I received full ride to IIT and was also accepted to RPI w a small scholarship

College Search & Selection
1

How do you choose?>>>>> the better school ( RPI) that the tuition is significantly more money and student loans or a full ride to IIT a very graduate heavy , international heavy urban school. This is for an Architecture BARCH

2

Wait? IIT as in Indian Institute of Technology or Illinois Institute of Technology? If it was the first choice, then I would be banging a pot on your head and asking you why you aren’t picking IIT. Hahaha

I’m guessing you mean Illinois Institute of Technology…I can’t say too much on what you’re planning to study and which would be a better place…

3

Financially, you’ll be better off attending Illinois Institute of Technology, but in terms of education? Seems like it isn’t a bad place for what you plan on studying so I would focus more on fit. Where do you think you’ll fit in?

I think other posters will probably be able to give you more information than I could, but I felt bad for just posting that comment about my initial confusion…so I tried to give some sort of advice…

4

Thanks , It is Illinois Institute of Technology (full Ride) vs . RPI with student loans

5

Wha’ts your parents ’ budget and what’s the net cost (without loans) of each?

6

Wait, isn’t IIT among one of the top schools for architecture?

Hmm. It would seem so. Just barely inside or outside the top 10, depending on what architecture ranking you look at:

http://architecture-colleges.com
https://arch.iit.edu/life/iit-architecture-in-design-intelligence-top-15

Meanwhile, RPI is nowhere near the top 10 in architecture:
http://architecture-colleges.com/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute

If you plan to be an architect, that would matter. Practitioners in a specialized field don’t really give a fig about general rankings. They care more about the talent that is turned out by a school.

7

OK, RPI was also almost in the top 10 in 2014: http://www.arch.rpi.edu/2014/12/2014-soa-rank/

Still, if there isn’t much of a difference among the two among practitioners or they even rank IIT higher and IIT is a lot cheaper, that is a key point to consider.

8

Thanks, 2017 rankings are Syracuse (which I am still waiting to here back form) #3, IIT#21, RPI #14 in ranking as far as best Architecture schools

9

PRI is 68,000 with all their listed expeensives and IIT is about 60,000. Also waiting for Syracuse to reply. Rpi gave me 12,000 which I am going to appeal. Any thoughts

10

How can you have a full ride and have to pay $60,000 net cost ?
Net cost = (tuition, fees, room, board) - (scholarships, grants)

11

To believe that there’s a material difference between #14 and #21 is to buy into the silly hype the ranking systems have created. The best you can do is paint broad strokes. Statistically, #14 and #21 are the same. You will not get ANY additional ROI by choosing #14 over #21.

12

Thanks , I know that the ranking is so close to mean anything … I was just relying to someone that asked.

13

IIT gave me 49,650 a tear for tuition. I still have to pay appox. 12,000 room and board.and misc.fees.

14

Make sure that package doesn’t include loans… but I’d take IIT in a heartbeat then.

15

Chicago is a great place to study architecture. The school is excellent. It’s a great price. You are fortunate to have such a great option.

I have a daughter at IIT who is having a great experience. Plenty of opportunities. Her comment about architecture (she’s an engineer) is that it is A LOT of work. This will be true wherever you study.

I wouldn’t hesitate to choose IIT at the price difference you are considering. The opportunity to graduate with little or no debt in a challenging field like architecture will be very valuable.

16

The architecture on Illinois Institute of Technology’s campus is amazing and significant. Studying architecture there would be like learning to surf in Hawaii.

Add to that the proximity of Chicago’s significant buildings.
Every single time you turn around, the good stuff slaps you in the all the senses. Didn’t Frank Lloyd Wright do a lot of work in that area?

Troy, I don’t know. I can’t shake the feeling that it’ll be less immersive outside of class.

Money not spent now could be used for an M Arch later

17

RPI is a great school, but considering cost differential, I’d go with IIT (plus, Chicago …)