So, as the title implies, I got accepted by both. I’ve heard that both are very good at what they do, but that the environments are completely the opposite. RPI gives great personal attention and whatnot, is very close in terms of community, while UIUC is the epitome of state school in terms of environment. One thing that really concerns me about RPI is that everyone says that it is this amazing engineering school that puts you on the fast track to success, but whenever I look around rankings, articles, or even forums about which engineering schools are really good, it’s a ghost. The only mention of it I end up seeing is a fervent defense of it made by those who went there.
I’d be happy with either, and price isn’t really a big issue. I guess it really comes down to what am I actually looking at in RPI? Sure, I’m planning on going on accepted student days for both, but anyone can give a good sales pitch.
“whenever I look around [engineering] rankings . . . [RPI] is a ghost.”
Not really. Rennselaer is ranked as one of USNWR’s “Best [undergraduate] Engineering Programs,” of course, but also is recognized in articles such as USA Today’s “The Top 10 Engineering Colleges in the U.S.” For a combination of engineering and physics offerings, RPI may be particularly tough to beat. Good luck with your decision.