Hey everyone. I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice on which college I should attend. I narrowed my choices down to Georgia Tech and Penn State. As of now, I want to major in aerospace or mechanical engineering. I’ve visited both schools and I really liked both of them. Penn State will cost about 30k per year (in state + 5,000/yr engineering scholarship) and GT will cost 38k per year (9,000/yr scholarship). My parents will be able to pay 20k per year, but they’ll pay the extra 8k per year if I really want to go to GT. I would graduate with about 30k in debt from both schools, possibly more from GT if my parents financial situation changes.
I’m only going to list pros
Penn State:
Cheaper (they will also “stack” any scholarships they give me plus any outside scholarships so the cost could go down)
More rural campus (I’m not a huge fan of cities, but living in a different environment might be nice)
Weather (most people will disagree with me on this)
Friends/closer to home/some sense of familiarity
Less stressful or so I hear
Georgia Tech:
Second best in country for both aerospace and mechanical engineering
Fantastic Co-op opportunities
I guess an overall smarter student body
Possibly more challenging (this is good but only to an extent)
Prestige but that’s not too important
I am thinking that I might want to go to graduate school for a masters or doctorate in engineering so I want to have a decent gpa throughout college plus some research experience. However, this may change, so I would want work experience too before graduating from college. A lot of kids from my high school are going to Penn State but I’m the only one who applied to Georgia Tech and it may be nice to be able to say “I go to Georgia Tech” because it’s more prestigious. Right now I’m leaning towards Penn State, but I’m really not sure yet and it’s really up in the air. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Its a hard choice. GT allows some electives to be taken pass fail, look that up, if your GPA is a big concern.
I would say for graduate school, its best to be from a high ranked program. So that would tip the scales towards GT.
If you want to be in the southeast after a bachelors degree, Atlanta has more jobs than Pittsburgh or central PA or Philadelphia by far. Phili is not a high tech city. Two MIT grads I know in Philadelphia were unemployed for years through the bad economy. Penn State will have recruiters from all over as does GT, but I think there is a large chance that you will end up working close to where you go to college. I would choose GT if you want to be on the west coast, for its reputation out there. Aerospace jobs tend to be in Los Angeles, Denver, Texas, with some in Massachusetts and other states. Penn State has name recognition but also had the recent big football scandal, and somehow people remember that about Penn State, it did tarnish the whole school some. Although the engineering programs may be almost identical to GT for quality and rigor, so its a hard choice. You may meet more entrepreneurial students at GT is one possible benefit.
You could go to Penn State and then plan your masters at GT, is one other way to go, to save a little money now.
@Coloradomama Thanks so much for your response. This really is a hard decision for me. If I go to penn state it feels like I’m giving up the opportunity to go to one of the best engineering colleges in the country. I have thought about the possibility of going to GT for grad school instead. I’m just not sure how much more of an advantage a GT degree would have for top graduate school admissions? I’m really torn on this and I’m just not sure if GT is worth the extra 30k in debt.
I have seen posts that GT students can make such good money in semester co ops that it will lower the amount that you may need to borrow. Its a bit of a gamble but it does seem that if you are willing to stretch your education to 5 years, and take two semesters of working in the middle that would pay for year 4 (which is the fifth year of these co op plans). Search on GT co op plans for mechanical and aerospace.
Cooking for yourself and living off campus may lower room and board, but GT estimates a very low amount for room and board, so check that out. Its one of the lower estimated costs, I noticed. (compared to other parts of the country, but could be Atlanta really is less expensive )
Also evaluate your parent’s situation the best you can, which may be difficult for you, or ask their help for that. If
you think that will change, then will GT up your package? Try to make an assessment of both the risk of income going down and GT’s likely response to that. This is guess work.
Have you lined up a reasonable summer job this summer?
