<p>Any thoughts on choosing between Tufts, HMC and CMU? I'm going to be studying engineering and all three are great schools. No difference in net cost between them.</p>
<p>I’m surprised you have no answers yet. You’re right, all three are great. My son’s first choice was Mudd (CS), and he’s very happy there. But Mudd is way smaller than the others. Although you certainly can take advantage of the consortium, it’s still a small school near other small schools. You probably have a preference for size - that could help you decide. Also, do you want the more comprehensive general engineering degree, or the more in-depth ____ engineering degree? It seems that Mudd grads do fine wherever they end up when they’re working with more specialized engineers, and of course there are advantages to either breadth or depth. But which do you prefer? Congratulations on great options!</p>
<p>Wow, very different schools. CMU is a very intense mostly science/engineering school, while Tufts is a cross between a LAC and university. At Tufts the engineering school is small (about 400 students I think) and is about 15% of the undergrad student body. So the “vibe” is very different than CMU.
What else are you interested in academically? What else are you looking for in a college experience? I don’t know that much about HMU.</p>
<p>At Tufts, as an engineer, you will have to work much harder than your liberal arts peers and there are not very many of you. Some might find that depressing. </p>
<p>Tufts is probably not as intense of an engineering school either but really focuses on their global perspective. CMU and Harvey Mudd are pretty hard core. I know one Mudd grad who is an engineering professor and his written and oral communications skills are definitely noticeably above average.</p>
<p>CMU is probably the best choice among the 3 schools for an engineering major.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses!</p>
<p>I gravitate towards smaller environments in general, but my thought is at a larger school like CMU or Tufts your department is really your homebase and a department at CMU is probably the size of the entire HMC class.</p>
<p>I’m concerned about HMC’s general engineering degree. I’m thinking of Mech E/EE (or maybe Chem E) and wondering if a BSME is better than a BS in general engineering.</p>
<p>One thing I like about HMC is the focus on humanities, and of course the great weather.</p>
<p>On Tufts, I’m just not sure how strong their engineering is and am concerned my roomates and doormates will be our partying while I’m in the lab or working on problem sets.</p>
<p>Re: Tufts - the % of engineering students is something that cuts both ways. I would like it, because my interests are so diverse and I would love hanging out with non-engineering types when I wasn’t in classes or working in study groups etc. My son, on the other hand went the other way, he wanted to be in a geekier landscape and that tilted his decision away from Tufts.
You can’t go wrong with any of these! It’s like choosing a flavor of ice cream! Let us know what you pick.</p>
<p>Tufts is **not **a big party school. If you want to party you can find them, at the frats or at apartments of students living on campus, not the dorms. None of you choices are major party schools.
Are you going to be able to visit these schools on accepted students days? That would help you a lot!</p>
<p>Is HMC’s general engineering degree just as marketable as getting a BS Mech E or BS EE from CMU? I’m concerned I’ll have to explain to employers what I actually studied.</p>
<p>Ranking these for UG engineering, as an experienced engineer:
- HMC - believe me, you will not have to explain anything.
- CMU
(big space)</p>
<ol>
<li>Tufts </li>
</ol>
<p>4 year graduation rates: HMC 85% CMU 71%</p>
<p>Freshman class will be about 10x larger at CMU.</p>
<p>HMC has more “Core” requirements. Are these worth it or is it better to focus in more depth in a a specific discipline?</p>
<p>Given how well HMC grads do, I hardly think the hefty core requirements are a detriment.</p>
<p>HMC’s core requirements are in keeping with its liberal arts approach to a technical education. The intent is to provide a broad base of knowledge (sciences, math, engineering and humanities) that you can incorporate into your major field of study. In a rapidly changing world, it’s good to see how your area of expertise can impact other fields of study, and vice versa. You might find that what you thought was your specific interest now has morphed into a different area. In your career, it will always be helpful to be able to take on new projects or solve problems because you understand the basics of the situation.</p>