<p>OK. People might have a bias on here (I’m posting on a Bama thread)…but can someone help me here?</p>
<p>I am a Tennessee Resident. I was accepted both to UTK and UA. </p>
<p>UA offered me full tuition (pres. scholarship) and UTK offered me around 10k (Instate tuition around 11K)</p>
<p>I want to study engineering (not sure which one.) I know that UTK has a much higher engineering ranking and a more prestigious program. But UA gives a lot of money, is growing rapidly (especially in STEM.) </p>
<p>I dont know what to do. I like both schools, both campuses…but my biggest fear in joining UA is that I might not have the same opportunities for job placement or chances for internships/co-ops as UTK.</p>
<p>Alabama better football
Alabama ranked 86 by US News, Tenn ranked 101
Alabama Honors Program and Housing available to you
Alabama will cost at least $20K less over 4 years than Tenn with UA engineering stipend
Alabama scholarship value will go up with tuition increases.
You will not lose any job placement or chances for internship from either school. It is a wash.</p>
<p>What are your deciding factors other than job placement and internships? Any major university will offer good job placement rates and internship opportunities. Your own performance as a student and interviewee will either open or close doors ultimately, no matter where you attend.</p>
<p>Financial? Run the net price calculators at both or create an Excel spreadsheet with all the costs and scholarships and estimated travel expenses and get a bottom line number. If those bottom line numbers are equivalent in your view, then consider the campus and student body. If again equal, then compare the engineering programs. In your case, you are undecided, and because of your current indecision, it is even possible that you might find yourself not enjoying the engineering program regardless of where you go to school. It happens to many students. So think about which campus you would do best at if you had a change of heart about your chosen major. Do you want to live in Knoxville or in Tuscaloosa for the next four years?</p>
<p>Just based on your post, my inclination is to recommend that you go to UTK. You already believe the program to be more prestigious, and if prestige is important to you, then it would not really matter if Alabama handed over even more money, would it? Beyond the prestige factor ( which is in the eye of the beholder), your uncertainty about so much might be better served staying in Tennessee for college. The only reason, perhaps, to go to Alabama would be because you want to get out of Tennessee. My son cannot wait to get out of Florida and did not bother applying to any Florida universities even though he would have received scholarships and Bright Futures. So if he chooses Alabama and the great scholarships they have offered him, he will be happy to be in Tuscaloosa because it is not Florida. That is a good enough deciding factor for him. </p>
<p>You just need to figure out your deciding factors and then just make that decision. You will never be able to know exactly what is going to happen. There is some risk involved, right? It is normal to feel some fear - it is a major life decision. I would say, though, unless you can determine some compelling reason to go to Alabama, then stay in Tennessee.</p>
<p>Having spent time on both campuses, Alabama definitely has better amenities as far as dorms and student rec centers. But that’s not enough of a reason to offset the very strong points Chesterton made. </p>
<p>When our family has discussed the pros and cons of schools, one thing we do is take money out of the equation for the moment. If they were both free, which would you choose? Once we have decided that, we then look at the question regarding if the amount different is worth it. In your case, and considering travel costs, it is probably not that much of a monetary difference. You are smart to be considering internships and job opportunities. Do realize that no one knows what the future brings. You may study abroad and end up working in a completely different part of the world. What does your gut tell YOU about what is best for you?</p>
<p>UTenn is UGLY…no one can argue with THAT (who’d want to spend 4 years around ugliness when there’s beauty as an option? lol )</p>
<p>“I dont know what to do. I like both schools, both campuses…but my biggest fear in joining UA is that I might not have the same opportunities for job placement or chances for internships/co-ops as UTK.”</p>
<p>You would not lack for employment or co-op opportunities at Bama. The state is home to the second largest research park in the nation…Cummings Research Park. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that schools don’t really “place” students. They don’t dole students/grads out to various companies to hire. I really dislike that phrase because it suggests that schools “place” students into jobs, grad schools, med schools, internships, etc. No, they don’t. Much is up to you. when there are job fairs or co-op fairs, you have to go and sell yourself. You have to have the grades. When the emails and other postings go up for internship and research opps then you have to do the legwork to be considered. Schools don’t tap people on the shoulder and say, “you go here, and you go there,…”</p>
<p>Whenever I hear about eng’g students from any school that couldn’t find a summer internship or whatever, I really blame the kids. They may have been late looking, didn’t look that hard, didn’t open the emails, had a lousy resume, didn’t have the grades, didn’t dress nice for the interview, didn’t demonstrate good “people skills”, etc. </p>
<p>I have never seen anything about UT having a much more prestigious Engineering program. In fact, I doubt you will find finer new engineering facilities anywhere than at UA. Have you visited? </p>
<p>Almost wondering whether the OP isn’t confusing UT - Knoxville with the “other UT” – University of Texas. (As a former Alabamian and current Texan, it always amuses me that UT means something different depending on which part of the country I am in.) The University of Texas at Austin could be categorized as having a “much more prestigious engineering program” than Alabama. I, too, however, have never heard anything special about the University of Tennessee’s engineering program. </p>
