<p>There is no doubt that Vanderbilt is a great university. If your intent were to major in a liberal arts discipline, or if you were premed or prelaw, Vanderbilt would be a great option. But when it comes to Engineering, I think other universities can provide you will more Engineering resources and better access to recruiters. Rice is one such university. Carnegie Mellon is another. </p>
<p>loquatical, I agree, Michigan would probably have to give kevin some sort of merit scholarship, although I have seen a significant improvement in FA for OOS students in recent years. It is a risk, but given the strength of the university and its connection with major firms such as Dow Chemical and BASF, applying to Michigan makes good sense.</p>