Hi CC’ers I know this is a weird comparison but I’m not sure whether or not I should attend Purdue University for Mechanical/Multidisciplinary Engineering or Claremont McKenna (Waitlisted but most likely admit) for Economics/Management Engineering. I’ve visited both schools which have left a good impression on me but cannot really decide. I will be able to take advantage of internships/co-ops, mesh programs together through ad-ons or established ones, and the list of similarities of things I’m looking for in a college goes on.
A little bit about me: NorCal born and raised wanting to merge product/industrial design, business, and engineering (audio/sound or mech) into my curriculum and one day form my own start up or work at a high tech company or studio engineer. Happy-go-lucky personality and love to meet people and party but know when to be serious and get work done. I adapt to new differences fairly easily and can make friends no problem. “visual-tactile” learning style that learns best by doing and engaging in projects and stuff over traditional, theoretical hard-core textbook and lectures.
If y’all could list out some stuff for me to consider and the pros/cons of each that would be great! Personal experiences welcome as well, Thanks 
Net price at each?
What major do you really want to do?
Do you have any other admissions?
Note that the CMC economics or managment + engineering programs are 3+2 programs, for a total of 5 years, requiring transferring to another school for the last two years. One of the options for the last two years is next-door Harvey Mudd, but specific GPA and grade requirements must be met.
Also, waitlists usually end up becoming rejections.
Note that Purdue admits to first year engineering; entering your desired engineering major requires meeting a GPA in the prerequisite courses that is set to avoid overflowing the major (i.e. popular majors relative to their capacities have higher GPA thresholds).
Net price: I am low income and efc zero
Purdue -under 30k OOS (working to get better aid)
CMC -under 10k (free in best scenario)
Major: I’m open to any form of combined engineering with business
Admissions? My other choices are SJSU engineering and UCSD undeclared… Basically got rekt by admissions system
I have a “back door” that my waitlist will become an admit if all goes as planned and the inside info that has been updating me is correct.
I’m aware of the CMC 3+2 reqs and Purdue process which shouldn’t be too big of a problem for me.
Purdue is too expensive – you would not be able to self-fund $30,000 per year. The realistic maximum you can self-fund is probably around $10,000 ($5,500 federal direct loans, remainder from work earnings).
How much do SJSU and UCSD cost? However, UCSD requires competitive admission to impacted majors, which all engineering majors are there.
If you are interested in the 3+2 program and get admitted, remember that the “2” school may not have the same financial aid that CMC does. Find out from HMC what financial aid would be if you go there as a 3+2 student.
In any case, you need to choose some other school while you are waiting on the CMC waitlist.
Engineering + business is not a realistic major combination outside of a 3+2 program that allows it. In addition, some engineering employers will question such a student’s commitment to engineering when hiring entry level engineers out of school.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/14122185#Comment_14122185
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/14541938#Comment_14541938
Thanks for the input @ucbalumnus
- Sjsu and ucsd will both be under 10k
- I will receive some partial help from my parents if I choose to go to Purdue and can take some private no interest loans
- Business at Purdue will strictly be an enhancement of what they call an “entrepreneurship and innovation certificate” plus clubs/organizations that help me network through business related emphasis and engineering will be the main, primary focus. I’ll be wary of what you said though, about not being taken seriously by employers and reconsider my options.
- I’ll look into how the 3+2 financial aid works
If your parents have low enough income to have EFC = $0, then they are unlikely to be able to contribute enough to make Purdue affordable.
Realistically, you need to choose SJSU or UCSD (but find out how competitive getting into the desired engineering major is at UCSD before deciding) by the deadline (unless you would rather start at a community college instead of either of these two). Then you can hope to get off the waitlist at CMC; if you do, you can choose to go there instead if you decide it is preferable (but you would lose the deposit at SJSU or UCSD).
It’s nearly impossible to get into UCSD engineering through undecided and SJSU just isn’t worth all the work I put over the past 4 years. Efc is zero and I won’t get into too much financial detail but we have ways to pay for the cost if necessary. Talking to financial aid department and trying to get more scholarships at the moment at Purdue