This is where people get mad at me. I throw out Alabama :). Assuming top stats it’s dirt cheap. As Arizona and UAH are too.
My son inexplicably turned down Purdue with $10k merit for Bama. His intern team last Summer contained his two Ga Tech roommates. He’s going back this summer. They weren’t invited. So there are no absolutes about any school being ‘better’.
But OP didn’t ask for cheaper. But I did that for you @sevmom
Also it doesn’t sound like affordability is an issue because I asked if he went to OSU could $$ bleed over.
It just sounds like his folks want him to have skin in the game vs giving him a fixed amount of funds.
Two points to consider when comparing Purdue & GT:
Not just how many credits you’ll get for your AP’s, but whether they will be able to be used for required classes for your major. You could technically get credit for a class, but if it doesn’t count for a requirement toward your major, it doesn’t help much.
Find the semester-by-semester curriculum for Mech E at both schools. Cross of what you’d get AP credit for. See what that looks like. Is there one that you’d strongly prefer over the other?
For my DS, comparing GT to Cornell last spring, it was clear that at GT, he’d be taking core engineering classes in his major over a year before he’d be able to take similar classes at Cornell. No intro engineering classes were required. This was a big deal for him. Also, he got usable credit for twice the classes at GT he would at Cornell.
Also - when you visit, reach out and see if you can find a Mech E to talk to one-on-one. Try Reddit or the Facebook Parent’s page. It’s really helpful to speak directly to someone who isn’t a tour guide while you’re there!
If you have any specific questions about GT, let me know!
String vote for GT. There is a difference in tuition, yes, but it’s not massive, and GT opens opportunities the others can’t in terms of facilities, faculty, career placement, reputation, networking, quality of peers, location and more, Purdue is second in that regard. I would discard Ohio from the discussion.
A word about location: It’s really misleading to describe GT’s campus as abutting a highway and that’s basically it. Wow. I haven’t heard that one before. Yes, a major highway runs alongside one edge of several dorm buildings. But most of the campus is far removed from it and in fact, the GT campus is a nationally registered arboretum with over 2,000 trees. It’s quite pretty. GT is situated in midtown Atlanta, site of the city’s nicest residential areas, restaurants, shops, parks, and more. The students love to venture out in Midtown. Atlanta is also a major tech hub, home to many major corporations. Microsoft is building its second largest campus in the US - 2 miles away from the GT campus, for instance. The range of offerings at Georgia Tech is tremendous.
My COA to Alabama would be 4k but I am choosing to not go there. I want to go somewhere where I feel super comfortable. I just feel it is not the right place for me. I have nothing against the south. My mom is from there.
If there’s a recession or corporate layoff in general which we all experience…your school will not be relevant. Your work performance and / or salary will be as well as other factors which should not be such as age. IBM just got caught red handed on that one, btw.
Didn’t say it wasn’t nice. Just said it abuts the highway. James Madison is nice. I wouldn’t say otherwise. But I-81 splits the campus. I was just saying a campus in city resting against the freeway vs the other two.
Not trying to send you there. I was staying within your choices but since @sevmom asked
As I said b4 it seems like you like Purdue more than Ohio State so after you go to Ga Tech you’ll likely know which of ga Tech and Purdue you like more. The environments are different so you likely won’t like both at the same level.
I work as an engineer. All three are good schools and my company recruits them. My personal choice would be Georgia Tech due to the support they provide for career placement. They run the school like a machine. Also don’t dismiss the direct to major admission there. Less hassle with having to get into your major, and they are also open to students changing majors. If you change your mind at Purdue you go through a process that may drive you to transfer out.
No lol. It is company that has locations all over the world. I would be getting the job on my own. I just want to be able to live at home for my coops to save money.
Just trying to understand the phrase " have skin in the game". Parents still have responsibility for the loans(if needed) in the 3rd and 4th year right?
Most engineering co-op companies pay for housing, in addition to competitive salaries. A 3 term co-op can cover the cost of a full year of tuition, room, and board at Purdue or GT, and then some.
Properties with the highest return statistically are Orange. Need to look at costs, rents and likelihood of landing on various properties. And three houses outpace hotels on several properties in terms of returns.
I have an Ohio State engineering grad kid. He didn’t apply to GT. Was admitted to several of the engineering favs on this site (including Purdue – he visited twice including an admitted student session but it didn’t win him over). Was waitlisted at MIT though. He is doing very well. As are his friends. Working across the country.
OP would have to answer but I surmise that his parents will cover short of the federal loan of $7500 the last two years which he’d take on based on a previous comment. . And he will pay them back.
OP wasn’t very clear on payment arrangements…just that his folks would cover two years regardless of budget.
My daughter’s hs boyfriend goes to a $45k a year school. His parents are covering $25k but paying the entire bill. He will owe them the extra $20k.
I’m not OP. I can’t say his arrangement. But if you are responsible for some or all of the cost of the last two years, you have ‘skin in the game.’ As OP said he wants to use his co-op to help fund.
Seems like a formula to have you drop out due to running out of money, unless you get lucky and find a really well paying co-op.
Do you have less expensive options and/or enough useful AP credit that could let you finish in fewer than 8 semesters? (Typically, this means something like AP calculus, physics C, chemistry, English, humanities and social studies, and the college accepts them to fulfill requirements and give advanced placement.)
Our son was admitted to the GT undergrad honors program and would have matriculated (over Michigan, sigh) if he had not received an appointment to his first choice service academy (bigger sigh). He is now earning his master’s at GT. Like the OP, he felt he’d fit in fine anywhere so wasn’t concerned about vibe or location for a measly four years of his young life, only the quality of the programs offered. If money really isn’t an issue and you feel you could fit in at all three, GT is the most highly ranked of your choices. USNWR ranks it #2 for ME if that matters to you. I do agree with those who say a visit will help you break the tie between GT and Purdue if you’re looking for vibe over programs.
Of course, OSU is out for obvious reasons. Go Blue!
