I plan to major in chemical engineering. I’ve applied to Illinois, Purdue, Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Clemson. Illinois, Purdue, UT, and A&M are all top ranked universities as far as engineering, and I SHOULD be accepted to all of them (iffy on Austin). I know U of I and Purdue can be very competitive within their respective departments, and Austin is over $50k with little chance of any merit aid. Clemson however is giving me $15k/year for my ACT, but does not rank highly. It does have great career services. I also plan to apply to the Calhoun honors college. Is it worth it to go the route of money/honors college vs. regular student at a pricey but highly ranked school for the best job prospects? I feel like I would stand out more at Clemson than Illinois or Purdue or Texas. Thanks in advance!
Clemson is more than fine for ChemE.
Are you instate for any of those schools?
What are your parents saying about how much they’ll pay per year?
Illinois is instate ($35k), Purdue is ($43k with a possible $12k scholarship), Texas is $50k with very little chance at money, Clemson is about $26k after scholarship. Texas is too much unless I get money, but the rest are affordable (Purdue provided I get some money)
Pay attention to whether you get admitted to the major at each school. For schools which admit you to the school but not the major, or to a pre-major program (like Purdue First Year Engineering), check how difficult it will be to enter your major in terms of college GPA or competitive secondary admission process.
Are you in-state for Purdue?
I’m a chemical engineer and all of those schools are great. I think one thing students don’t realize is that once you are working in industry, your choice of undergraduate school is not so important. Your judged on your work results. Also, the textbooks used for chemical engineering majors are basically the same for every college.
Also, did you consider University of Houston? The chemical engineering department is highly regarded in the Houston area, which is the center of the petrochemical industry in America. U of H also provides very competitive scholarships for out of state students. Just a thought…
“Also, the textbooks used for chemical engineering majors are basically the same for every college.”
not all colleges use the same textbook.
I’m in-state for Illinois
^ …No, not all colleges use the same textbook, but if they’re ABET-accredited the different textbooks will likely be quite similar since they’re all teaching the same information.
@azdrew11 My S17 is doing the same thing with those same schools. Did you make a decision yet?
@mom2engkids I’ve decided on UIUC
Excellent choice!!
Looks like you went for the quality of the program and other students rather then being drawn to where you will stand out most. Good choice!!!