The better bet is to assess, are you willing to work your way through, partly with summer work and co ops? This means forgoing the fancy summer abroads other GT students may be doing, and getting a payed job from this summer and all the way through your education. Is that feasible to consider working during the semester in a lab, with your high school preparation, or is this a foolish idea for you, because you want to get through under grad quicker and move on to grad school? If you have a lot of AP credits, are a strong and focused student and have taken college classes concurrently you may be in better shape to manage GT course load and part time work, and also get co ops sooner, than if you are less well prepared.
I wouldn’t necessarily say it means not doing study abroad. OOS are charged in-state when they go abroad so it can be a way of saving money. My DD did a program and the room and board for her study abroad was very inexpensive. Her study abroad after her first year at Tech was a real money saver. Also Gt offers some special scholarships for doing study abroad, one of my DD’s friends just received an additional $4500 scholarships for his study abroad this summer.
@TheSATsSuck -is the figure you give for the cost at GT include subtracting your $9K per year scholarship? Also do you have to maintain a certain gpa for your scholarships? My DD’s experience at GT has been that she spends a lot less on books that what is specified in GT’s COA as well as spending money. She does a lot and has found that GT subsides a lot of her entertainment (reduced costs for tickets to things is just one example). Another thing that may be a money saver is what you pay for car insurance. Our insurance company knocked our DD’s rate down by 50% by classifying her as a “student away at college.” It saved $500- which may not seem like much, but every little bit helps in reducing the cost of college. Plus some students work during the school year and the ones I know that do make between $15-$18 an hour.
It seems to me that the main thing holding you back from saying yes to GT is the cost. I agree that loans above $30K are not a good thing (the national average is $27K) and I never recommend students take out loans if they don’t have to. Based on what you have written it appears the costs are the same for both schools because your parents are only willing to pay the extra $8K if you attend GT. If money were no object where would you want to go? And for what it is worth, my DD’s best friend at GT is from Pittsburgh-she loves GT and thinks it is worth the extra expense.
Thank you for all your advice. I’ve decided to visit GT again and I’m flying down there next week. I really want to make sure I’m making the right choice. I’ll see if they can possibly increase my financial aid package even though that’s unlikely. If I really enjoy my time down there and the financial situation (with my parents and with the college) becomes a little better, I think I’ll be very happy to attend Georgia Tech.
@TheSATsSuck I am glad you are visiting GT again, but want to make sure you know that next week is dead week-the week before finals. You might see the same energy as during the rest of the semester since students will be finishing projects and studying.
For ME I recommend you contact Kristi Mahaffey-she is in charge of student recruitment for ME and you could get a very good feel for the dept. from her. When my DD was a sophomore in high school she met with her and learned a lot as well as was given a tour of labs, classroom and the student lounge where she spoke to students. Kristi can give you the course sequence for ME and can tell you about specific ME teams or clubs. Also try to visit the invention studio, see the new robotics center if it done and go to the manufacturing institute to see the very expensive CNC (may be CMC) machines.
There is some construction going on at the library too. Finally wander around tech square-there are a lot of start-ups and incubation centers there. Good luck, I hope you are able to make your decision.
I had a similar decision for Industrial Engineering, in state at PSU vs OOS Georgia Tech. I visited both, but personally for me I felt that Georgia Tech offered a better environment for me. I also liked that you start engineering earlier at Georgia Tech. While at GT you don’t really start until your Sophomore year which is later than some schools, Penn State you don’t start until your Junior year which is a byproduct of so many people starting at a satellite campus and then switching to University Park (which I assume you are deciding about). The general student at GT seemed to fit more into my style of slightly nerdy, but interested and passionate in other things outside academics as well. Penn State may truly be like that, I couldn’t really tell, but from the people I know that have gone there (So many from instate friends), it seems to be different type of person. I’d say just try to figure out what type of person you are and what type of environment you’re looking for, then decide based off of that.
I also Highly, highly recommend meeting with a professor or any faculty in your department at both schools if you have the opportunity. Reach out to them, it is incredibly informative and will give you a great impression of the focus of the program as well.
