<p>My daughter thinks she wants to study industrial and systems engineering. </p>
<p>Pros and cons:</p>
<p>OSU
in state tuition
honors program
some scholarships
less than 30 minutes from home (positive and negative)</p>
<p>VT
oos tuition
honors program
no scholarships
five and a half hours from home (positive and negative)
smaller than OSU, but large enough to offer many options</p>
<p>Please give any feedback you have on either school or on similar decisions you or your child had to make.</p>
<p>Ok, all you Hokies out there--I haven't heard anything from you. I posted this on the OSU college forum, too, and they are giving me their input. What about VT students, parents, and alum?</p>
<p>Hi SportsMama, I responded to your previous post when I saw it the "latest Posts", didn't see that you had also posted here. My s chose VT engineering.</p>
<p>This will always be a tough decision to make when you are comparing two similar schools. VT's engineering school is rated higher, but I also think that you should consider what else the school has to offer if you decide in a year that engineering is not where you want to be. I understand that the first year is notorious for "weeding" out the unprepared, unwilling to work, and the uninterested! So, consider the other options available.</p>
<p>It's difficult to say what should be the deciding factor for your daughter. For us, the money (none) and distance (6 hours) weren't deciding factors. For my s, what tipped him over to VT was walking through the campus a few weeks ago and talking with students. He felt like he was talking with friends. Comfortable, relaxed, laid-back, friendly - he also spent time chatting with a couple of professors and was relieved to hear them say that students could visit them anytime, not just during office hours.</p>
<p>He also liked the food (important to this kid!!!), and the fact that so many wore school colors - shirts, sweats, etc (this was a few days before 4/16).</p>
<p>Zimmer07,
Thanks for your input. I did see your response on another thread I started. Someone suggested that I also post under each school to get feedback from people who might have more specific info about the school. I'm surprised I haven't heard more from VT people. </p>
<p>Did your son attend the engineering open house a few weeks ago? My daughter and I were there. We were both impressed with the presentations we attended. My daughter loved the campus--said everything was laid out so well. She also loved the spirit of the students. Like you said, there are other things to consider as well. I know the food is supposed to be really good--and that's important to her, too! </p>
<p>I wish she had received some money from them; it would've made things a bit easier. I see that you are 6 hours away, so you must also be from out of state?</p>
<p>I went w/ him in August and my h went with him during our spring break week 2 weeks ago. Missed the open house, but he saw what he wanted to see plus got to spend a little extra time with a professor and a few students from Comp. Sci. </p>
<p>They stayed overnight at the Inn which was beautiful, drove around Blacksburg itself, and went back on campus the next day - it was one of those gorgeous days and the drillfield was full of kids sitting on the grass, walking around, playing frisbee......one of those Kodak moments!</p>
<p>Money is always nice.....but since she's in Honors, she has the opportunity to apply each year for scholarships. I know it's a pain in the butt, be nice if schools just fell over themselves to give us money! Ha, as if! But at least VT is relatively affordable compared to other schools at 40-45K.</p>
<p>You could also explore the option of declaring in-state residency later on. If she rents an apartment there, she would be well on the way to being a full-time resident (and then half-price tuition). I'm not sure exactly how that works, but I know it is done.</p>
<p>Zimmer07,
Is your son fairly certain he wants to study computer science? As I said before, I am worried that my daughter might change her mind. She seems to think this is what she wants, but sometimes things are not what you think they will be. I am looking at the math and business departments, just in case. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any info on math or business at VT? I know Ohio State has a good business program. I am still checking on their math department. </p>
<p>Wow, I will be so glad when this is over!!! (Well, at least I hope I will be happy when this is over.)</p>
<p>The Pamplin Business school is supposed to be excellent at VT.</p>
<p>He's not at all sure he wants Computer Science, he just happened on that group and enjoyed it tremendously. His interests lie in math, sciences, and economics....but nothing medically related (hates Biology!!) - he likes figuring out things. The freshman engineering courses are great for helping them figure out what areas they want to concentrate on. </p>
<p>My feeling is that he's going to find that he has more choices than he'll know what to do with. I fully expect him to change his mind from what he thinks he wants now....that's why I encouraged him to get in to the engineering program first. It is harder to get into eng from University Studies, but easy to switch from eng to anything else. </p>
<p>VT is a well known school, major improvements in the last few decades, extremely supportive alumni base, and apparently bottomless pits of money (!!). It's hard to believe your d and my s won't be able to find whatever it is they are meant to be doing with their lives at VT.</p>
<p>I know what you mean, Sportsmama. There were many more posters before April 16. While all the frequent student posters finally reported in near the end of the week, it seems that CC sort of dropped off their horizon, understandably. I think those still at school are finishing up the year now, and parents are already moving on to the detail work of getting their kid out of the house (haha).
