I want some 3rd party advice on the matter, and the question is basically in the title. I want to major in chemical engineering, and I’m pretty much between UMD and MIT. I was accepted into other good programs but between financial aid, location, etc. I decided these were my current top 2. Here are some factors:
Cost:
MIT: $80,000 ish w/ aid, if I get scholarships I can knock off about 20,000 across 4 years, and If/when I work I can help pay more too.
UMD: like nothing
Concerns:
MIT: reading people saying that being at the top of your class matters tons more than “prestige” or name (I don’t want to go to MIT just for “prestige”, I’ve genuinely looked into what they offer and their programs and such and I like the school a lot.) Not that I couldn’t do really well at MIT, but college is a transition and I don’t really know how it’s going to be.
UMD: regretting not going to MIT lol
What I like about each school:
MIT: UROP, huge career fairs, I have already met people from MIT and I have an older friend who goes there, Greek Life isn’t like how it would be at a state school, the city, super collaborative, internships/research are very available, tons of different concentrations available for chemE
UMD: Got into Gemstone, close to home, collaborative, “prettier?”, lots of programs to get involved with to make the school seem smaller, it’s basically free, people still do really well at UMD and go to great graduate schools and such
not totally sure my parents aren’t being very clear on how we could pay. how mit splits it up is like 20,000 a year, and they’re expected to pay abt 14,000 and i contribute the other 6,000 ish by working/scholarships. not pocket change tho.
Are you absolutely sure you want to be a chemical engineer?
I once had a good friend who majored in chemical engineering at MIT. She went on to be a patent lawyer, jumped to an investment firm, and then retired in her late 30s. I doubt she could have done that as easily from UMD, as good a program as it has I am sure.
If you think you might want to do finance or business - or almost anything other than straight engineering - I feel that MIT will open doors worth more than $80K over the course of your career.
On the other hand, if you are certain you want to be a chemical engineer, well then in the vast majority of industry jobs, you won’t make more money out of MIT than out of UMD, and after that first job or two no one is going to care which diploma hangs in your den.
Best of luck choosing, and congrats on your accomplishments!
Current MIT freshman here! First of all, congratulations on getting into such great programs! When I was deciding, cost was definitely one of the most important factors I considered. I definitely would not be attending MIT without financial aid and scholarships, so I think you should have an honest conversation with your parents to find out how much they or you are willing to pay and to discuss whether you want to take out loans and whether it will be worth taking out loans to go to MIT. You definitely don’t want to spend your college years stressed because you are worried about working or finding ways to pay off student loans.
Also, a bit more about MIT: Chemical engineering at MIT is amazing with lots of opportunities, but I will say it is known as one of the most difficult majors on campus (but I hope difficulty isn’t the reason you choose to decline MIT). The transition to college life at MIT is different for everyone, but MIT does have amazing faculty and resources that I don’t think I would have had available anywhere else. Yes the school is amazing, but I think the quality of your college experience is determined not by your school but by your own decisions and how you make the most of your time.
Does your MIT aid package already include the standard federal loans? If no, those could make up part of the $20k that you and your family are expected to pay.
Before you make your decision, call up MIT financial aid office to ask for more money. You have a good bargaining chip with UMD full ride.
Although I applied to both ( also intending to study chemical engineering), I can’t say I really am one to say go to one over the other given your present dilemma. If you’re plan on going to grad school, undergrad matters less, whereas if you’re unsure, MIT is probably a better bet because of the sheer number of opportunities available there could be a game-changer.
At MIT, you’d be surrounded by other engineers, physics and math majors. Great, interesting people, but not a lot of variety. At UMd, you’d also be surrounded by top engineering students, but wander around a little and you might trip over a dance major or an ag student who is working on a very interesting project, or journalism major chasing a story. Honestly, you’ll be surrounded by your fellow majors no matter which school you go to, but it is easier to find others at schools that offer more majors.
I’d pick UMd (oh wait, I did!) because of the opportunities and because of the cost. It’s really a great school, and it’s a fantastic school if it’s free.
MIT is the premier engineering college in the nation if not the world. With a student/faculty ratio of 3/1 you will not only be in small classes with world-class faculty and facilities, you will be around your intellectual peers. The undergrad population is only 4,500 compared to the larger public institution UMD with 30,000. MIT has a massive endowment of $17 billion. You will thrive at a place like MIT and is the reason you were chosen to attend.
