<p>I have been recruiting engineers for over 18 years. In the past 3-5 years, my clients NEVER comment on the difference between a BSME (or any engineering degree) from Georgia Tech or Ohio State - if the candidate has good internships/co-ops/work experience and interview well - it doesn’t matter which school the degree is from. I would really investigate the intern/co-op experience at both schools - that is what is important when comparing two very good schools. A great student will be successful at either school and will be successful coming out if they make the best of their experience. Personally I don’t think $40K or so (difference to go to GT) is worth it!</p>
<p>Reputation (and hence rankings) often lags actual quality, often by decades. Check out this link for more info:</p>
<p>[Physics</a> Grad | Resources for current and prospective graduate students](<a href=“http://www.physicsgrad.com/]Physics”>http://www.physicsgrad.com/)</p>
<p>Here’s a face: OSU is a top-five engineering college when it comes to engineering research spending. GTech ain’t. :P</p>
<p>If OP was trying to make it onto Wall Street, maybe the “ranking difference” between OSU and GT would matter; however, he wants to be an engineer, and both schools will fulfill that desire just fine. No employer will reject the guy with the degree from OSU in favor of the guy with the degree from GT for the sole reason that the one guy has the GT degree.</p>
<p>The OP wants to go to graduate school, not work for Honda. For graduate school, prestige matters. Maybe not a lot (ultimately talent and hard work get one into grad school rather than the prestige of a degree), but yes, to a certain extent.</p>
<p>Only the OP can really say what’s right for him or her. If issues of cost or distance are really prohibitive, then that’s the case. No shame in going to whatever school for whatever reason. But I also think that the OP should way this option very seriously. GTech represents a wonderful opportunity and a terrific achievement. If anything, the OP should at least be congratulated for getting into such a prestigious school.</p>
<p>I think you’re exaggerating GTech’s prestige. Yes the engineering is incredibly well-respected but GTech is on par with Purdue in terms of overall prestige (in that if you’re not in engineering, you’re wasting your time).</p>
<p>Ohio State has world-class physics, math, and engineering departments. It’s nothing to scoff at.</p>
<p>The total cost for Ohio state would be around 20,000 for me. Maryland would be around 32,000 and buffalo would be like 10,000. I got into the honors program for both Ohio State and Buffalo. I’m just not sure which one would be the better option, any suggestions?</p>
<p>Have you been to Buffalo? Outside of the wealthy neighborhoods, it’s incredibly dumpy. Like busted windows in every skyscraper and trees growing out of them dumpy.</p>
<p>I think you’re exaggerating OSU’s prestige. I know this comes as a big system shock for OSU people, but there ARE other schools. To say that the #30 program in the country is the equivalent of the #5 program … please. Even if you personally prefer OSU, at least have the intellectual capacity to recognize that there are other, better options, and that there is another life elsewhere.</p>
<p>GTech is just a better school overall. It has always ranked in the top tier, whereas OSU has not. It has a much lower acceptance rate than OSU. Its students meet higher admission criteria. Stronger peers tend to enhance the learning experience.</p>
<p>Here is a link:
World Reputation:</p>
<p>[Top</a> universities by reputation 2013](<a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013/reputation-ranking]Top”>World Reputation Rankings 2013 | Times Higher Education (THE))</p>
<p>World Ranking:
<a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking[/url]”>http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking</a></p>
<p>I think you made a mistake by posting this in Ohio State thread. Everyone is going to say Ohio State is the best even you say “Ohio State vs Stanford”. Georgia Tech’s peers are UCB, Cornell, Umich, CMU, etc whereas Ohio’s peers are Penn State, Maryland, VTech, Purdue etc.
Unless you have financial problems, don’t turn down Georgia Tech.</p>