Doesn't your d have some inkling of which she prefers? Which one would she have been totally crushed to not have been accepted to?</p>
<p>Zimmer07, thanks for being there--again! My daughter has been going back and forth. She was favoring VT, even after the tragedy, but in the past week seems to have shifted somewhat to OSU. Part of it may be that she was very sick with strep and said she couldn't imagine being this sick and far from home. (My husband said it's my fault for taking such good care of her.) In part, I think it's because it's finally real. She has alway wanted to go away to school, but we made her apply to three in state schools, too.</p>
<p>She was totally crushed not to get into UNC and UVA. Since she didn't get into her "dream" schools, she hasn't really had a clear cut favorite. It's kind of sad really because she worked hard and did well in high school. Right now she is volunteering at Footsteps for Hope-a cancer research fundraiser. She's a great kid ( I know, I'm biased!) I realize, after reading many posts on CC, that there are many deserving kids who did not get into the schools of their choice. I was just hoping that this would be a happier time. OSU just seems so big and impersonal to me. VT is a big school, but it felt more personal there. </p>
<p>I'm glad for you that your son has made a decision and feels good about it. Thanks for your support. It is very much appreciated.</p>
<p>So, I know there are more than 3 of us from CC with deposits into VT! But that's what the Master list says right now. My D. always wanted to go to VT because it doesn't feel so huge to her. I think it's the way the kids are there. She never once swayed from her loyalty to it. It's when she realizes how far away she is from her little sister and home that might get to her. The quality of the school is so good, though, that I feel I can accept her going so far away. I haven't posted on here until now because my daughter will not be pursuing the engineering programs. But we do know that the business school is highly respected. I'm one of those believers that whatever choice your daughter has a gut feeling for is the right one for her, so I say don't worry. Also, the school was very helpful to us by telling us the best way to set up her curriculum for ease in either switching majors or doing a double major. There are some courses that transfer from dept. to dept. easily. Let us know what she decides!</p>
<p>SportsMama,
My son will be attending VT this fall as a business (finance in particular) major. Business school is very well regarded, as is the entire university. He loved VT when we visited last April, it was his first choice when he applied to schools, and loved it even more when we attended Hokie Focus. The friendliness of the students both times we visited impressed him so much. People went out of their ways to answer his questions on campus. He loves the school setting although it is a 12 hour drive for us. He did not think he would get in, so was overjoyed to hear he did.<br>
I have spoken to several people at VT regarding some questions and they have been very helpful. As others have mentioned, I think finals are gearing up and the regulars who respond to questions are busy now. Good luck to your daughter with her decision.</p>
<p>I really can't comment on OSU, but I can tell you my daughter just completed her sophomore year at VT. Although we are 800 miles away, she felt like she was "home" when we went for the tour. Like everyone else, we couldn't get over how friendly everyone was as we walked around campus with her.</p>
<p>Nothing has changed since she became a student there. She has had to meet with her professors for a variety of reasons over the past two years. They have always been accessible and helpful. She received an email from her advisor over the summer, when her advisor was "looking through her fall schedule and had a question about a class she was enrolled in". My collge advisor sure never did that!!</p>
<p>My daughter is minoring in business, but she knows a number of business majors. They all seem to have found internships without much trouble.</p>
<p>I think VT is a large school with a small school feel. I believe the tragedy that occurred will only strengthen the bond between the students and faculty.</p>
<p>sorry, i didnt comment but im not a student at VT and felt like my comments would possibly be inaccurate for such a moumental decision that your daughter is facing, but i did choose VT. So, jus wondering which college she chose since it is after the deadline.</p>
<p>PS I dont think she could go wrong with either one, they're both great schools. Go Hokies!!!</p>
<p>I'm thinking maybe I'm not supposed to make this post. It's the fourth time in two days that I've tried and each time there is something that says I need to refresh or I'm not allowed to post or some such nonsense. So . . . I will give the most abbreviated version I can think of. My others were so long and then they disappeared.</p>
<p>D told us her decision Monday night--OSU.
I didn't act excited.
D was mad at me.
I told her I was upset that she wasn't excited about her decision.<br>
I didn't sleep much that night.
I went to the Buckeye Corner the next day and bought her some OSU stuff and had it wrapped in an OSU bag.
I went home that night and gave her the bag and congratulated her on becoming a Buckeye.
We hugged but aren't ready to talk yet.</p>
<p>I'm sad but I have to get over it because it's her decision. It's my job to be supportive (even if I feel like she's making a mistake). I think the academics will be fine. It's the other part that makes me feel like she will be missing out on something.</p>
<p>Hi SportsMama, Congratulations on getting through the decision process and supporting your D's decision! I think it took awhile for CC to get posts up from yesterday because there weren't any on last night. Just be glad your D. made her own decision. She will be more inclined to make it work and she is following her own instincts. Of all the things I know about each of my children, the most wonderous thing is to realize that they are individuals apart from me. It's pretty admirable that she made up her mind probably knowing you felt differently and she may know or sense something about herself that works for OSU better. If not, she'll find out and decide for herself again. This is such an odd spring to be a mother for any of us with college coming up. Don't worry. And enjoy getting ready for OSU!</p>