Someone said if you plan on going to graduate school it doesn’t matter where you get your undergrad degree. That statement is a fallacy that is thrown around negligently on CC. 4 years at MIT is life changing and the actual education you get will stay with you the rest of your life no matter where your career takes you.
Cheaper isn’t always better and as you mentioned you will probably always regret not attending a world-class institution of higher learning like MIT when you had the rare opportunity to attend.
I don’t know anything about UMD, but you will have amazing opportunities for summer internships at MIT that will help you pay for your college education.
MIT does not rank its students. MIT also helps the transition to college by having the first semester graded as P/F.
For what its worth, my son had a similar situation to yours and chose MIT. He had an amazing 4 years and never regretted his decision. He and his friends will tell you that MIT definitely opens doors.
If your parents can somehow manage the extra cost, even if they have to borrow, go to MIT. MIT is definitely worth $80k extra cost over 4 years. Yes, you’ll likely get a great education and succeed at UMD, but you’ll miss that special experience and additional opportunities that only a handful of colleges can provide.
I have more than 20 relatives that attended UMD. Many of them engineers. Son will start there in fall (didn’t get into MIT). Know a few MIT students. There is NO COMPARISON! At MIT you are going to meet hundreds of world respected minds, both professors and students. It will be more challenging for sure and worth every bit of it. To help you get adjusted first semester is better than pass/fail, it is pass/don’t count (there is no fail). If you do not pass no negative grade is not recorded. Like you my son will have scholarships and Honors college. But the honors college is struggling to revamp it’s Living Learning Programs. Every change they make seems to make it less advantageous. Students can’t get into the program they want, can no longer take honors seminars they find interesting. Rather than expanding popular LLP most students are refused admission and thrown into catch all Univ. Honors. Everything is becoming regimented and less flexible. UMD is still a great school especially for engineers and comp. science. BUT you got into the best engineering school in the country and is worth every penny of the FULL tuition price. The people you will meet, the research you will see and have access to, the advancements in your field that you will have the chance to be a part of… I don’t think there is a decision involved. Go to MIT. Yes, your graduate school selection may be more important but I can’t imagine that any college will prepare you for acceptance to MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, etc. better than MIT undergrad.
Thank you for all of your responses! I don’t have much experience with chemical engineering but the plan is to major in it so far–that is something interesting to consider @OneMoreToGo2021 . The MIT aid package does not include loans, that’s something we should look into @happymomof1 . @AstraAbnormal congrats on your accomplishments too!! That’s what I’ve heard about Chemical Engineering… If I do end up attending, I will definitely be sure to pace myself and keep on a tight schedule if I am going to go through with majoring in ChemE at MIT. Do you mind me asking what you’re majoring in?
As for how affordable MIT is, I’ve tried asking and all I’m told is that they would find a way to finance it which doesn’t tell me a lot. It doesn’t seem like they’re super concerned but it doesn’t seem like it would be a walk in the park either. I would definitely help out by working and such regardless.
I’m considering appealing my financial aid package because 1. Yale did give me a better fin aid package and 2. their estimated term bill on the sheet they gave me is lower than what it actually should be (the actual price per term would be higher than they told me initially, according to my fin aid officer). What do you all think about that?
Also my dad isn’t making as much currently due to COVID-19 affecting his work schedule but I don’t really have proof of that he’s not working overtime anymore for some reason.
Unfortunately, your parents’ confusing signal is not a good sign. Sometimes, parents give a signal like what you are getting when they really do not have the money, but cannot bear to say “that is too expensive” because they do not want to give you a huge let-down now. But they could be setting you up for an even bigger let-down after a year or two or three of college if they run out of money (and/or borrowing capacity if they take parent loans for your first year) so that you will not be able to continue through graduation.
@socaldad2002@shuttlebus thank you for your responses, I’ve been concerned abt that because I hear so often how undergrad doesn’t matter that much and how excelling at a smaller or lower-ranked college is better than going to a “more prestigious” or higher ranked college because grad school is the only thing that matters regardless or something along those lines.