<p>Is it better to get a BS from a good school, or go save money go to a state school and go to a great masters school?</p>
<p>If you attend a tier one and get good grades you shouldn’t have a problem getting into some top programs. Now if you go to a state state school your chances are very slim.</p>
<p>But that’s not what he’s asking. He’s wondering (and so am I) if it’s better to pay a lot and get a bachelor’s from a top school, or to save money by going to a cheaper state school and then getting a masters degree from a good school.</p>
<p>Thought I would put my two cents in. Going to a state school with less national recognition does not preclude you from getting into a top program. It should be noted that going to a “Tier 1” school for undergrad can provide an advantage towards acceptance to a top grad program. However, if you get a good gpa, bond with professors, gather research experience, etc., a state institution would be just fine for undergrad. PLUS, you would save money to put towards grad school. I can’t emphasize how big of a plus that is.</p>
<p>FYI, I might be a biased observer, as I went to a little known state school and just got done applying to grad school. So far, so good. I have been accepted into some pretty great programs, top 50 caliber for my field, with some funding. My advice worked for me and hopefully it will work for you. Either way, best of luck!</p>
<p>Just in case anyone is wondering I’m using this to make a decision between Purdue and Rutgers, as an engineering major, being in-state in NJ.</p>
<p>Conventional wisdom is that it’s best to save the money and go to a top grad school. The big question is, can everyone with that plan actually get into a top grad school? </p>
<p>Will stronger peers make you rise to new heights or will you succumb to the party life if your state school choice is on Playboy’s top 25 list?</p>
<p>What if, like most, what you think you want to be now changes? That strategy may work best for PhD programs and med school but a top school looks to work best for business and laws schools.</p>
<p>Yeah, Hmom5 just hit a bullseye. Good comment</p>
<p>"What if, like most, what you think you want to be now changes? That strategy may work best for PhD programs and med school but a top school looks to work best for business and laws schools. "</p>
<p>I second that great point from Hmom5. </p>
<p>Just my POV, but I thought Rutgers and Purdue were ranked fairly close together. Purdue has an awesome Engineering program, so I understand how it could be hard to turn down. But as stated in an earlier post, majors change left and right. Add cost considerations and that is a lot to think about.</p>
<p>Which engineering exactly?</p>
<p>Unless there is a specific sub-field that isn’t available at Rutgers, I don’t see any reason to spend the extra money for a Purdue diploma.</p>
<p>Aerospace Engineering</p>
<p>Look at the websites for the two departments. Who teaches which courses? What research are they engaged in? Where do their research grants come from? How big do their research groups seem to be? Where do they publish? Where do they place their graduates? Do any of these seem to match with your personal interests?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t know what this is referring to. Your chances of acceptance into a masters program is not “very slim” if you attend a state school.</p>
<p>The undergrad i went to was ranked in the top 5 by Playboy and I can’t honestly say it made a difference. That type of party culture exists everywhere and anyone could fall into it.</p>
<p>Most top schools in aerospace engineering are actually state schools, e.g. Gatech, Purdue, Michigan, Illinois-Urbana, UCLA. You could probably go to any of those schools for your bachelor’s degree and then go to MIT for graduate school. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that the so-called “prestigious” private schools, i.e. the Ivies, are not top schools for engineering, with the exception of Cornell and Princeton.</p>