Hello everyone and thank you for your replies in advance. About a month ago, I committed to the University of Rhode Island for undecided engineering. However, I have recently seen a lot about how URI is not that respected as a school. I was also accepted into University at Buffalo and UMASS Amherst for engineering, but U at buffalo was very far (6 hours but the same price as URI) and UMASS Amherst was 7,000 more than URI. I also disliked the UMASS Amherst campus. Overall, I chose URI because it seemed like it has a decent engineering program, it’s affordable, and it’s not too far (1.5 hours). Also, I loved the URI Campus. My question is, have I hurt my future opportunities by going to URI over schools like U at Buffalo and UMASS Amherst, or are grades and involvement more important than the school? I currently have the goal (although this certainly might change) of becoming a patent attorney. With that in mind, is URI a bad choice compared to those two schools?
One last thing, I was also accepted into UConn’s branch program, where I would get into the Storrs campus as a junior and eventually receive a degree in engineering from UConn. How does this option stack up against the others?
Thank you all for your help in this matter.
UMass and Buffalo, in contrast to URI (and UConn), do have engineering programs that are ranked by USNWR, perhaps an indication of their quality. However, this does not mean that URI would not be suitable for your academic interests and career goals. Overall, I’d expect you to be fine.
Question 1: Is the school ABET accredited for your program?
http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=88&ProgramIDs=
No further questions required.
@jj1324 Just go to URI and do well. The key will be to get internships in the summers, preferably with companies that are fairly well known, but that’s not absolutely necessary…just get the experience. One internship will lead to another. GE is opening an engineering center in Providence for 100 engineer types. Take any internship you can get at a good company as soon as you can, even if it’s unpaid. A kid with URI degree and excellent internship recommendations can trump anyone from a well-known engineering program that does not have internships. You will see in the business world that it’s all about your experience, recommendations, and the network of peers and mentors you build and maintain, not about where you went to school. Your degree is important, but more important in the long run is your network that is derived from your actual work experiences, so again, take an internship as soon as you can and do well. Show up a little early and stay a little late. Dress well, be sincere, carry yourself well and look people in the eye. Thank people for the experience and knowledge they are sharing. Get to know those you work with, and join LinkedIn groups that pertain to the type of engineering internships you’d like to have. Be willing to take on projects no one else wants and deliver excellence in even the smallest things. You will be seen as likeable, accountable and dependable, Those things will trump college rankings.