<p>Mom2, I agree with your sentiments. However I have real concerns about my son’s experience. He is a current soph (junior by credits) EE/physics double major with 4.0 gpa and significant leadership EC’s. He attended the fall engineering and general career fairs, and applied for internships to at least a dozen companies that he met. He has applied for many more on his own. Several dozen applications, and not one response. Forget interviews, he isn’t even getting replies. If a 4.0 engineering student isn’t getting a sniff, who is? </p>
<p>Chardo, aren’t graduates everywhere facing a very tough job market? And with the push to bring in ever more cheap workers from India And China, etc., won’t this situation continue? </p>
<p>Did your son apply to any REUs? My one son had better success with those during his first couple of years. My other son was able to snag an Army Eng’g suumer internship the summer after frosh year. Has your son applied there? </p>
<p>He may be a “junior by credits”, but often current first and second years have a harder time getting positions because rising seniors are getting them…since those kids will soon be employable. A company will still look at a second year student as a second year student who has 2 more years of college. </p>
<p>As Atlanta says, there still is a tough job market for interns. some companies do NOT yet have their budgets for this summer’s interns. My H’s company won’t have their summer intern budget until May!! (crazy, I know!!). </p>
<p>If I remember correctly, Redstone Arsenal doesn’t select its summer Engineering interns until after April. I think the app deadline is usually around Easter. </p>
<p>Students need to think outside the box for possible sources…REU’s, look outside the region, see if any profs need ass’ts, contact companies directly, and so forth. </p>
<p>“Combined with existing degrees in civil and construction engineering, UA will be the only institution in the country to offer all four engineering degrees that focus on designing and improving many aspects of everyday life. Students studying in these related degree programs will have the ability to improve society’s overall quality of life and address the complex problems faced within built and natural environments.”</p>
<p>You do have to go to the school where you feel the most comfortable. I hope you visit. Roll Tide!!</p>
<p>chardo - our experience is the same as yours. </p>
<p>“Whenever I hear about eng’g students from any school that couldn’t find a summer internship or whatever, I really blame the kids. They may have been late looking, didn’t look that hard, didn’t open the emails, had a lousy resume, didn’t have the grades, didn’t dress nice for the interview, didn’t demonstrate good “people skills”, etc.”</p>
<p>i disagree with this. i am sure it is the case sometimes, but it certainly is not the case most of the time.</p>
<p>of course, colleges don’t “hand out” jobs to grads, but they do provide a career center and attempt to help kids find jobs. this is one of the things people look at when choosing schools, job placement. IMO UA is not meeting expectations in this area. currently, there are <strong>five</strong> companies scheduled to interview ChemEs on campus, and some of them are not even engineering jobs (kohl’s and aldi, i am talking to you!) ridiculous!</p>
<p>This thread has gone a little off topic for the OP, but FWIW: this aspect of UA (‘poor job placement’ for lack of better words) was the only black spot in our initial visit there 3 years ago: the co-op office and job placement for aero-eng’rs was, apparently, enough to give my S serious second thoughts and doubts about UA when we met w/ that office at that time. He has had such great opportunities since then, that I have not worried about this since. Except, my own S has now re-expressed doubts about his getting a job in aerospace once he graduates (he said this to us this past winter break), and that got me thinking back to his initial doubts about UA in the first place. He does not have an internship lined up this summer like he did last year (although that came through in April, not Feb, so it might be a little early to be hopeful/disappointed).</p>
<p>Those who have the time should go onto other major eng’g college boards, and start asking questions about whether those graduates there have jobs lined up, and what are the outcomes of their job fairs. In other words, ask this same question about job placement at other colleges you are interested in, and see what the results are. I think things are bad everywhere for jobs, but I could have my head in the sand when it comes to the ‘name’ and reputation of a school getting you your first job.</p>
<p>Closer to home, I can suggest getting in contact with Associate Dean Kevin Whitaker about any concerns you have that UA is behind, or not putting enough effort into recruiting: <a href=“mailto:Kwhitaker@eng.ua.edu”>Kwhitaker@eng.ua.edu</a> . I believe that the co-op office and career fairs fall under his command? (They were a few years ago.)</p>
<p>We are from Tennessee and neither of my kids applied to UTK. Son is ME major at UA. Daughter hopes to be CE major Both kids have Presidential Scholarship. UA campus so much much better!</p>
<p>I read an interesting stat the other day - in 2007 Boeing received over 80,000 applications for 1000 intern positions. I have to believe that it’s even higher now. I’m very concerned about my son having job opportunities - but I think it’s an issue at most schools…not just UA.</p>
<p>I just graduated from UA with a ChemE degree and was employed within a month of graduating. I had several interviews. These included interviews I got through UA and ones I got independently. My actual job came through Alabama’s career center. The engineering program was great. I don’t think either school would give you an employment advantage over the other. I’ll also agree with others in that UA’s engineering facilities are fantastic. I’ve also always heard that Tennessee’s campus was the worst in the sec fwiw. </p>
<p>Btw, my friends in ChemE all got jobs as well before they graduated. </p>
<p>I know I’m old and cranky…but when an OP with 3 posts comes on a forum and asks for HELP in all caps then never returns to the discussion…I think ■■■■■. If they really needed help, wouldn’t they participate in the conversation???</p>