<p>This decision is absolutely killing me, 2 beautiful campuses, 2 fantastic engineering programs, 2 great schools. Over the past two weeks I was able to visit both schools and honestly I can't see a difference between the two however I have compiled a pros and cons list. I am in state for Penn State however money is not a factor. If possible could you provide me some information or incite in choosing my school? Thanks.
Pros:
- 5K less than Virginia Tech
- Large Alumni base good for networking
- Lots of school spirit
- Large freshman retention rate
- College town with much to do
- Prestige
- No culture shock, closer to home
- Beautiful campus
- Campus feels smaller than actually is
- Hockey facility on campus (im a hockey player)
- Strong academic programs across the board (Engineering, Business, Liberal Arts)
- Lots to do on campus wide array of facilities available to students
Cons:
- Middle of nowhere
- Weather </p>
<p>Virginia Tech
Pros:
- Large alumni base for networking
- Lots of school spirit
- Large freshman retention rate
- Beautiful campus
- Good food
Cons:
- 6 hours away
- Less prestige (slightly)
- Programs less established (outside of engineering and business)
- Not much to do in Blacksburg
- Possible culture shock
- Weather
- Middle of nowhere</p>
<p>I have a kid now at Virginia Tech. Blacksburg is indeed a “college town” and was voted as one of the best college towns in the south by Southern Living Magazine. We have also been to State College as son attended a volleyball camp there. Both are nice college towns with similar populations. I wouldn’t worry too much about culture shock at VT as alot of kids are from Northern Virginia and there are also alot of out of state students. Given that Penn State is closer and cheaper for you, that may be your best bet . But both schools are great with loyal alumni and good on campus recruiting . Good luck with the decision!</p>
<p>I can see why this is a difficult decision. Maybe you want to take this opportunity to live 6 hours away from home. Both schools are excellent, and it will give you a different experience than staying in your own back yard. My daughter said if she would have known she was going to switch to engineering, she would have applied to VT. She is attending a university in PA. On the other hand, 5K less at PSU adds up. What are your parents saying?</p>
<p>I’m going in undecided and I’m leaning toward engineering but I’m still unsure. My mom would like to see me go to vt however my dad would like me to stay close.</p>
<p>If you do decide to go to VT, I assume you mean you would go into University Studies initially? If so, you need to take the courses the engineers are taking to keep that option open and not to get behind. You can take all the same courses(calculus,physics,etc) except for the initial engineering course. How important is hockey to you in all this? VT has hockey but it looks like the arena is in Roanoke. Of course, lots of the guys playing hockey probably carpool to get to the arena.</p>
<p>How about Virginia tech’s and penn state’s programs besides engineering. Which school has an edge there? Whos programs are more established?</p>
<p>Tech is supposed to be good in your core subjects (English, History, Science, Math). Its agriculture, architecture, and engineering are the real focuses though. If you get too outside of there, majors start getting small.</p>