Penn State vs UMich

<p>Basically go all out and tell me all the reasons why I should pick Penn State Schreyers over UMich (or Mich over Penn) for engineering...I hope to get into both programs and they are my top two.</p>

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<p>Have you visited both schools? As much as I am a diehard PSU fan and alum, Michigan is a very good school, and I think the best choice for you is going to come down to individual preferences. Do you know which discipline you are aiming for - electrical, mechanical, biomedical, etc?</p>

<p>to be honest i unfortunately do not know what discipline i am aiming for =( however im pretty sure i will not be going into biomedical…idk why but i just dont feel like that is for me…also i know for a fact i will not go into civil</p>

<p>but cosmicfish…would u say penn state honors and umich are comparable in terms of recognition and as far as getting a job after graduation?</p>

<p>Well, Michigan is a prestigious school, but the first lesson you need to understand about getting a job after college is how to network. Penn State has the world’s largest “dues paying” alumni association. While not all alumni pay dues to the alumni association, I think it would be safe to say the vast majority of “dues paying” alumni, at any school, would be willing to grant an interview, or facilitate an interview for a recent grad from their alma mater…</p>

<p>Michigan has approximately 500,000 living alumni. It is plenty big.</p>

<p>I would not count on an alumni network trumping a stronger program when considering future career opportunities. I would also hesitate to choose one school over another because of a perceived strength in job placement. (If this is a concern, you would be wise to look at who recruits at each school’s career fairs and what the placement rates are for the departments you are interested in.)</p>

<p>I think cosmicfish is spot on with his suggestion that you visit both schools. While I am a PSU fan and appreciate its tremendous spirit, it would be hard to argue that State College has as much to offer as Ann Arbor.</p>

<p>yeah u guys make a lot of sense</p>

<p>I go to PSU-UP, and as much as I like it here so far, I would go to Michigan If I ever had a chance to. But it also depends on your major, as well. I like PSU’s school of communications and liberal arts, which is why I picked PSU. Go with what YOU want in the end.</p>

<p>why would u pick michigan over penn state?</p>

<p>Might be interest if you are considering aero engineering and are concerned about job placement–</p>

<p>“Aviation Week’s highly regarded Workforce Study, the industry’s official report and a mainstay for A&D planning and trend analysis since 1997, identifies trends in technological challenges, leadership, demographics and compensation, and ranks the top universities for A&D recruitment, with Penn State at the top for engineering schools . . .”</p>

<p>[31,800</a> Jobs Added by Aerospace and Defense Companies This Year, But Declines… – NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --](<a href=“http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/31800-jobs-added-by-aerospace-and-defense-companies-this-year-but-declines-expected-in-2012-says-aviation-week-workforce-study-128208413.html]31,800”>http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/31800-jobs-added-by-aerospace-and-defense-companies-this-year-but-declines-expected-in-2012-says-aviation-week-workforce-study-128208413.html)</p>

<p>although i am not considering aerospace engineering, i know that the wall street journal reported that penn state was ranked #1 overall by recruiters, which is why im wondering why there is not more push for penn state</p>

<p>[Aerospace</a> / Aeronautical / Astronautical | Rankings | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-aerospace-aeronautical-astronautical]Aerospace”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-aerospace-aeronautical-astronautical)</p>

<p>Look which school is ranked #3…</p>

<p>Penn State has a GREAT corporate recruiting program. It doesn’t necessarily involve an alumi network. It is numerous companies coming on campus to interview you throughout your senior year. At the beginning of your senior year, or maybe sooner for an internship, you will prepare your resume and submit it for companies to review. The companies will come to Penn State looking for grads — you will not have to go looking for them. Professors and department heads work hard to keep the companies coming back year after year. You would NEVER be able to get nearly the same amount of interviews if you were working solely with an alumni network program.</p>

<p>Now Michigan may have something similar. I can only speak personally for Penn State. Both schools have a great reputation.</p>

<p>So true, rjkofnovi. Only a fool would consider the industry’s official report more important than the USNews ranking.</p>

<p>dizzbang…are you a penn state student or alumnist?</p>

<p>Here is an honors program at The University of Michigan for engineering:</p>

<p>[Michigan</a> Engineering | EGL Home](<a href=“http://www.engin.umich.edu/egl/]Michigan”>http://www.engin.umich.edu/egl/)</p>

<p>Michigan EGL is a very specific program not directly comparable to SHC at PSU. EGL is really intended to be engineering with some business thrown in - great for some people, but not especially flexible and not real useful to “hardcore” engineers. Conversely, SHC just amplifies and broadens the regular options at PSU, so it can be useful to either design junkies or those with management goals.</p>