<p>If I do go there, I plan on doing the Physics Engineering school. I hear that Cornell's Engineering school is one of the best, and I was wondering just how much you work.</p>
<p>The main reason I ask is because I'm also considering another school Cooper Union, which gives full scholarships to all its students for the full four years. Thy are small college (with say about 250-300 people per year) in all three schools (Art, Architecture, and Engineering). They have a real tough engineering program, and from I hear, most of the kids spend most of their nights studying. I went their recently and talked to the senior. He basically told me he spends all his nights doing homework/studying so he can free up his weekends.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking down the college by hard it teaches it students, but it gets me wondering, that their students probably learn a **** load at Cooper Union.</p>
<p>I wanted to evaluate that with Cornell's reputation.</p>
<p>For those truly in the know, Cooper Union is outstanding. It may not have the wow factor with Joe Smith on the street, but when it comes time to get a job, head to grad school, etc. it will be huge.</p>
<p>But if you are getting a good financial aid package from Cornell, I would pick Cornell. If Cornell would require you to take out tens of thousands in student loans, I'd skip it.</p>
<p>Sounds like a good financial aid package. I like Cornell's diversity - never wanted to be in a school full of only nerds. However, it can be frustrating when the Hotelies are heading off to some frat on Thursday while you are doing work.</p>
<p>Cornell's engineering school was really, really hard. For me, and most of my "comrades in arms". Back then. I doubt it's changed any in this regard.</p>
<p>Cooper Union has a great reputation among those "in the know" about engineering. </p>
<p>I've never looked seriously at Cooper Union, but I suggest you compare:</p>
<ul>
<li>the relative number, breadth and depth of engineering upperclass electives available at each school. This affects what you are able to study and specialize in, as your interests change over the course of your education. It literally dictates what you can become, vocationally speaking.</li>
</ul>
<p>-the available offerings at each school in areas outside engineering, and how much of your program of studies will be devoted to non-engineering electives at each school. YOu may actively want more emphasis on the liberal arts, as I did, or perhaps you would prefer none. One consideration is that, at Cornell, your classmates in these non-engineering subjects will be highly capable and motivated about these liberal arts ( or agriculture, or whatever) subjects. So your non-engineering classes may be relatively tougher than at a school filled solely with engineers.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Your potential life outside the classroom at each school. Compare the campus, school spirit, attachment to the school, and environment at each school. The ratio of male to female students, if you care; at Cornell I recall it is about 50-50. The number of extracurricular opportunities each school offers.</p></li>
<li><p>And of course there is also money. Traditionally this is Cooper Union's ace in the hole. Not only tuition, but the ability for its primarily-NYC students to live at home and save on dorm cost as well. All of this is great financially, but obviously it dictates what the school is.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Keep in mind that Cooper isn't entirely free unless your parents live in NY. You have to pay to live somewhere in NY and the odds are that you're not going to have the kind of money to live "comfortably" in NYC. You're probably going to be renting a *****hole. </p>
<p>To be honest, I think the engineering programs at both schools are equal. Cooper's advantage is that it's "free." Cornell's advantages include:
-Campus (a beautiful campus no less)
-Breadth of study (what if you change your mind? do you want to only be surrounded by engineers? do you want to ONLY take engineering courses?)
-Name recognition (not important to all, but we live in a world where it is important to many)
-Miscellaneous perks (750 student organizations, sports events, RESEARCH, housing, FOOD, social life, easier track to Cornell graduate engineering)</p>
<p>Cornell Engineering is better to be frank because apart from academics, which are truly stellar, there's a lot of research which involves even freshmen.
For instance, a freshmen lead team of students is now developing a minesweeper technology for Cambodian government. The Head of the UAV p[roject (which even the US militaryis interested in) has a lot of freshmen.</p>
<p>Evn for non technical regions, Cornell gives you an edge.</p>
<p>I go to Cooper Union, and there was a kid who transferred out to Cornell after Freshman year. He said it is much "easier" there. I don't know if you can interpret that as less rigorous, or just less stressful.</p>
<p>However, you say you would like to do "Physics Engineering." If you really are very interested in physics in general as opposed to its applications in one of the traditional engineering fields, or just having a physics-heavy experience, then for this reason alone I would warn you away from Cooper, since the Physics department is maybe the engineering school's weakest point right now.</p>