<p>I have been admitted to the Cornell school of Engineering and Georgia Tech. Cornell would cost me 7k a year over Georgia Tech. My parents are completely fine with paying for Cornell, however I was wondering if there was any reason to choose to study engineering at Cornell. GT is known for its top engineering program and its Co-op and research opportunities are definitely top-notch. Not to mention it is in a great location and I would be one of the stronger students there and have many opportunities. Cornell on the other hand has a smaller engineering program and is arguably a more prestigious and well rounded school. However, I am not sure I would have the same opportunities at Cornell since I would be near the middle of the class and may be overshadowed by many of the top students there. What are your thoughts?</p>
<p>If you’re into rankings, for engineering Ga Tech actually comes in 5th where as Cornell is 9th. For engineering Cornell is not more prestigious. If you feel the fit is better at Cornell and you’d be happier there that’s another matter, but you won’t get a better engineering education there.</p>
<p>The top engineering schools can be divided into two categories --“Universities” and “Institutions”. At the risk of overgeneralizing, Universities have a broader curriculum and will have a more academically diverse student body. Institutions, have student bodies that are more focused in STEM and tend to be more homogenous. One advantage to a University is that if you change your mind about what you want to study, a University will generally offer more opportunities.</p>
<p>There is no better or worse here. However many engineering students prefer one or the other. If you think you’ll have a better academic experience in a University, then it probably is worth the extra money.</p>
<p>Engineering Rankings 5 vs 9. Rankings are rough estimates at best. If we were talking about 5 vs 50, it’s pretty safe to say that 5 is better. 5 vs 9 – I’ve never heard of anyone who can explain the difference between schools at this level. To add to this, Cornell is a top 15 school, while overall, Ga Tech is in the Mid-30’s (I think). This is a fairly significant. Also, though I don’t want to make too much of this, Cornell is part of the Ivy League, which does carry added prestige and cachet.</p>
<p>I really have nothing bad to say about Ga Tech, which is a truly excellent school. If you’re into the institutional approach, I’m sure you’ll be extremely happy there. Otherwise, I feel the difference in engineering rankings is minimal but the Cornell’s overall reputation far exceeds Ga Tech’s. IMO – if your family can afford it, the $7,000 is easily justifiable.</p>
<p>thanks zephyr! good insight</p>
<p>another consideration is alumni reach. Cornell alums are everywhere. Dunno about GT.</p>
<p>Don’t worry too much about the differences in opportunities, they will be quite negligible. A top student will be just as employable as a middle student in engineering graduating from these two schools since engineers are in such demand and there is not much variation in pay. Since costs are a pretty insignificant issue, I would focus on the environment you prefer. Cornell and GT are very different environments. If you like the big city, ACC sports, and a great technical-focused school, choose GT. If you like a college town, bucolic environment and a great all around school, choose Cornell.</p>
<p>With all due respect, I just want to point out that you may not be one of the “top students” at GT. It attracts some pretty impressive students. The kids who apply are self-selecting and it gets some really top-notch kids. My guess is the student body would be similar to that at Cornell. Visit both - my guess is you have - and pick the one that feels right to you. They are VERY different. We are from the South and my son is a freshman at Cornell engineering. He loves it. His best friend is a freshman in GT engineering. Both are DIFFICULT - engineering everywhere is a tough commitment, but worth it! Good luck!</p>
<p>Sorry I did not mean to say that I will be one of the top students. I just meant that just based on the incoming freshmen profiles of the 2 schools. I am closer to the top of the class at Georgia Tech while at Cornell I would be closer to the middle of the class. I am sure Georgia Tech has very impressive students but the overall student body at Tech is generally less selective than the Cornell Student body. I am not sure which one will be better for me.</p>
<p>but don’t forget, you will not be competing with the average student at Georgia Tech, you will be in the pool of engineers, just as you would be at Cornell.</p>
<p>I would be willing to bet that the Tech engineers have some rather lofty test scores…</p>
<p>My son had the same choice - GT OOS vs. Cornell - both full pay. After visiting Cornell and sitting in on the Engineering Info Session he was smitten. He will be attending Cornell in the fall. Oh and what Zephyr15 said :-)</p>
<p>Tech is better than Cornell for engineering. Cornell has better prestige. Unfortunately I can’t tell you much about the campuses which could be a determining factor. If I were you I would save the 28k over 4 years.</p>
<p>There are also a couple other things you should consider. Cornell is in the countryside, while GT is more urban and warmer. Also, GT also has a really high male to female ratio (though it’s next to Emory). I have a hunch that the environment at Cornell is more competitive, but I’m not actually sure.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would probably choose GT because your parents can go on a very nice vacation for 7k.</p>