I got a letter today saying I was awarded 12k over 4 years and a 13500 renewable scholarship at Ohio State. I was admitted to Honors Engineering. I was also admitted to Honors Eng at Purdue and ME at Georgia Tech.
Cost after merit Ohio 32k Purdue 40k, and GT would be about 47k. I don’t know which to choose. Any advice or insight?
Is it a situation where your family can afford any/all of these, and you’re just debating relative value? Or are you looking at taking on debt?
Which would you choose if they all cost the same? If the answer isn’t GT, then you can eliminate that choice on the first pass.
Do you care about whether you’re in a city or not?
Overall, three-way decisions can be confusing; it can be best to weigh the comparisons in pairs rather than considering all three together. If you assess all three head-to-head decisions separately, a winner should emerge, barring the unlikely outcome of a “rock-paper-scissors” result!
Congrats on having excellent options - you really can’t go wrong!
5 Likes
Well - what are your criteria?
Is it cost or something else? and what can you afford - i.e. are there loans involved?
Do you want a school in the heart of the city (Ga Tech) that borders a freeway, a school that’s suburban even though it’s in the city limits (Ohio State), or a school that’s in it’s own area - an hour outside the nearest major city.
Do you want an insanely huge campus or smaller.
Do you want cold or warmer?
Do you just want to look at rank?
Do you care about dorms (overcrowding) or food, etc.
Just saying - I got into three and what should I choose leaves off pretty much any kind of criteria that might be important to you.
1 Like
I have not visited GT yet. Going soon. Going back to the other 2. I really loved Purdue. It just felt right. My Physics teacher thinks I am crazy to give up GT. Always prefer paying less but also appreciate that might get more paying more. I was not in love with Ohio the first time I went there. It did not seem walkable like Purdue. I am from a very small town so living in the city might be fun too. I honestly just have now idea how to make a decision. I am pretty laid back so I know I can fit in at all 3. I will definitely be doing running club and soccer. I am not a party type. I love hanging out with friends and being active. I loved the Honors College at Purdue. I wish Purdue accepted appeals for merit.
I do like 3 seasons but I could, get used to a warmer climate too. I have lived in both. I went to a high school with almost 5000 kids for my first 2 years. My current high school is 1200.
Can you visit the campuses?
GT is direct admission. Are the others?
If you have to take on debt to attend move on to the lower cost school.
GT can be done in 3 years if you have enough AP/dual enrollment credits. Co-OP’s are big part of GT. Study abroad costs are in-state so that semester is cheaper.
Atlanta has 3 1/2 seasons? It can get cold. Not much snow though.
2 Likes
Can you afford all three?
If so, sounds to me like you prefer Purdue. So I’d remove OSU.
Ga Tech has a strong reputation but so does Purdue. I’d choose the right fit.
If you can get to Ga Tech, you’ll know right away - if you like it or hate it. To me it’s polarizing - being smack in the city and against a freeway. You’ll love it and it’ll feel right or…the opposite.
Good luck.
1 Like
You can’t go wrong here with your choices! Focus on fit if the difference in cost won’t be a hardship.
I’m glad you will be able to visit GT before you make your decision. It’s a very different vibe than Purdue.
(FWIW, my D scratched OSU from her list and she didn’t want to be in a city so wouldn’t even visit GT. It was the one school that I thought she should have visited because it checked off all her other boxes but she was in love with Purdue).
2 Likes
I am used to tons of snow. Hoping to not take on much debt. My parents are covering first 2 years and I hope to do coops. I am working now. I have visited Ohio and Purdue as mentioned above. I do have tons of AP credit from 4’s and 5’s. I got into Honors at Ohio and Purdue.
Heading to GT in 2 weeks!
2 Likes
So I read two things into this.
-
Your parents are covering two years…so how about the last two. A co op and internship can help but are they giving you a max budget ? If they are, perhaps you need to think about spreading that over 4 years. Or are they simply saying go anywhere and we’n pay two years with no max?