@zddz01 M DD was able to start on her engineering coursework her first semester at GT as a first year. She took ME1770 (I think I have the number correctly-it was a design class). She also took statics, material science and engineering ethics her first year. I think it just depends on how many ap’s you come in with and how you want to do your class schedule. The big thing that students advised her to not do is take the three “C’s” all in one semester-chemistry, calculus and computer science (I forgot the specific course number but it is one that give some students a lot of trouble). They advised her to take no more than two of the three “C’s” in one semester.
My DS is a GT AE major sophmore, OOS. Friends ITSV’s DD. Right now he is doing 2 research projects, one with Grand Challenges and one with Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP). There are so many opportunities to do research and belong to really cool and serious clubs at GT that it makes you feel like a kid in a candy store. This summer he is going to Ireland to the GT AE summer program there, Yes, they have their own program and you pay in state tuition too. During that time he got selected to do undergraduate research there with another AE professor. He is really looking forward to it.When he gets back he will have plenty of time to secure a Co-op or internship and define in what to minor in. If you plan well you really do a bit of all or focus on your passion.
PM me is you want info on who to contacy in AE to chat with or even exchange emails with my DS.
As ITSV pointed out, GT is approaching the finals and the vibe that you mightget maybe slighty different. Keep that on mind.
Did you apply and get accepted into the Schreyer Honors College? I was in this dilemma too but SHC sealed the deal for me to go to Penn State for a Science Major. It had better academics at a lower cost, along with a better social scene and less rigor than GT.
@itsv All right. I’ve called/contacted a bunch of people down at GT so I think I’ll be making the most of my visit. And I’ll keep in mind that it will be finals week when I’m down there. I’ll probably come into GT with a fair amount of AP credit but I’m not sure if I’ll use it all yet, but I’ll be sure not to take the three C’s in the same semester. Would it be wise to just take chemistry and Calc II and not use the AP credit so it boosts my gpa?
@zddz01 You are correct that I’m choosing between GT and Penn State-main. I think GT will be a better match for me academically but I’m not really a “techy” person per se so I don’t know how that will affect how well I fit in.
@lapagan That’s really cool! So I guess it’s pretty easy to get undergrad research opportunities. I really want to join a Formula SAE team, do a co op, and get research experience in college but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do all of that while maintaining a respectable gpa. Also, how hard it is to get a good gpa at GT? I want to aim for a 3.5+ but I’ve heard that is extremely difficult at GT, especially for an AE major.
@tucitcennoc Unfortunately, I did not even apply to Schreyers. It was a stupid decision on my part and I regret not applying. How hard would it be to get into Schreyers my freshman or sophomore year?
The 3.5 GPA is achievable. Just need to managed the hours that you take each
semester and don’t over reach. Stay active and consulting the professor is a key and use the tutoring services to continue to learn tricks in how to approach the problems. If you are aiming at SpaceX or other top notch companies they are really looking for 3.5 GPA+. Here is a trick. The first year 3.5+ is the most important because it help you land a very nice coop or internship and one of these companies a lot.
I believe that @ITSV daughter is in the SAE team. You might want to ask her about their experience. I did read a note from the AE dept. highlighting the AE students that were part of the SAE team.
At least one full-time semester of study completed at Penn State at the time of application (transfer applicants may request consideration based on their previous institituion's complete record)
A minimum of four full-time semesters of study remaining before graduation
A cumulative GPA of 3.70 or higher at the time of application
An application semester GPA of 3.50 or higher for rising juniors and 3.70 for rising sophomores
The criteria stated here are minimums set by the SHC. In some cases, additional criteria for Gateway entry have also been established by the academic unit (e.g., higher cumulative GPA, specific courses, declaration of major, etc). The online application form includes additional criteria for your academic unit. In all cases, the department or academic college reviews applications and makes decisions which are communicated to applicants by the SHC."
