<p>i meant grunt in the least offensive way possible. for some, that does not bother them at all, and that is fine. an engineer will do quite well financially, have time for a family, and all that other stuff. it is quite a nice life, and i have a feeling the avg engineer is MUCH happier than the avg wall st i-banker. </p>
<p>but if the OP is somewhat of a sociopath who wants to accumulate vast amounts of money and power, it is better to go for general prestige. </p>
<p>assuming there is no financial hit in the northwestern vs purdue discussion, the normal engineering track would still be open from northwestern, while the “power track” (banker or whatever) would not be open from purdue.</p>