-
APs generally don’t help an engineering student graduate early because if the required courses and timing of them. My son walked in with 33 or 36 credits. He has picked up a minor in geography and could have double majored if he wanted but the engineering sequences don’t typically allow the early out flexibility although perhaps your situation is different.
Overall I think you need to explain the money better…ie is two years mean anywhere ? Bcuz if it’s yes, we’ll Purdue is cheaper than Ga tech so maybe they can funnel for you to year 3.
Otherwise you need a plan financially for years 3-4 beyond co op.
I think once you visit Ga Tech a lot will come into focus. Let us know your thoughts afterward.
I think the focus is more on which is the best value for an engineering degree base on future career and salary. I am not concerned about cost. That is all planned out.
Which discipline? A lot depends on where you work, the industry you’re in, etc. but your Purdue and Ga Tech are going to be your two highest reputed, etc. But may focus on different industries as well. The guy who lives in SF or NYC is always going to make more than the person in Detroit, for example, regardless of the school - meaning not just these.
Anyway, you have to be there for four years, day after day - so while it appears of the two you know about, your comfort is Purdue - so to me, it really comes down to - how you feel about Ga Tech - as it is a huge contrast.
I think you’ll feel a lot clearer after you visit.
1 Like
Look at the first destination surveys for both schools, but I think you’ll find starting salaries comparable, along with the list of companies that recruit on both campuses.
My D’s co-op company recruits at just a handful of schools - Purdue and GT are both on that short list.
As an aside, as an ME you may be able to shave off a semester at Purdue as well. It’s the largest engineering major and I believe most courses are offered every semester, as opposed to the smaller disciplines where course sequencing may be more of a challenge.
1 Like
You can only borrow ~$5500/year, so you won’t have a lot of debt unless your parents sign for it.
2 Likes
Yes, I know. I do plan on borrowing that. I meant debt from borrowing from my parents after they pay 2 years worth of tuition.
Mechanical Engineering
“My physics teacher thinks I am crazy to give up GT.” Your physics teacher is not paying your tuition and really probably doesn’t know what feels like the best fit for you. Purdue is a very well respected school for engineering and you seem to like it. Visit Georgia Tech if you can and go from there. Both great schools for engineering with excellent outcomes. Good luck!
9 Likes
2 years at GT is $100k. Even if you study abroad and co-op you’re still probably looking at owing your parents $50-75k.
Co-ops don’t make that much after rent/food/taxes.
The only way it might work is doing 3 years and that’s not guaranteed. Plus, doing a co-op would be very difficult on the 3 year plan.
That said, the delta in cost over Purdue isn’t a lot so I look at this as no debt with OSU vs debt at GT or Purdue.
1 Like
GaTech with edge over Purdue.
Check the vibe at GT and see if you think they’re “your people.” Purdue isn’t direct admit but has a wonderful program.
1 Like
Do you have any less expensive options? What is your instate school with engineering?
4 Likes
If there is any way you can afford it, my vote is Georgia Tech. In the grand scheme of your employment life as an engineer (or maybe something else), the $15,000 per year price difference between $32,000 and $47,000 and the even more inconsequential $7000 price difference between $40,000 and $47,000 are a literal drop in the bucket compared to your earning potential over a 30-40 year career.
Of course there is no guarantee that going to GT would end up substantially improving your career prospects and income compared to Purdue or Ohio State, but in my experience, it probably will.
If you really like one of the 3 schools a lot more than the other two and any potential perceived differences in career opportunities are not that important to you, then go with the one you are most excited about, which seems like it is Purdue.
But in my opinion a 7K/year $28,000 price difference could be erased very quickly with a GT engineering degree. It is like playing Monopoly and buying cheaper properties and putting houses on them (Ohio State) versus buying Park Place and Boardwalk (GT) and putting houses on them. Your return on investment will most likely be much better with GT.
And if there is ever a historic recession during your career, a GT degree will provide an additional layer of job security that many other engineering degrees will not.
5 Likes