The two schools I’ve narrowed it down to : SUNY Buffalo and RIT
Major : Undecided Engineering (will probably switch into either Biomedical or Chemical)
RIT - $11.9k per semester : Their co-op program seemed amazing and academically they seemed strong. They also seemed like they’d have advisors who are really involved in helping you stay on course both academically and helping you find co-ops, but thats about it. I hated their dorm culture - it seemed very cringe and nerdy (all the students had memes written on whiteboards outside their doors). In terms of spectating sports, they only really pushed their hockey team and I’m not really a big hockey fan. Their campus was ok, the surrounding area was ok, and the classrooms were ok. Also they are a R2 school.
Buffalo - $8.4k per semester : Loved the campus, surrounding area (especially the outlying city), and the students seemed like people I’d actually fit in with. However, I didnt visit their dorms. Their highly competitive basketball team makes occasional tailgating and game attending an option. Also, I’ve been speaking to a ton of other incoming freshman from there and a few seem like we could really be friends. Also they are R1 school as opposed to RIT being a R2 school.
HOWEVER, buffalo accepted me as a pretty much probationary engineering student. They said that at the end of the first and second semester, they’d look at my grades and if all was well they’d continue my admission into the college of engineering and sciences and let me choose any engineering or computer science major. Also their co-op program seemed rather weak when they attempted to explain it to me. Additionally, from the way they explained it at the accepted students day, it sounded like they werent really involved with helping students and setting them up for class, success, etc… unlike the very involved advisors at RIT.
Very stuck. Visited both and still torn. I keep leaning towards buffalo but something about RIT keeps tugging on me and making me feel like I should go there.
Buffalo is a public U, so you can expect a bit less hand-holding. They also have less need to “sell” themselves to in-state students, so part of what you see now as weak, might not actually work out to be that way once a student is on campus and has an advisor. If you want a co-op, you may have to do more of the footwork, but doing that yourself can also be part of the whole job-hunting learning experience, so it isn’t automatically all bad.
You seem to like Buffalo better overall. Go there. Save that $7,000 in costs each year.
If so, it looks like you need to earn at least C- grades and 2.5 GPA in core courses and an overall GPA that depends on the major (currently ranging from 2.5 to 2.8).
But also “Factors such as a history of repeating, resigning, or failing classes, or low grades in classes relevant to the student’s desired discipline may result in conditional admission or denial of admission.”
@ucbalumnus They admitted and classified me as an “Intended engineering or computer science major”. And yeah, in the automated emails they keep sending me, they’ve been linking me to the exact things you posted. So it’s p much pre-engineering ig. Also a major reason as to why I’m still leaning towards RIT.
How much does the extra $7k per year for RIT affect you and your family? Specially, would more debt than the federal direct loans be needed?
While Buffalo’s 2.5 to 2.8 GPA requirement does mean that some students in good academic standing do not get into their majors, it is significantly less of a barrier than the GPA requirements at some other schools (e.g. 3.5 technical and 3.0 overall for chemical engineering at Wisconsin, or 3.4 technical for mechanical engineering at The Ohio State University).
Note that some majors at RIT also have restricted admission. For example, changing in to CS requires a 3.0 technical and 2.8 overall GPA: https://www.cs.rit.edu/change-program-cs
You may want to investigate this for all possible majors you may be considering at RIT. If you are in “engineering exploration”, it does look like you are assured of your choice of engineering major if you stay in good academic standing and pass calculus: https://www.rit.edu/study/engineering-exploration-undeclared
RIT accepted me for General/Undecided Engineering (which is what I applied for), and during our specific undecided engineering orientation they said that at any time we want we can switch into a specific engineering program - even if it’s right now, before we even get to the school. But I do believe you’re correct regarding CS.
I agree that there may not be that big a difference in what you need to do to move forward into the major you want, at these two schools. Both are going to have GPA thresholds for the various majors. I don’t see thresholds of 2.5-2.8 as something that should be a deterrent. Why would you spend thousands of dollars on a college education if you don’t plan to achieve a C+/B- average or (ideally) better? You’ll need better than that to get good co-ops or internships.
A lot of people go to RIT because they love the nerdy vibe and feel that they have finally found their tribe. Clearly, it isn’t your tribe. Why spend more money to go there when you feel that you would fit in at Buffalo?
Set yourself up for success. Get tutors and study groups for your core engineering classes from day one, instead of being one of the majority who wait until they’ve gotten behind or tanked an exam before they put those supports in place. Aim for grades that are comfortably above those minimum thresholds. Have fun (tailgates and etc.) but put solid, non-negotiable time into your academics. There’s no reason you can’t do fine at Buffalo as long as you commit to the effort. You’re more likely to do well in a setting where you are happy, as long as you’re not happy instead of studying!
One thing to consider is the total net cost of each U to your and your family of all costs of attending (including any housing) minus grants, scholarships and other non-loan funding you will be receiving per year and over the entire 4 or so years to get your degree.
When we toured RIT, it seemed pretty far away from the city and very rural to our S, so he didn’t apply. Perhaps that’s not a factor to you.
