Northeastern vs CMU for engineering?

I got accepted to both CMU and NEU for engineering and I’m trying to decide between the two. I still have some other schools left to hear back from, too. How much better is CMU’s eng program than NEU?

Besides academics, though, I kind of liked NEU better for the location, size of student population, and the fact there there are so many different students besides STEM oriented students, unlike CMU. They’re at about the same price range for me, and I haven’t toured either school. If anyone had any insight that would be helpful! Thanks

If you’re sure you want Engineering, Carnegie Mellon will open a lot of doors for you.

CMU is significantly stronger than Northeastern in Engineering, both at the undergrad and grad levels. Pitt is right next door, which has all kinds of students. And Pittsburgh is an awesome city.

This is very tricky!
What kind of engineering?
CMU has tiered admission, i.e. you may get into school
of engineering but can’t major in EE or CE.

What’s the end goal?

I haven’t decided yet. Initially I was accepted as a chemE, but know I don’t know. I also don’t know if I want to attend grad school

Students of the nationally ranked Fine Arts school would probably disagree with you. And those from the Dietrich Humanities and Social Sciences school. And the Tepper business school. And Heinz. All 5,000+ of them.

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Carnegie Mellon may be most known for its Engineering and CS programs, but it’s very strong all-around. I think it is peers with such schools as Georgetown, Rice, Vanderbilt, Emory, Washington U, and Notre Dame. So it isn’t just a binary club.

Northeastern is a good school in its own right, but I would say that if you are interested in Engineering, CMU definitely has the academic edge.

That isn’t the only fit variable, but next to cost it is probably the most important.

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Hi, I just came across this thread as my daughter is currently deciding between CMU (ECE major) and Northeastern (Computer Engineering and Computer Science major). Since she is not entirely sure she wants ECE, we are concerned she will be locked into the major as it is not easy to transfer to the SCS. Another concern is the high stress level that may be present at CMU. I’m not sure whether the workload and stress would be the same at Northeastern. My daughter would like to get involved in some other activities (music and drama) and not spend every hour studying. Lastly, I’m concerned that the COOP program, while providing valuable experience, would also create a disconnected college experience (and possibly very little time at home with summer classes). I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on these issues.

A BS in Engineering is going to be intense at either institution, there’s just no way around that. The rigor of Engineering classes and the workload is high. BS degrees (as opposed to BA) also have a lot of major requirements, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for exploration into other subjects. It is, to be fair, extremely enjoyable. If she wants to have time for other things and not stress out too much, the key is to be realistic with the classes she signs up for: Don’t get sucked into graduating faster, double-majoring, going after a minor too early (or at all), etc. Work out a schedule with no more than three technical classes per semester in the first couple of years (plus, say, one liberal arts class) whenever possible. If she shoots for a realistic workload, she will have a great time. As for competitive atmosphere, quite frankly I would not worry about it: in the end, she is in control of her journey.

As for the ECE major vs CE/CS: The key to discern which one to go for is to look at the core requirements of the first two years and decide if that is something she’d enjoy. Once she’s in junior year she will be charting her own path much more regardless of where she is–no one will make her take an upper level class in power electronics if she doesn’t like that, for example. If she engages in research, she should take it for credit so that it’ll take up space in her schedule. Maybe sit down together and work out a four-year plan the way she thinks she’d enjoy it. ECE in the first couple of years will use math toolsets more intensely than CE/CS. Don’t stop at the course names; look at the syllabi and lecture material a bit to gauge curiosity.

Good luck! She has two fantastic options in her hands and it’s going to be a blast.

Thank you for your that information. It was very helpful and I will definitely be sharing your post with my daughter.