<p>I hear a lot of talk on this forum about how certain schools are only good for one area. Penn has Wharton, CMU you study computer science, etc. At the undergrad level how big of a difference does this really make? I was under the assumption that if you were to study computer engineering at Penn, mechanical at CMU etc that you would still wind up with a fantastic education, and if you go to grad school it would be even less of an issue.</p>
<p>You might not want to go to the Fashion Institute of Technology for a physics major(I doubt they even offer one) but beyond totally egregious stuff like that does it matter that much? Are there any top 30-50 engineering schools which would be a waste of time for a certain discipline?</p>
<p>The short answer is “yes”, it does matter where you go for engineering, even among the top 50. For example, Harvard is ranked pretty high for engineering but I don’t think it is a good place to study engineering.</p>
<p>How much so? Would one be less prepared for grad school or have a harder time with grad admissions?</p>
<p>The top programs in engineering will be more widely recruited by national firms.
You won’t get much of a premium graduating from them, though.</p>
<p>If you’re set on your specialization, go to the school that offers the best program at the cheapest cost.</p>
<p>If you’re unsure about your specialization, choose a school you like for different factors (cost, location, etc.)</p>
<p>
If you want to work in industry as an engineer, practically any engineering program will get you there (or grad school with good grades and GRE scores). Like I said, though, top programs will be more widely recruited.</p>