<p>Hello all, my s got accepted to Penn State, Pitt and RIT for Mechanical Engineering Any recommendations? I think they are all excellent schools.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I’d vote Penn State, BUT all three are different schools with different fits. Choose which one fits your s best as any of them can be decent.</p>
<p>Penn St is large, but rural - well known for engineering.
Pitt is large, but urban.
RIT is semi-large with an urban bubble. Do they also do co-ops? A friend’s son graduated from there having done a co-op (computers), but I’m not sure if it’s all students or just those who choose it.</p>
<p>THanks Creek! Good information on the type of campus. They are diverse locations for sure RIT gets a crazy amount of Snow too. </p>
<p>Do you have any info or insights comparing their engineering programs?</p>
<p>Yes, RIT has a huge co-op program. Almost all of their majors are 5 yr programs to allow for 2 semester length (longer if they are attached to a summer) co-ops. They have been doing co-ops for 100 years and have built up great relationships with lots of corporations.</p>
<p>My son is also applying to RIT for Mech Eng.</p>
<p>U S Ne ws </p>
<p>has them rated</p>
<p>MIT #1 Score 100/100
penn state #25 score 57/100
pitt #47 score 41/100
rit #82 score 26/100</p>
<p>Not sure of the criterion for the 100 point score, you need a subscription to see the details</p>
<p>Also, they all have different specialties
RIT looks like it has 4 core concentrations in mechanical including auto/aero i’m not sure you have to choose only one of the 4. PSU/PITT have look like they have more options both have a great material sciences program, PITT seems to have and edge w/ the bio-mechanical.</p>
<p>so many things to consider</p>
<p>I’m mainly knowledgeable with Civil Engineering as that is my other half’s specialty. In our area, pretty much all new hires come from Penn St or Virginia Tech. However, Mechanical is a different specialty, so I can’t really say more than Penn St has a great engineering rep. It also doesn’t surprise me if Pitt would have a Bio-medical edge as they are known as the “better” school (between the two) for anything pre-med or med having multiple hospitals on the premises. (I do know students who have gone to Penn St and gone on to med school, so there’s no need for anyone to think I’m saying Penn St is “bad” for that… It’s just that Pitt has more for the undergrads in that field.)</p>
<p>RIT I’m simply not as familiar with other than having an acquaintance (at work) whose son graduated from there, but with a different major.</p>
<p>Any one of the schools could be a good match pending which fits better. Is there a cost difference for you?</p>
<p>Penn State imo</p>
<p>I have a son at RIT (and two others concurrently at other schools) so I can tell you about his experience there (although I can’t speak about your other two choices). Our difference in experience has a lot to do with being accepted into a particular major, which gives you instant access to an advisor in your major, which has been a big benefit to my son - who got to start courses in his major in his first quarter, which was hugely motivational (my other two are basically stuck taking “foundation” courses for their first year - very easy to lose sight of your goals). We have been very impressed with the amount of attention he has gotten in terms of academic counseling, he is definitely NOT a number, even with the relatively large size of the school.</p>
<p>RIT is a very hands on school, which also really attracted my son. Not just the internships but he also has opportunities on campus to work on real life projects. Kids are also encouraged to join in on anything that interests them, whether it is major related or not (my husband is still trying to convince him to work on that NASCAR build…)</p>
<p>RIT has a vibrant, somewhat unique environment, a combination of engineering & computer geeks (no offence intended), gifted artists and a completely integrated school for the deaf. There are also some really interesting dorm options - my son is on a Wellness floor with other athletically inclined kids and they are constantly on the go with activities. He has made lots of friends and is so happy to be there.</p>
<p>Pitt has a new guaranteed internship program. You might want to check that out. <a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cdpa[/url]”>http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cdpa</a></p>
<p>BTW, Pitt is significantly smaller than PSU.</p>
<p>Thanks great info on RIT and the PITT Internship program. </p>
<p>Received offer letter from Drexel based on the 4 yr 1 coop option Estimated Cost from Drexel was 67,500 and he received an 18K acedemic scholarship but 49K seems like way too much. The 5 yr 3 coop program is 7K less a year but you have 5 years. Seems crazy to pay that much.</p>