I’m a senior in high school trying to decide between GT and Clemson for Chemical Engineering. I’ve been accepted into both, and I honestly would rather go to GT. However, I’ve heard that everyone there is ridiculously stressed and unhappy at all times. Though Tech has a better program, more respected degree, and in my opinion a nicer campus, Clemson has the third happiest students in the nation and a social life, which are things I believe need to be included during college. Every time I think I have decided on GT, I get scared that I’m going to be horribly unhappy, which is something I cannot consciously choose to be. Both schools have excellent engineering programs and cost/distance from home aren’t problems. Someone help!
Remember that the ranking for Clemson is for the whole student body not just the STEM kids… If you haven’t already I think you should visit both schools and talk to some of the current students. Also you should post this question on both GT and Clemsons reddit. You will probably get some honest responses there.
I can’t speak for Clemson, but I go to Tech, and so far I can tell you it breaks down pretty much like this:
In the short run, do you like drinking/partying? I don’t, so the social scene kind of sucks for me. You can find cliques of people you get along with and whatnot, but for me at least that gets pretty boring. On the other hand, I have a roommate who joined a fraternity and drinks like a fish, and he fits right in.
In the long run, do you like making money? I’m 18, and I’ve already got a co-op offer that pays about what the average American is making when they’re 40. I have a friend who got an offer just a month after starting here, and he’ll be making even more than me. Like you said, Tech has a really good reputation. Our placement rate is essentially 100% for American students (visa problems and sponsorship hurt the foreign ones a little), and starting salaries are ridiculously good.
I was in pretty much the same situation as you a year ago, except the choice was kind of made for me (I got screwed royally by my other choice’s financial aid department). In retrospect I’m kind of glad I didn’t go to the other school; it was one of those elite east coast schools where everyone has the time of their life for four years, then can’t find a job. Tech on the other hand may suck now, but after you graduate you’ll be too busy trying to decide which yacht goes best with your private island to think about whether college could have been more fun.
My D goes to Tech. She is not one to hang out on this forum, but I can tell you about her experience. BTW, tech has two distinct living areas for freshman, East and West campus. I suspect that Joel might live on East. That part of campus, per my D, is much more Greek/partying. West campus is quieter and more diverse. My D lives on west and absolutely loves it. She has made great friends and participates in intramural sports. She is a prehealth track/undecided major and has not been miserable at all with regard to her classes. Her best friend from HS goes to Tech as a ChemE major. She is in a sorority and got a 3.7 last semester.
If you’re interested in Clemson’s social life, I think you’d be happy to hear that Tech parties - while certainly not every day of the week - do put on online lists of “work hard, party hard” schools.
@joel96 thank you so much! I’m definitely in it for the long run, but I also want to have a good time while I’m there. I guess I’m just worried that I’ll regret not enjoying college more.
@Stilltay That is so helpful, thank you! I don’t want to spend the whole time partying, but I’d definitely enjoy laying back and letting loose once in a while. Not sure where I would’ve found out the difference of the two campuses, so you’re a life saver! Thanks again.
@stilltay True, I hadn’t thought about that, but yeah there is a really different culture between east and west. If you look at a map of Tech (http://maps.gatech.edu/d7/drupal/map), all the Greek houses are in a cluster around where Techwood Drive parallels Fowler Street.
East tends to have the more vibrant social/party atmosphere, closer proximity to things, and better dinning halls, while West is quieter, has more green space, and is closer to the rec center.
Okay, I am back from Shadow Day at Tech and I had promised @Overacheiver (btw, is it an insider joke that you spelled the name that way? ha!) that I would write of my experiences. I’m an OOS girl who is going into the Liberal Arts college (the Sam Nunn School of international Affairs). Well, maybe they are just faking it for the one-day events but everybody seemed the opposite of miserable! Everyone who spoke (juniors and seniors) sound like they considered themselves the luckiest people in the college universe…Partly because of all of the jobs (as noted above by that other poster) but also because Tech is like this hidden treasure…a green campus in the middle of a large city and semi-affordable (well, compared to other places). But the big thing was when I walked around campus…everybody really seemed up…as opposed to my visit at johns hopkins (now those are some stressed kids) everybody seemed happy. i also audited two classes and the professors were good. Still not sure if i will end up here but i’d give the day an 8 out of 10…
How do you sign up for Shadow Day at Tech??
@ saismom http://shadowday.iac.gatech.edu/registration/registration.php
another very helpful thing is the accepted student overnight visit. My D was dead set against Tech until that visit. (We are local and she didn’t want to go to school in her backyard). She also did shadow day, but she was a Junior and it was too early for her.
@GreyGarvin Thanks! And, I guess you could say it is an inside joke, since I used to spell it wrong the WHOLE time and my teachers still marked me right until my mom was like, “What is this?!” 
But thanks for the information on Georgia Tech! I applied to JHU too, but I feel like that place is not right for me. It seems like a very stressed out college. -_- I do want some sort of happy, not fully stressed out, life.