<p>Please convince me why FSU is still a good option.
I am in at FSU with a $9,600 scholarship, 100% BF.</p>
<p>I am interested in majoring in civil / structural engineering.</p>
<p>I am still waiting to hear back from some private schools and have been accepted to UCF with a $5,400 scholarship.</p>
<p>Much higher rated, more comprehensive residential university.
You're getting more money.</p>
<p>= better gain on your invested educational dollar.</p>
<p>The more comprehensive university allows greater flexibility in academic planning:
FSU</a> Undergraduate Academic Program Guide</p>
<p>Oh, yes...looks like you qualified for Honors. The research opportunities for undergrads are excellent at Florida State. I'd even say better than at UF.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info Parent.</p>
<p>I am hoping some engineering majors could chime in.
Here is what I see as my dilema:</p>
<p>1- Although FSU is a better institution than UCF, the enginering program at UCF appears to be much better. I don't know if ultimatelly in life this will make much of a diferrence once I get out of school and into the "real" world.</p>
<p>2- I am concerned about the affiliation with FAMU. It appears that the joint facility they share is not even near the campus. You have to take a shuttle bus? Does this allienate you from the rest of FSU?</p>
<p>3- What are the job connections that FSU has in the engineering world?
I could not find much info on who recruits on campus.</p>
<p>Hopefully some engineering majors will come in with additional perspective.</p>
<p>The ratings I've seen do not indicate UCF's school is rated significantly better than the joint FAMU-FSU CoE. Its something like USNWR 80 to 92. I suggest that combined with the other qualities and money the undergrad difference is meaningless.</p>
<p>FAMU values the CoE and knows what is at stake. The situation will only improve, as either FSU will get its own CoE (which will be very competitive) or the current joint school will become substantially better. I posted some tangible steps FSU has already taken in this area. The student will only benefit.</p>
<p>Engineering</a> Day - The Career Center – Linking Futures
There is one career fair each semester strictly for engineering majors.
January 22, 2009
9am - 3pm
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering</p>
<p>Engineering Day is a career exposition for full-time, co-op and internship opportunities with companies, non-profit and government agencies.</p>
<p>
[quote]
While Florida A&M and Florida State universities are wrestling with tough budget cuts, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is being spared.</p>
<p>The joint management council of the college of engineering voted unanimously on Tuesday to restore $864,717 in proposed cuts for the 2008-09 school year.</p>
<p>The six-person council – made up of the two universities’ president, provost and vice president for finance – also agreed to hire a design consultant for a $32 million project to renovate, remodel and construct a new building at the engineering school.</p>
<p>“Somebody on campus is going to take a disproportionate cut,” FSU President T.K. Wetherell said, “but engineering is vital to both institutions. We’re willing to go somewhere else and do the whacking.”</p>
<p>The college of engineering had been facing an 8 percent cut to its $10.7 million budget before Tuesday’s decision by the council. Most of the cuts would have been to faculty and staff positions.</p>
<p>The engineering school is the one program jointly run by the two universities. As recently as last fall the two schools had talked about ending their commitment to a shared program with each university maintaining its own engineering college.</p>
<p>“It’s clear that both universities want a world-class college of engineering,” FAMU President James Ammons said. “I think the steps we took this morning will lead us in that direction.</p>
<p>“We’re going to go down this path together.”</p>
<p>While the engineering school is expensive to fund, FSU Provost Larry Abele noted that it is a growth program and is an identified state need.</p>
<p>“This is very positive for the students,” Abele said of the restoration of funds to the college’s budget.</p>
<p>The $32 million building project at the engineering school is being funded by money provided by the Florida Board of Governors.
[/quote]
See: FAMU-FSU</a> College of Engineering spared budget cuts | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat</p>
<p>I am not an engineering major, but my roommate is. She was a little bit worried about the whole transportation issue in the beginning of the year also. She has a car but would take the bus anyway to avoid the hassle of parking. After taking the bus for the first month or two she began driving to her engineering classes. She was not isolated in any way and if anything it helped her make friends since she began to carpool with people in her class. If you're worried about being isolated from the general FSU population don't even worry about it. It's not like if all you're classes will be off campus just maybe 1 or 2. From what I've seen the program seems to be very good. I know that she is a very smart girl since she is in the honors program and she spent much of her time studying for her engineering classes. She says that she likes her professors and although it's challenging she likes being an engineering major. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>After visiting both schools over the last 2 weeks I have come to the conclusion that my deposit will be going to FSU.
I'm not going to badmouth UCF because in reality I was pleasantly surprised by their campus and specifically their engineering facilities & connections in the engineering field.
However:
1- You have 2 full years of general ed classes & pre-major classes that I need to get thru first. I believe in those 2 years there are only about 2 minor pre- engineering classes that I am required to take.
2- At this point I am not 100% sure that I will actually want to pursue engineering once I start I have always liked business also.
3- If that is the case and I switch majors, I would rather be at a University that has more choices. I believe FSU (other than engineering) is that school.
4- Worst case I could always transfer to UCF for my junior year if I still want to pursue engineering and don't like what I see at the FSU/FAMU program.</p>
<p>At least that will get me 2 years of a good college experience!</p>
<p>The only negative thing that I will say about UCF is that it still felt like a commuter school. I was there most of the day on a Saturday and other than groups of people at the gym, the rec pool & around the track there was hardly anyone around. And no it was not Spring break.</p>
<p>UCF is a commuter school. You won't see any out of staters flock to UCF. Most students live in the central Florida area, and live either at home or an apartment near it.</p>
<p>UCF is most definitely a commuter school.</p>
<p>I think you made the right choice OP.</p>
<p>Congratulations! Welcome to the Tribe. :)</p>