<p>Hi guys! :)
I'm Joan from Ireland.
I am a sponsored student, so I do not have any financial issues.
And, I'm not worried about social life at all.</p>
<p>So, which of them is better in your honest opinion? I am honestly thrilled to be abroad for the most part so I'm not at all troubled by the environment, weather, campus life, etc. I just wanna know what you think?</p>
<p>:D Thanks!</p>
<p>PS: Other offers may come late March, so I'll ask again then, :p</p>
<p>If you’re not interested in a social life Purdue will be perfect :"> </p>
<p>OK, seriously, not because I went to Purdue but MechEng is pretty good there. There’s all kinds of labs, activities, classes, research, etc. going on. The weather is awful right about now but it’s not any better in State College, PA. Purdue may be a bit easier to get in and out via Chicago.</p>
<p>Do you have an area that you would like to focus on? classes outside Mech Eng? take a look at the research both campuses are doing and see. My last intern was a Purdue Mech Eng kid, he enjoyed it there. </p>
<p>Hi turbo93!
Thanks! :)</p>
<p>I haven’t really give much thought about classes outside my sponsored major…
But then, since you said Purdue will be perfect if I’m not interested in social life, does that meant Purdue students are really that isolated? I’ve heard a lot about Penn State, but what about Purdue?</p>
<p>Party, sorority, guys? :p</p>
<p>He was joking about the social life. I have quite a few friends who graduated in engineering from Purdue who all had ample time for a social life.</p>
<p>Purdue is just a college town. The Lafayette/ West Lafayette area is not a city, and it’s not overly exciting. We like to joke that we’re surrounded by corn and soy bean fields. I chose Purdue over Penn State partially due to finances. Partially because of Purdue’s awesome engineering facilities, and partially due to their awesome co-op and internships. But Penn State’s career fairs are no joke either.</p>
<p>Happy Valley isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis, either, though.</p>
<p>Haha, that is also true, however I’ve only been there once, and that was around 4 years ago, so my memory of University Park is a bit fuzzy. My most memorable moment of Penn State was taking a nap in the car at ~ 5 am and then eating a pretty horrid breakfast at McDonalds (cross country college road trip, hit up 5 colleges in one go!).</p>
<p>I hear that Purdue has an ample population of international students, so that might be an attraction to you.</p>
<p>I was married to a fellow Purdue grad student when I attended, so my social life was not much to begin with. There are plenty of things to do, anything from concerts, restaurants, shopping, and the like but it’s a smaller Midwestern US city, college town and all. The students there looked a lot more focused than other universities I attended or visited. </p>
<p>My daughter is attending an SEC flagship state and let’s just say it’s more party-some than Purdue 8-| </p>
<p>True about the international flair on campus, lots of international students from all over. As I mentioned, Purdue’s big advantage compared to some of the other similar schools is proximity to a big city like Chicago. </p>
<p>Thanks all. Seems that Purdue is in the not bad range. 
And it seems to me that Purdue is really good in academics! :D</p>
<p>By the way, another question, does Penn State allows credit by examination or advanced credit examination aka test outs like Purdue? :)</p>