<p>I doubt SAT or GPA would indicate how well I would do in college. I had no idea what I was doing freshmen year but I got better.</p>
<p>I can't make up my mind. I can't talk with my parents because my dad is incredibly biased. He thinks I'll flunk out of RPI because of my poor work ethics. I heard most people drop out because they don't study and just party. A very few drop out because they can't handle the work load. Right?</p>
<p>Pros and Cons of RPI:
+ Better Education
+ Better school name on resumes.
+ Possibly BETTER job opportunities
+ Higher Graduation Rates
+ More Life Experience [Farther Away from home]
- Isolated
- Male to Female Ratio is awful
- Higher Tuition</p>
<p>Drexel Pros and Cons
+ Guaranteed a pretty average Job through Co-Op
+ Much Lower Tuition Cost
+ Better Male to Female Ratio
- Lower Graduation Rate
- Less well known school. I'm a college graduate nephew of an MIT alumnus? I want to make my grandpa and my uncle proud. My uncle does not know Drexel but he is aware of RPI.
- CLOSER TO HOME. I might commute. I feel like I won't ever grow up and mature. I'll just relive high school years</p>
<p>See. There are just too many pros and cons. What really bothers me is Tuition vs Education. Is the price of education worth that much? I don't know how to pay it off or how to get student loans. </p>
<p>Another thing is Life experience. I don't mean party or drinking. I mean. I should see the world. Drexel is only 30 minutes away from my house.I'll live in the same community and see the same things. In some way, I won't ever grow up.</p>
<p>Another thing is that you can go to a "relatively known"/decent college and graduate with 4.0. Apply to a really good graduate school. Get a master degree and get a well paying job. Is this true? I mean. If this were true, then there wouldn't be so many undergrads in good colleges. I don't get it.</p>
<p>Where exactly would the 11,000 to 23,000 difference come from? Student loans? Run the numbers here [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid) and then talk them over with that grandpa and uncle. Maybe they will be able to shell out for the difference. Even if they can’t, they should be smart enough to understand what that kind of money can mean.</p>
<p>Nationwide, more students live at home and commute than attend “sleep-away” college. It will be like high school all over again only if you want it to be.</p>
<p>RPI is located in Troy NY so you are not really going to “see the world” there…its very possible you would experience more living at Drexel even though it is closer to home. I know a lot of suburban Philly kids who go to U Penn, Drexel and Temple living on campus i the city is a lot different than living at home. I’d go for the Drexel option because its cheaper and because I’ve heard RPI is a real academic pressure cooker and that doesn’t sound like what you want. Just curious why you did not apply to your instate schools Pitt and Penn State which would have been cheaper options?</p>
<p>I know. But I’m feeling some pressure from my Uncle. I want to make my Grandpa proud and my Uncle is proud that I might go to RPI. I don’t want to disappoint him and go to Drexel. See my dilemma?</p>
<p>I did apply to Penn State, a little too late and got into Penn State Harrisburg. I didn’t apply to Pitt.</p>
<p>Is it really an academic cooker? I mean. I will study if I need to. But I’m pretty sure I’ll take a class on study skills to help my note taking and study habits.</p>
<p>i think its a mistake to pick a college based on what would make your uncle or grandfather happy- its your education so pick what is the best fit for you</p>
<p>If you have not already done so, you should try to seek out people you may know who are currently attending these schools to get a better perspective on them. For instance, have recent graduates from your high school attended either RPI or Drexel? If so, contact them to discuss your options and the pros and cons of each school.</p>
<p>You know you have to work hard no matter where you go! </p>
<p>RPI does have a great reputation, although Troy is kind of gritty but seems to be undergoing an urban renewal. I did not think there was shortage of women due to the location of Russell Sage College closeby.</p>
<p>When I went on the campus tour of RPI, students in the dorms would throw open their windows and shout at us, “DON"T COME HERE! IT SUCKS! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GO TO A STATE SCHOOL!” I found it funny and charming that the school would have this quirky tradition.</p>
<p>It took me about 2 months to realize they were serious. I stuck it out. We had some fun mixed into the years of misery. Go to Drexel and enjoy your experience, but try to get the folks to allow you to live on campus (a good friend of mine at RPI was from Albany, another from Troy). The co-op experience and the ability to keep a reasonable GPA, in the long run, will be more important than the slightly better name recognition of Rensselaer.</p>
<p>By the way, Russell Sage is now co-ed so the male:female ratio is even worse.</p>
<p>UGH. Decisions. Decisions. I’m okay with the quiet environment I guess. But what I MORE worried about is the classes. I mean. I haven’t studied that much in high school and still got by. I only studied for US History and I did poorly in that Class. I haven’t taken one note in Calculus and I got REALLY good grades in that class. I’m so worried about the classes. I’m thinking this.</p>
<p>I’ll go to RPI for one year and if I can’t make it there, I’ll transfer to drexel. What do you guys say</p>
<p>Funny you say that. My uncle is an MIT alumnus. He was happier than my dad when I got into RPI. He is actually a lot wealthier than my dad. He said that if I went to RPI, he will pay for my tuition. Personally, I don’t really want him to because of my pride but its an option.</p>
<p>I hear that Engineer students don’t so much study as they are given problem sets. I can live with that.</p>
<p>I failed AP US history. Well failed as in got a C in the class. because I couldn’t take proper notes. I was never good with terminology and I couldn’t absorb the information as quickly as other students in the class did.</p>
<p>I got used to AP Calculus REALLY quickly because she told us what it was and then had us apply it to our work. I thought this was a good way of learning. I understand things so much more than just listening.</p>
<p>LoneWolf, here my take on RPI (I did EE there). I think most reputable engineering schools are pressure cookers to some degree but I think RPI is probably more so. All nighters were not uncommon and one of my friends once stayed up for three days with no sleep. On the flip side there were a lot of really smart kids that didn’t have to push themselves to that extreme to get good grades. </p>
<p>After I graduated and started working, some of my MIT buds told me about the saying “it is better to be FROM MIT than AT MIT”. The “brass rat” ring they wear even has the intials IHTFP (I Hate This blankety blank Place) on it. I think RPI is the same kind of thing. </p>
<p>My post RPI career has gone quite well and the financial rewards are pretty much what I expected. </p>
<p>It’s a great school that’s becoming more recognized as such. I think your idea of trying RPI for a year to see if you like it is a good one especially with your generous ucle helping out. From your stats I think you could compete there very well if you applied yourself.</p>