Hello folks. I’ve been wracking my head about this for weeks, and although I’ve browsed through other discussions (the one at arstechnica has a lot of good info btw for anyone else in my situation), I’d like to ask some questions myself. Good advice would be greatly appreciated!
I got into Cornell, UPenn, and Northeastern (Honors Program). These are my top three schools! For years, my #1 has been Cornell, but as we’re reviewing the different offers and pros and cons of each school (and the thrill of actually getting into some schools has died down), I’m not sure how realistic my dream of going to Cornell may be.
I want to pursue Materials Science and Engineering or go into Bio/Biomolecular Engineering. From what I’ve gathered, Cornell is well recognized for its Engineering programs (and hard sciences) and UPenn has been greatly investing in its MatSE department (the new Nanotech building was gorgeous!). On the other hand, Northeastern does not offer MatSE as a major - only a minor. I wouldn’t be too hesitant about NEU if I was also solid about bioengineering (which they offer - but “biomedical”), but that field is relatively new, and many have said that a degree in this major is not as useful as one in other areas of Engineering because bioengineering is too much of “a little bit of everything” and not sufficiently specialized.
-Can anyone attest to the strength of NEU and UPenn in engineering? Are the differences between their programs and Cornell’s that significant or are the US News rankings totally blown out of proportion? I don’t want to attend a school that doesn’t offer me a good program for the field I’m pursuing.
-Do all three schools offer strong general science programs that I could switch into if I later feel that engineering isn’t for me? (Do they also all allow switching between the College of Eng. and the College of A&S? I know ivies do, but NEU???)
-Can any Northeastern students interested in MatSE testify to the value of a minor at NEU?
-Any other thoughts on Bioengineering? Specifically from those who graduated already?
From a financial standpoint, I could go to NEU without paying any tuition, whereas Upenn and Cornell haven’t offered me anything. My parents and I are comfortable with them paying half of an ivy education (money already saved for my schooling), and me making up the rest by taking out loans. But I’m trying to figure out if the years in debt are worth it, especially with such a valuable offer from NEU. I’m also considering the funds earned from Co-op (NEU / Cornell) and the starting salary of engineers in my field.
As far as location goes, I’m around the Philly area and my family and I feel that staying close has many benefits (so Penn leads there). NEU is located in Boston around some of the biggest companies (that’d be great employers for graduating engineers and students on co-op), whereas Cornell is very much isolated. Both NEU and Cornell are far from where I live, but we feel that NEU is definitely more accessible, while Cornell requires a bus-transfer from a train and I probably would have more trouble getting around the area (esp without a car).
-Can any Cornell students share experiences with transportation? (I saw a thread months ago, but I can’t seem to find it now). I understand there’s lots of stuff to do within the campus, but does anyone find the isolation stifling?
My hesitation with Penn is that it has no co-op whatsoever (I’ve actually heard a lot of STEM students end up transferring to Drexel, which has a very strong co-op program?). It’d be even harder to pay down student loans and land a job without the great experience and connections that well-integrated co-op programs offer. Then again, I’ve also heard that “brand-name” recognition offers some perks in landing jobs and that smart students should have no problem getting employed even w/o co-op.
I also understand that Cornell’s Co-op program is shorter in duration and less emphasized than NEU’s, however I still feel that Cornell’s superior program will make up for at least this difference and that any co-op experience is better than none.
Can I get some thoughts on these worries? I wish I could combine the best of all schools together.