Is it worth paying extra to go to UT over LSU (PetE)?

College Search & Selection
21

Let’s put this in perspective, because “I want to go all the way” is not a statement you can make right now. You are 17/18. You are not going to be the same person at 21/22 when deciding about grad schools.

  1. You may realize that there is a good deal of wisdom in getting a varied education at multiple institutions.
  2. Many engineers do not go straight to their masters without work experience. In some circles, it is actually deemed less desirable because you have no real skills beyond academia. This coming from an electrical engineer who happens to be VP of engineering and the technical architect of major projects at a well known avionics company.
  3. What's going to stop you from taking grad classes as an undergrad? When I graduate in May, I'll have ~30 graduate credits.
  4. Many engineering majors change. You don't have the experience or knowledge to make definitive decisions with such a focused major. Any engineering major is what could be considered a "training major" as opposed to a "subject major" like biochemistry. That is, you receive specific training in how to solve problems that relate to specific jobs. As a biochemistry major, I don't learn how to solve problems. I learn about topics and eventually various lab techniques that aren't specific for a single job. It is for this reason many engineers go, "Hmmm, maybe I'll choose something else," once they have a little bit of experience.

And I don’t think you should blow off other people’s advice that you might not get into UT. There is no way it’s assured.

22

There may be reasons you haven’t mentioned Texas A & M University…

As a parent, I can tell you that the cost/benefit was key for us with our students in UG. I got a degree from TAMU, my nephew got a PhD from LSU. I have a student at UA and there are great opportunities there.

Maybe you should do some more fact finding. If you 100% want to major in PetE - I still say look at cost/benefit with the schools that are part of your Academic Common Market.

Sounds like you are pressuring your parents to pay the additional $$ for UT as OOS.

If your stats are high enough for scholarship. You are looking at a challenging degree.

Sounds like you are saying that you really want UT. If you get accepted, is your family willing to pay the $$$, and will that financial decision be bad for your family?

This is just like a student getting into a more exclusive/higher rated school but has to pay quite a bit of $$$, and even with loans as a UG. They believe it will mean more, carry them farther, etc.

It also sounds like you are not understanding or agreeing with how far a ChE degree will get you in PetE areas…

My civil eng daughter has worked for a top 20 best civil eng firms in the country already. She is being interviewed for a fabulous huge construction firm for Summer 2016 (the oil downturn has the work slow in firm one). We didn’t choose a super high rated civil eng school - she is going to a school with a very solid program where she has a full tuition scholarship and additional engineering and other scholarships.

H and I have paid what we have paid towards our students’ college costs. They have been able to go to the in-state school of their choice in part because they have great scholarships and will graduate UG w/o debt.

Don’t know if you have other siblings that will also be going to college. Parents’ money may only go so far, and again your parents may be thinking cost/benefit like others on CC.

23

Not sure if this true of other schools but if you get any scholarship award from TAMU you automatically pay in state tuition if you are OOS.

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@biochemgirl67 Yeah you make some good points

  1. yeah I've heard that from other people as well, what I said before went off of suggestions from my parents, but they aren't really familiar with the engineering field.
  2. same as 1
  3. I am very much hoping to start taking graduate classes before undergrad if possible
  4. good point
  5. I am open to suggestions on programs from schools I haven't looked at for sure, but I am utterly unconcerned with whether or not I'll be accepted to UT or elsewhere at this point. I'm absolutely not banking on getting into one place, I just like planning options in advance. If I don't make it in, that's one less decision for me to make, and I'm ok with that. I can only choose where I can apply (and ultimately attend), so I won't concern myself with the admissions process past if I improve X and Y and make sure to do Z I'll have better chances.

@SOSConcern

I did briefly mention A&M above, I will be applying there, though I have heard that A&M is big on Texas pride etc. and I don’t know if I would fit in there. It’s definitely on my list though, but theoretically, if I got into UT and A&M I’d pick UT unless offered scholarship money from A&M. A&M would be expensive as well, so I figured putting just UT in the topic would be enough.

For reduced tuition in UG, my ACM only includes LSU and Lafayette, LSU is the clear winner in my mind.

I haven’t pressured my parents at all so far, nor do I want to if it’s not a good idea, that’s why I came here. I didn’t make this post to hear what I want to hear, I’m very much taking all the serious replies into consideration. I’m worried that LSU might not be the best place to go right now, however anywhere else will charge me OOS tuition, not just UT. Unless other schools offer good scholarship money (which I can’t depend on right now) that’s obviously a problem, so I just want some opinions on whether the community here would consider extra cost worthwhile or a waste. I’ve gotten both responses so far.

If I got a scholarship to any good school, that would help quite a bit. I was assuming I wouldn’t be offered much/any, but it’s good to hear that you’d think otherwise.

Yes this probably sounds like a top school / top $$$ situation, really so long as the school has a good program I’ll be happy.

Oh I don’t doubt how far a ChE degree will get you in the PetE field, however to my knowledge, if I go into ChE I won’t be taking the GEO and PGE/PETE classes, which I really want to take. I’d say that my interests lean more towards Petroleum Geology than Chemical Engineering, but I think going into engineering will play more to my strengths.

Congrats to your daughter, and I would hope to be in her same boat in the future! Really any strong program would be nice.

I have one brother, who will graduate with a 4+1 masters in accounting next year. He went to our state school (which is a pretty nice school)

25

@3scoutsmom Thanks, I’ll definitely look into that, if that’s true, that’s a great option!

26

UT and TAMU are going to be very demanding engineering school env’ts.

You want to be able to succeed. Be realistic where you are looking - look at enough programs.

Similar thoughts with students who need a high GPA UG for med school - if they go to a highly competitive UG program, versus achieving a higher GPA at other schools that may cost a lot less for student to attend.

I would have a longer list of schools - some engineering programs don’t admit right into program either; I know a NMS that is at TAMU in ChE. She has a 3.5 GPA after 1 year, but can maintain other scholarship which requires 3.0 GPA.

27

Oh, by the way, May 2015 Occidental Petroleum Corp has named Vick Hollub CEO - first woman to lead a US oil exploration and production company. She graduated from a B’ham AL area HS in 1977 and UA in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in science and mineral engineering, petroleum option (which had a concentration in fuels and minerals resources). She worked her way up the company - starting in 1981. She also is senior executive VP of Occidental and President of Oxy Oil and Gas, making her responsible for operations in the US, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Occidental Petroleum is among the largest oil and gas production companies based in the US. It has more than 40,000 employees and contractors, and a market cap of more than $60 billion.

28

slight correction, scholarship has to $1k or more to qualify for instate tuition and fees
here’s the details:
https://scholarships.tamu.edu/Non-Resident-Tuition-Waiver

29

@SOSconcern here’s my current list:

Louisiana State University

University of Texas ~ Austin

Texas A&M University

University of Oklahoma

As well as my state school which is pretty much an automatic admission. No PetE, but nice ChE program among others. Primarily focusing on those 4 though for right now.

@3scoutsmom I did look into that and $1K seems manageable, I would hope that somewhere in TAMU would be willing to give me $1K, if I make it in w/ an applicable scholarship, I’d probably enroll. Thanks for the info

30

what is your home state school?

31

University of Delaware