Purdue or Penn State for Engineering?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I honestly cannot decide between these two schools. I live in PA, not too far from Philly and about a 4 hour drive from Penn State. </p>

<p>I've been admitted to the DUS at Penn State and the School of Engineering at Purdue. Right now, I want to pursue Biomedical Engineering. I've visited both campuses, and here are some observations:</p>

<p>PURDUE PROS: Excellent biomed school and overall engineering program, great reputation and networking, Big Ten, nice campus, good sports atmosphere, nice college town and outgoing faculty.
PURDUE CONS: Far away from home, which increases transportation costs and limits the frequency of home visits. Also not really near any major cities (Chicago is 2 hrs away and costs $40 for a round-trip bus). I've heard the engineering curriculum is VERY tough. Campus seems a bit dead, especially for engineers, and I love partying! Expensive as well for OOS.</p>

<p>PSU PROS: Excellent engineering program, not sure of biomed rankings. Comparable reputation and great networking. Amazing athletics. Great campus. Not too far from home. Penn state parties as well, even if you are an engineer!
PSU CONS: Problem is that since I am in the DUS, i will not really start with the full engineering curriculum after some time. Not really near any major cities. Purdue probably has a better reputation for engineering, although Penn State is probably a bit easier. </p>

<p>I love both campuses and could picture myself at both for 4 years. However, I want to go somewhere where recruiters will take notice. I want somewhere that engineers can have a lot of fun. I want somewhere where it's easy to make friends. </p>

<p>What are you opinions of both? Academics, reputation, partying, athletics, campus life, anything! I just want to know is this: In 10 years, which of these two colleges will I look back on and know that I made the right decision, without any regrets?</p>

2

<p>USNWR Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs Rankings </p>

<ol>
<li>Purdue</li>
<li>Penn State</li>
</ol>

3

<p>Please don’t attend a school because you heard that its engineering program is easier than the other - that would be the wrong reason.</p>

<p>Living a little farther away from home would actually be an advantage, giving you more independence from home.</p>

<p>You will find plenty of parties and socializing at both locations - it is more up to you.</p>

4

<p>The differences in rankings are not meaningful.</p>

<p>What are your parents saying? Are they willing to pay more for you to go to Purdue OOS??? If not, then it’s a non-issue.</p>

<p>You have a concern about bus tix, so it sounds like money is an issue. How would you pay for either school? neither gives much aid.</p>

5

<p>My parents are willing to pay for the OOS tuition; in fact, their preference is that I go to Purdue. The bus problem is that I have close friends and family that live in Chicago that I would love to visit on a regular basis. Also, Chicago is home to many concerts that won’t come to West Lafayette, and if I want to go to one, the concert ticket cost plus the $40 bus ticket cost will be a pain. I definitely need at least a little financial aid, because $41,000 a year is very expensive. I know that Purdue has the better engineering program, but is it worth the extra $15,000 or so per year?</p>

6

<p>I don’t think it’s worth it. And, if you “definitely” need some FA, then Purdue’s going to be a problem. </p>

<p>How much FA do you need? I think you’re only going to get a $5500 loan.</p>

<p>What do you mean by saying that your parents will pay…BUT…you need some FA? If you need FA then you’re saying that your parents can’t pay all the OOS costs.</p>

<p>Which is it?</p>

7

<p>Sorry, I should have clarified further. What I am trying to say is that my parents love Purdue and would love it if I went there. They realize that the costs are much higher, and although I believe they could technically pay fully for tuition if need be, some financial aid would really help out. I don’t NEED it, but I could really use it.</p>

8

<p>You said that the Purdue campus seemed dead…did you visit on a Saturday, early in the day? If so, virtually all campuses can look rather dead on a Sat morn…kids sleep in, study in their rooms, or at part-time jobs.</p>

9

<p>Financially, this is sounding more like a Penn State thingy.</p>