<p>So I got accepted to both for chemical engineering. Of course I'm leaning towards GT, but my dad is leaning towards Davis since we live about 2 hrs away from Davis and also because it's cheaper. He wants me to go to Davis if at the end of college, I'd end up in the same place. Can you guys help me out and tell me what I can tell my dad to convince him that Tech is the better place, I will end up in a better place after college by going to Tech? Thanks :)</p>
<p>Tell him that Tech is highly regarded by industry, and considering that it is in the middle of Atlanta, there will be a lot more networking opportunities at Tech than at Davis. It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I have to side with your father. </p>
<p>There is no way GeorgiaTech is worth the debt and OOS tuition. Despite the inflated engineering ranking, GeorgiaTech is no MIT. It’s an ordinary public school with a high student-faculty ratio.</p>
<p>We already have decent peer alternatives in California such as UC Santa Barbara and CalPoly SLO that you should appreciate. Coming out of a California university may also give you an edge if you intend to work in California after you graduate.</p>
<p>“There is no way GeorgiaTech is worth the debt and OOS tuition. Despite the inflated engineering ranking, GeorgiaTech is no MIT. It’s an ordinary public school with a high student-faculty ratio.”</p>
<p>For engineering, GT is certainly NOT ORDINARY for public or PRIVATE.</p>
<p>It’s my understanding that for Engineering, certain top schools are recruiting grounds for top national and international companies, while graduates of programs outside that select few are more likely to be sought by smaller, regional firms. It’s also been suggested to me that the salary prospects of the two could be quite different. GT is a hotbed of major corporation recruiting; would Davis be in the same class or not? I know that the median starting salary with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from GT is $60,000.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the London Times released rankings based upon its poll of the most prestigious college brand names in the world. GT was # 39. (Duke was # 38 and Northwestern # 40.)</p>
<p>and Davis was #38 in the world :)</p>
<p>Very different settings with GT an urban campus in the south, Davis small town near Sac and SF Bay area.</p>
<p>Doubt any measurable difference in quality. Davis has great science/engineering offerings.</p>
<p>I would go with Georgia Tech.</p>
<p>If the issue is whether or not you will end up in the same place after graduation, why don’t you contact both schools’ outplacement offices and get data about what companies hire ChEs from each?</p>
<p>Thanks guys! I’ll bring these up to my dad. And good idea, I’ll find out which companies hire chemE from each and the job placement stats.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is who recruits on each campus, for engineering and non-engineering jobs. In addition to the many national and regional engineering firms that recruit at Georgia Tech (for ChemE includes DuPont, Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, etc) there are also many top consulting firms that recruit on campus (e.g. Bain, BCG, Deloitte), finance firms/banks and many many more. </p>
<p>Many undergrad engineering majors ultimately decide to take their analytical skills to the business world rather than working as a professional engineer so it is important to consider the overall range and quality of companies that recruit on campus, not just the ones specific to your degree. While I do not know much about UC Davis, Tech’s location in Atlanta and it’s reputation as one of the top schools in the south mean that many top companies recruit there.</p>
<p>I’m pretty dang sure I’m going to be a chemical engineer.</p>