Hi,
I am a prospective FSU Engineering student. I am deciding between UF, Georgia Tech, and FSU for Industrial Engineering. I really loved FSU when I visited, I would be in the Honors program there, and they have offered me almost a full scholarship. However, I am aware Georgia Tech and UF are ranked higher and I am concerned about the FAMU-FSU Engineering school being off campus.
Can anyone comment on the Engineering school at FSU? I’ve read that 80% of the students and all the faculty are from FSU and that the distance is not a huge factor if you have a car (I would). Also, I can’t find any study abroad opportunities for FSU Engineering majors. Are there any? Do companies recruit at FSU? Thanks for your help.
My DD is considering FSU Engineering (ChemE or MechE) when she starts applying next year. We haven’t seen any specifics on Engineering study abroad, but it looks like the FYA (First Year Abroad) program can cover all your freshman engineering and core requirements if you go to London, Panama, or Valencia (Spain, not the Community College in Orlando). I’m not sure how FYA works with scholarships and Honors College (I was going to have DD contact FSU to get more information).
UF and Georga Tech are members of the GE3 (Global Engineering Education Exchange), so you may have a greater opportunity to take upper level engineering courses abroad at participating universities abroad and have all credits apply to your major with UF and GaTech. That’s definitely something that you should consider if you feel that FYA isn’t for you.
I wouldn’t be too concerned about the engineering school being off-campus. Your first year of classes will all be pre-engineering core (calc, chem, Freshman Comp, etc) so you probably won’t have any classes in the Engineering buildings.
I wouldn’t be too concerned about rankings either (at least at the undergraduate level). Every accredited Engineering school in the country will require a similar mix of core and elective classes to earn a BS. If you love FSU, then I’d say go for it. It’s far more important to find a school that inspires you personally than it is to find a school that impresses the editors at USNWR. FSU seems to offer some good combined degree programs with engineering, so you could continue on at FSU for your MS, or chase down the elite rankings if you want to.