Rank these schools / Engineering Safeties

College Search & Selection
1

<p>My intended major is mechanical engineering. In your opinion, rank these schools by toughness of admissions (not prestige).</p>

<p>Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University
University of California: Berkeley
Cornell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Johns Hopkins University
Columbia University
University of Pennsylvania</p>

<p>Assuming that these are all reaches/high reaches, any suggestions for an urban safety school that has a good engineering program?</p>

2

<p>That's really tough. Stanford and MIT are probably at the top, closely followed by Berkeley (mechE is very competitive), Cornell, Columbia, and Penn. Then JHU and CMU.</p>

3

<p>Safety: Rice, WUSTL, definitely Case Western</p>

4

<p>All REALLY HARD</p>

<p>If you are not from California, Berkeley is the hardest</p>

<p>Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University
University of California: Berkeley
Cornell University
Columbia University
Columbia University
Carnegie Mellon University
Johns Hopkins University(Engineering a Hopkins is a first)
University of Pennsylvania</p>

5

<p>UPenn isn't that great for engineering, Penn State is a lot better.</p>

6

<p>Since its nearly impossible to gather all the information about stats for mechanical engineers and its acceptance rates per mechE applicant versus acceptance rate, the quality of the program usually gives us a better picture of how things run quality of undergraduate institutions wise. From there, rather than relying on opinion, we can start.</p>

<p>*Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs *
Order from Highest to Lowest</p>

<p>Massachusetts Inst. of Technology 4.9
Stanford University--------------- 4.7
University of California–Berkeley----4.7
Cornell University------------------4.4
Carnegie Mellon University--------- 4.2
Johns Hopkins University-----------3.9
Columbia University----------------3.7
University of Pennsylvania----------3.5</p>

<p>Undergraduate engineering specialties:
Mechanical Engineering</p>

<p>1 Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
2 Stanford University (CA)
3 University of California–Berkeley *
8 Cornell University (NY)
10 Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
20 Johns Hopkins University (MD)
N/A Columbia
N/A University of Pennsylania</p>

<p>Acceptance Rate</p>

<p>EDIT: Does anyone have the list of acceptance rates of these schools?</p>

7

<p>I managed to find the acceptance rates:</p>

<p>Stanford University - 10%
Columbia University - 11%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - 12%
Cornell University - 21%
University of California: Berkeley - 23%
Johns Hopkins University - 24%
Carnegie Mellon University - 28%</p>

<p>Besides the fact that Berkeley should be lower for out-of-state, are acceptance rates good statistics to determine toughness of admission?</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
Besides the fact that Berkeley should be lower for out-of-state, are acceptance rates good statistics to determine toughness of admission?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No, because they're too dependent on how self-selective the applicant pool is. Harvard's acceptance rate, for example, is as low as it is because the applicant pool is amazingly *un*self-selective (many unqualified applicants apply).</p>

9

<p>Are those this years or last years acceptance rates?</p>

10

<p>^^ last year's. This year's, Stanford's was 9%, Berkeley's was 21%, and the others changes somewhat too.</p>