

<p>Both campuses are fun and interesting, but Michigan has more activity on and off campus.</p>

<p>Advantage: Michigan / Ann Arbor, but only by a small margin</p>

<ol>
<li>Are engineering students at each campus creative and fun? I applied to MIT (waitlisted…so still some hope) not just because it’s a great school, but because I like the atmosphere of inventing and hacking and doing stupid dorky things. Is there any of that on either of these campuses?</li>
</ol>

<p>I am pretty sure both schools have their fair share of dorks! :wink: This said, I am not sure which one wins on thos front. Cornell was recently ranked the “douchiest” college in the US while Michigan did not even crack the top 25.</p>

<p>Advantage: Cornell?</p>

<ol>
<li>What kind of extra curricular teams, like robotics, do these schools have? </li>
</ol>

<p>I know Michigan’s solar car team is a pretty big deal. It is entirely student-run, from design to manufacture to funding etc…At any rate, Michigan has 80 clubs and societies for Engineering and Technology. Cornell and 110. </p>

<p>[Maize</a> Pages | Student Orgs at UM](<a href=“http://studentorgs.umich.edu/maize/science]Maize”>http://studentorgs.umich.edu/maize/science)</p>

<p>[Cornell</a> Student Activities Office - Search Results](<a href=“http://sao.cornell.edu/SO/browse?action=search&q=&termID=9&regstatus=&uggr=&category_ids[]=5&membership_limit=&membership=]Cornell”>http://sao.cornell.edu/SO/browse?action=search&q=&termID=9&regstatus=&uggr=&category_ids[]=5&membership_limit=&membership=)</p>

<p>You may want to browse through them to see if any of them appeal to you. Both seem to cover all possible areas of interest.</p>

<p>Advantage: Tie</p>

<ol>
<li>Does one school have more research opportunities than the other?</li>
</ol>

<p>Michigan has the Michigan Research Community and the Undergraduate Research upportunity. I am cure cornell will have similar opportunities.</p>

<p>Advantage: Tie</p>

<ol>
<li>what is the curriculum like for electrical engineers? Is Michigan much different than Cornell</li>
</ol>

<p>I would ask current students at both schools to see what they say. I would assume the two have much in common.</p>

<ol>
<li>Overall, which would you recommend?</li>
</ol>

<p>Cornell and Michigan are almost identical in every way. I would recommend you do your own research and choose the one of the two you feel is better suited for you.</p>

<p>Advantage: Tie</p>

3

<p>Thanks for all of the help. I am still deciding, although now I have expanded my choices due to money. I made another post but I’ll just put it here to. Maybe you could answer a few of my new questions. I am now debating Michigan and Minnesota because the University of Minnesota has given me a full ride? I don’t know what to do. </p>

<p>Here are my top choices right now</p>

<p>University of Minnesota-Full Ride
University of Michigan- 55K per year
University of Illinois - 36K per year
Cornell - 59K per year</p>

<p>I want to become an electrical engineer.
My top choice as of now is University of Michigan Ann Arbor but I would come out of school with $220,000 in debt!
My second choice would probably be Illionois, but that would still leave me with $144,000 in debt.
My parents, and anyone else I have asked, have said to go to the University of Minnesota because I have a full ride, but I really don’t want to go there. I know its a good school, but it’s 20 min from my house, I have already been down there a hundred times for science Olympiad and research, and everyone from my high school is going there. I want college to be a new experience where I get to go far away from home and meet new people and get to live in a new place. I wanted to go to MIT(on the waitlist…so maybe?) because I love the atmosphere of clever, creative, humorous students all doing what they love and having fun with it. I just don’t think I will find that at the University of Minnesota. Am I wrong? Will I find that at any of the other schools that I have applied to. I fell like I might at Michigan, or at least a little more than at Minnesota. </p>

<p>Is is really worthy paying all of the extra money to go to one of the other schools?

  1. Will I get into a better grad school (MIT/Stanford level) with a EE major from Michigan instead of Minnesota?
  2. Will I get a better job if I go to Michigan instead of Minnesota?
  3. What should I be considering most when making this decision?
  4. How much will grad school cost me. What is a fellowship?</p>

<p>I applied to the University of Minnesota as a last resort backup. I thought that Illinois and Michigan were great safety schools but I didn’t realize that I would have to think about cost. Until this week, I never even thought about going to University of Minnesota, but now it looks as if I will be forced to. I’d almost rather not go to college than go to the U of M (not seriously, of course I would go, but I just REALLY don’t want to go to the U of M). Am I over exaggerating? I welcome any advice! PLEASE!</p>

4

<p>Engineer2012, since Cornell has not offered you any FA, I assume your parents have the means to pay for your college education but are not willing to do so and expect you to make it on your own.</p>

<p>If that is the case, go to Minnesota. I cannot imagine how one can justify getting $140,000-$240,000 for college. It just is not worth it. Besides, Minnesota is a good university.</p>

5

<p>I would go Cornell, but they put me on the wl and have heard that the chance is very low to get in from the sl. </p>

<p>I got in to the ECE of the above schools; after my research, it seems that Uicu, Cmu, Umichigan, and then Ucla could be the preference orders to go.</p>

<p>More than few of my family friends (my parents) advised me that Uiuc’s EEC may be the msot solid, and then Cmu, Um and then Ucla. However, Ucla may provide me the most pleasant enviroment.</p>

<p>Should I pick up the Uiuc’s ECE rather than the others?</p>