<p>My son was accepted at both schools directly into Engineering. Ohio State gave a generous scholarship, Purdue: nothing. Purdue would be approximately double the cost. Any reason why he should attend Purdue?</p>
<p>I’m a Purdue student right now and I love it here. I’m in engineering and would recommend it to anyone. A Purdue engineering degree is recognized all over the world and our engineering programs are consistently in the top ten in the nation. The campus life is great too - dorms are OK, food is fantastic. And there’s always stuff to do.</p>
<p>As for Ohio State, I don’t like them as a sports fan but I’m sure they have lots of events on campus and all that too. They’re engineering program will not be as strong as Purdue, but I’m sure it is still a respectable program. Part of the reason I chose Purdue was cost (I’m in state). In high school I had wanted to go to the University of Michigan but that was way more than I could afford so I came here (and I’m glad I did).</p>
<p>He may get a small scholarship when he gets into his professional school if he has good grades depending on what kind of engineering he chooses, but it won’t be near half of tuition. Purdue is pretty weak with financial aid, that’s something our president (Mitch Daniels) is trying to fix but that will be awhile before more money actually gets built up. However, he just recently instituted a 2 year freeze on tuition, so this years tuition rate is what you will pay through his sophomore year.</p>
<p>I love Purdue and encourage anyone to come here (especially for engineering) but a lot does depend on money. If Ohio State would already be a lot, just go there. But if Purdue is still an option even with the higher cost, even though I’m probably a little biased I think Purdue would be the stronger school.</p>
<p>In terms of rankings, Purdue has a slight edge over OSU. That being said, the opportunities would be similar in both schools. Due to the generous scholarship offer, it would be a more financially sound decision for your son to attend OSU.</p>