<p>My son was offered a full scholarship and entry into Rutgers Honors (Engineering) program. He also has been accepted to Cornell Engineering, but with no scholarship or financial assistance. </p>
<p>I'd like to hear from anyone out there, either with friends in either program or currently attending one themselves. Is the Cornell reputation really worth the $250,000 difference we'd have to pay?</p>
<p>If you have the money, go for it. I think there's a big difference between the two.</p>
<p>Don't know anything about Cornell Engineering. I do know that the Ceramics engineering at Rutgers (I think it's been renamed Material Engineering) is always one of the top 3 nationally, and that placement/starting salaries for Rutgers engineering majors is at the top of their graduates. They also have a 5 year B.S/B.A program many opt for which results in 90% acceptance in the MBA programs after graduation.</p>
<p>If the money isn't going to needlessly burden your family, and he can graduate from Cornell with less than $40k in debt, I would recommend Cornell simply due to the campus environment, peer-group effects, and the resources available to students and alumni alike. If you put a lot into your Cornell education, you will get a lot out.</p>
<p>Otherwise, the honors program at Rutgers is just fine.</p>
<p>Put the $250,000 into the bank. Let it grow, and let it by your gift to your son the day his first child is born and he needs the $$ to buy a house in a safe neighborhood.</p>
<p>Rutgers Honors + $200k vs. Cornell? You can't really believe that the peer group in Rutgers honors is so different from Cornell? Rutgers non-honors, yes.</p>
<p>I would take the Rutgers scholarship. He can always go to Cornell for graduate school and receive a stipend plus full tuition. It is not very hard to get free rides for grad school (engineering and science) at top institutions.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the opinions. It helps to see they are as varied as our own thoughts. This is a tough decision.</p>