@TheSATsSuck Sorry I have been busy and this is my first chance to respond to you and your questions. At GT they have a saying “Always take the credit” so if you have AP credit that will get you out of chemistry and calculus 1or 2 then take the credit. Some students think that they will repeat those classes and forego the credit in the hopes of “boosting their gpa”, but trust me that doesn’t always happen. Plus college classes are different from high school classes. My DD took her AP credit for Calc 1 and the first week of Calc.2 felt very intimidated by especially since most students had BC and she only had AB. She was going to drop back down to Calc1, but I told her to first check with her advisors and the professor teaching her Calc 2 class. He was great and had her do some problems with him and after doing them told my DD she should stay in the class. He said told her that he had to cover the material quickly in class in order to cover everything and that my DD should come visit him once a week during office hours. My DD did that as well as the plus sessions and ended up with an “A” in GT Calc2. So if you have the credit, take it.
My DD is also on an SAE team and really loves it. There are a variety of SAE teams located at the Student Competition Center so if you haven’t visited GT yet, try to see them. My DD just got back from the SAE competition with her team. At the beginning of each semester look for the teams announcements for new members. Also you can contact the team over the summer and make sure you know of their first meeting etc. My DD did that and ended up getting a technical leadership position which lead to getting some very good job offers last semester.
You stated that you want to “join a Formula SAE team, do a co op, and get research experience in college” and get a decent GPA at GT. My DD and many of her sorority sisters have done that and it is not impossible as others here on CC have made some students believe. My DD has a very good gpa and does all that you hope to do. There are other posters here (and their parents too) who have done those things with very good gpas. If you look at reddit you will the same there too. We all have given the same advice-go to class, turn in homework, do practice problems, attend review sessions, get help from the help desk and most of all go see your professors during office hours. As Dr. Greco said during parents weekend a couple of years ago, “if you have tried to do a problem and you still can’t do it after three hours, don’t waste that kind of time, come see me and I bet I can ask a few questions and help you figure it out in 5 minutes”. My DD if she has questions or can’t get something goes in to office hours (I bet weekly), but it has allowed her to do well at GT. If she gets a bad grade on a test (which you may just get at GT), she doesn’t throw in the towel but instead tries to work in through and always ended up improving her grades. Moreover to be successful you also have to have fun so my DD participates in things on campus and off-campus (her favorite thing this year was attending ATVfanfest and meeting Mindy Kayling). Time management is important and if you don’t have it then sign up for a college success course at GT so they can teach it to you.
One of my DD;s closest friends is an AE major and has done really well. She celebrated the end of fall semester by taking out a GT plane and flying my DD and another friend all over campus and Atlanta. My DD’s roommate is AE and has done very well. Again these two students follow the advice I have given you.
You were smart enough to get into GT, don’t be intimated by it-just figure out how to “do college” and you will be fine. Good luck in making your decision.
@lapagan’s advice is spot on-try to get the best gpa you can freshman year so when it is hiring season at the beginning of sophomore year you go into the college fair with a strong gpa for companies like Tesla and SpaceX. Go to the college fair freshman year to just get a feel for it (or get a job if that is your goal). When you are entering your sophomore year, be sure to visit the career center to get help with your resume to put it in GT style. Also attend not just the main career fair but the career fair for your major as well as the Student Competition Center career fair. Many companies will also send emails about special events they are hosting during the career fair time so be sure to look for them and respond. My DD went to a lot of them and ended up with a lot of interviews.
One thing you may consider and could help your gpa is to do study abroad after your first year. My DD did the China program and came out with a really good gpa as well a good number of credits. Her study abroad-gpa was added to her regular GPA so that was an added bonus. Plus study abroad for OOS is at in-state rate so it made it very affordable. Most study-abroad sign-ups occur the first month at GT so look out for them since the programs fill up. Study abroad is very popular at Gt.