I’m a prospective Mechanical Engineering student (although I’m not set on Mechanical), and I’m really stuck between Northeastern, University of Rochester and RPI. I am pretty set on engineering, so I’m not too worried about switching out of that. I only have a day or so left to decide and I’m desperate. My brother went to University of Rochester and absolutely loved it there, so I’ve been kind of leaning towards it. I did visit all three schools and I enjoyed them all equally.
My biggest concern about RPI is the reputation for being anti-social and the gender ratio. I’m also not sure if I want to go to a school with all engineers; I like the idea of being around people with a bunch of different interest.
I really liked the coop program at Northeastern, but I was slightly concerned about the sheer size of it (esp compared to U of R and RPI). Will I be able to get as much individual help at NE compared to one of the smaller schools? Also is it harder to make friends in such a massive school? I was accepted into the Honors program. My parents are also a bit iffy about the coop program. Is it really worth losing some class time and possibly graduating in 5 years instead of 4 when you could just be doing internships over the summer? They’re concerned that I wouldn’t get the “traditional university experience” and that it may not be challenging enough.
I don’t have too many concerns about Rochester. I loved the campus and the City of Rochester is pretty nice. I don’t know how great mechanical engineering is there, but the engineering department as a whole seems pretty well rounded and conservative.
If anyone has anything to add, I would greatly appreciate it!
Thank you so much.
Sounds like UR is the winner, for the reasons you give. I was really impressed when we visited. I seem to recall that you could apply for a free tuition fifth year if there was some compelling reason a student would benefit from an extra year of study. I loved the school’s setting, and weather is not a factor since it will be cold at all of them. Good luck!
I think you have some misconceptions about RPI but UR does sound like a good place for you for the reasons you gave. You and your brother can start a family legacy there. Best to you!
Yes, I meant it sounds like UR is the best choice for you. We researched all of them and visited UR and RPI, and I have been to Northeastern on other trips. All are outstanding.
Thank you all for the responses. My biggest concern about UR is that I’m not too into the medical field, which is heavily stressed. As far as I know, most of the research going on there is medical related… It’s also slightly more expensive than NEU or RPI.
Also, I’m sorry I wasn’t very fair to RPI. I understand that this view may be somewhat biased. I have visited twice, and I got a mix of both positive and negative vibes. I also don’t plan on joining a frat no matter where I go. So, that could hurt me at RPI.
30% of males are in a fraternity. 20% of females are in a sorority. Just curious since I’m going to RPI and don’t plan to be in a fraternity, in what way did you mean ‘it could hurt me’?
It seems like you like Rochester best, so go there. While RPI arguably has the highest reputation in engineering of the three, it’s not going to make that big of difference in real world outcomes.
Re: RPI anti-social / frats. My D is at RPI and she hasn’t found it to be anti-social at all, in fact she’s found the student body to be friendly and collaborative. She’s not in a frat, and neither are most of her friends; not being in one doesn’t hurt you. However, the student body does skew techy/nerdy, so if you want a school with a broader range of humanities students, then UR is probably a better choice for you.
Sorry, I don’t mean to be bashing RPI so badly. GoRedhead, I just meant that not joining a frat may make it more difficult for me to make friends on campus. But it sounds like you and insanedreamer’s daughter are doing just fine, and I’ve heard from others who have said the same thing. So maybe it is an irrational concern…
Thank you for all of the help! Can anyone comment on UR vs NE for engineering? Especially since I’m not too interested in medical, I think I may be leaning towards NE? So stressful!
@Hemi392 "My biggest concern about UR is that I’m not too into the medical field, which is heavily stressed. As far as I know, most of the research going on there is medical related… "
I know this is a little late but this is just not true at all. Not your fault since I’ve heard many other people say something similar, but I wonder where this assumption comes from. Maybe it’s just the size and reputation of the hospital/med school.
While it’s true that there are great research opportunities related to the medical field, there is just as much if not more going on that is not related to medicine. I went to UR for ME and there is a ton of research in all disciplines, even humanities and social sciences.