<p>I'm looking at schools and I find myself drawn to many of the techier schools. I was talking to someone the other day and when I mentioned some of the schools I had been looking at (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, for one,) they tittered at the name and told me later in the conversation that they had assumed that a "Polytechnic Institute" was not a real university. (They thought it was a trade school or something.)</p>
<p>I was just wondering if these types of schools have that sort of negative stigma attached to them, or if not, what the general opinion is. (ie not a well-rounded education, etc?)
(I do plan to get a job in the general field of computer science, but if this falls through, I don't want to be left with a useless degree...:/ )</p>
<p>Thanks for any insight you all can offer!
-Stacy</p>
<p>whoever you were talking to is misguided. RPI is very prestigious and is an excellent school. so is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, etc. Also, Georgia Tech...
Don't worry about what ignorant people say. Anyone who says Caltech and MIT (and schools with similar goals) don't provide quality educations is in need of some education of their own.</p>
<p>Most people know the difference between schools on the caliber of Cal Tech and those on the caliber of DeVry Tech. Gee, there are nail and fashion care schools that call themselves "technical" schools. </p>
<p>Aniviel- if you are loooking at real tech schools (like RPI) then you are fine. As Jimbob said, there are a lot of people out there with limited knowledge. How many people know that the Segway was developed at Worcester Polytech? Tech schoools are very impressive, and very prestigious to those in the know. Do not worry. You are fine.</p>
<p>If you are interested in geting a well-paying job after your undergraduate, go to RPI, GIT, MIT, CIT, RIT, etc. They are better than full-blown universities for campus recruitment.</p>
<p>Obviously people like your friend will not be like the people hiring you. Employers will notice what a great school RPI is. I don't think a computer science degree could ever be "useless." I don't know about other schools, but I know it's possible to get a well-rounded education at MIT. They have liberal arts and cross-registration with Harvard and Wellesley for sure (maybe some other schools too).</p>
<p>Massachusetts Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology</p>
<p>Worcester Polytechnical Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute</p>
<p>Rochester Institute of Technology
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology</p>
<p>BTW, isn't NYIT a better business & education school than anything else? Engineering seemed so minor at that school, like "less than a quarter of the school" minor. Plus the schools just barely a half-a-century old.</p>
<p>Re; NYIT- Go to <a href="http://www.nyit.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.nyit.edu/</a>. Look at the top tooolbar and click on "admissions". Then select "first year students" and then select the "special admissions requirements". Take a quick look at all 3 pgs. Their school of engineering and technology admissions requires a "special" requirement of a 520 math and 480 verbal, or an ACT of 20. Architecture and design requires a math/verbal SAT of 1000 or ACT of 19. Their combined BA/JD program requires an ACT of 26 or Math/Verbal SAT of 1100 (not sure I'd want to hire an atty with these stats--and does NYIT offer a law degree???). If you want to be a doctor (an osteopath) you need a "special" requirement of a math/verbal SAT of 1200 or ACT 0f 28. Need I go on???</p>
<p>NYIT might not be the best but it is a fine school. "Inst of Tech/Polytechnic" does not necessarily mean exclusive engineering school. Even MIT is only 40% engineering. Others are (from USNews' top majors), NJIT 25%, Cal Poly 22%, RIT 13%, Cal Poly Pomona 6%. As far as age is concerned there are plenty of schools established in the 1800's that are very mediocre today. Conversely, Harvey Mudd, UC San Diego and Brandeis are about 50 years old. Minimum requirements also do not mean that all the students are at that level. Heck, some top schools do not even require SAT's.</p>
<p>there is a difference between the origin of a technical institute such as MIT and IIT and a polytechnic university. an institute of technology presumes a narrower range of technical fields, while a "poly"technic implies a broader range--such as VPI, RPI, or cal poly SLO and cal poly pomona. the six polytechnics had a broader mission when launched and included other applied areas such as agriculture and architecture. however, as time passed and universities matured, some of the technical institutes, such as georgia tech and texas tech, have expanded into full service universities with merely a strength in the technical areas.</p>