D accepted into engineering. She is interested in aero/astro as of now but could change her mind later. UW is in-state for us and she got half-off at USC. That makes USC equal to GA Tech in terms of cost. So the order in terms of cost is UW, USC, GA Tech, and Rice. Rice does not have aero so she is accepted into mechanical engineering. Rice is the smallest school (7k students) while UW and USC are the largest schools (45k students). GA Tech is in the middle with 30k students. UW and GA Tech are public while USC and Rice are private.
Questions:
- In terms of jobs and careers, does any of these schools tower over the others?
- How easy is it to change majors within engineering at these schools? We visited USC and they made it sound very easy while we have heard it is difficult at UW.
- Which school exerts more academic pressure? We have heard some negative stories about GA Tech.
- Which school has more supportive faculty and more collaborative environment for learning?
- She has some food allergies so which school is better at making dietary accommodations?
- UW is literally 10 miles from our home. We would like her to be close to family and are wondering if any of the other colleges are worth going so far away.
- Rice is the smallest school and people usually say small private schools provide more personalized attention. Is it really true? Is it worth it to go to Rice over other schools and pay almost 20k per year more?
Thanks.
@dmama2019 - what awesome choices! I think GA Tech Aero wins in the “best for the resume” category with Rice for ME a close second. But any of those schools would be a fine choice. I would hate to have your D choose a school on reputation alone. They are so different. Which location would make her happy? Does she want snow or sun? Is she happy with the idea of 4 years in GA? Does she like the idea of a big dirty city or a small college town? Seriously, think about what fits her and not just what school will get her the most job offers. She’s obviously bright and an Aero or ME BSE from any of those schools will give her what she needs to carve out a great career.
In terms of your questions -
I think most colleges these days are aware of and able to accommodate allergies.
Engineering is not known for “supportive” faculty in general. Engineers need to work hard to keep their places in any good program. You can call that pressure but it’s really just the reality of how much these kids have to learn.
I would not personally think 20k a year higher tuition for Rice makes sense unless it’s the only option where she can see herself thriving. I do think the smaller schools allow you more access to professors but it all depends on the student’s initiative.
@CaMom13 Thanks a lot! Appreciate your input!
Washington’s well-resourced department has about 200 undergraduates and very close ties to the industry, as I’m sure you know from living in the Seattle area.
https://www.aa.washington.edu/files/academics/documents/FY18_A%26A_Factsheet.pdf
https://www.aa.washington.edu/about/quickfacts
https://www.aa.washington.edu/admissions
https://www.aa.washington.edu/research/areas
I presume this would be the case at all of the schools under consideration, but the UW supports students who require dietary accommodations:
https://depts.washington.edu/uwdrs/current-students/accommodations/housing/medical-related-dietary-restrictions/
For specific information, contact UW Dining Wellness Specialist, Joyce Bumgarner, at joyceb@uw.edu or 206-221-0516.
Congratulations to your daughter, and good luck!