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<li>Hi, I have been accepted to both RPI and GAtech. I want to be an industrial engineer and get an MBA degree later ( my goal is to get it from top 5 busines school ). Which school do you think I should go to ? Money is not a big concern for me.
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<li>I am kinda lean to GAtech but I am afraid that the grade deflation will hurt my GPA which will lower my chance to get in top MBA schools.
All your feedbacks are appreciated. Thank you</li>
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<p>Hey, I'm a current GT student and right around this time like two years ago, my buddy was deciding the same thing. It was down to GT vs. RPI for him too, and unfortunately instead of coming to GT with me, he went to RPI, so I understand your predicament.</p>
<p>I would say, objectively, GT might perhaps be the better choice; it's not only a better school in general, it has a better engineering school (both undergrad. and grad.), and also the best ISYE dept. there is in the country (or so U.S. news might say). But you probably already know that?</p>
<p>In any case, personally I've had a pretty good time here, and I'm not so sure how much he likes RPI. I mean, I'm sure he doesn't hate it, but consider the fact that the schools are very similar, it's just, one is public, has better weather, isn't in the middle of nowhere, and is technically better. The other is private, has worse weather (if you don't like snow), is kind've in the middle of nowhere, and technically isn't as good, if you will.</p>
<p>As for grade deflation, I would say, school pretty much kicks a lot of butts. But if you're a good student, and seriously seriously want to work hard, it's not like you'll be denied the good grades you deserve. There ARE people getting 4.0's (and related) GPA's, despite the fact that most people don't lol...</p>
<p>Anyways, I hope that helped.</p>
<p>I am an alum of Rensselaer from the 70's, but still actively involved with the school from a distance. RPI is an amazing place and has a lot that should be considered (however, I know next to nothing about the Georgia Tech). </p>
<p>RPI is the oldest engineering school in the nation and the first school in the world to give a BS degree. It has a long history of undergraduate-focussed engineering, and therefore tends to rank lower in mostly graduate-oriented rankings. I wouldn't assume that Georgia Tech's ranking in their graduate program translates to a better undergraduate experience.</p>
<p>It's education has always been outstanding, but very rigorous. The 'Tute teaches you how to think, and how to be entrepreneurial - two things that have been very important to me in my career. </p>
<p>The school has undergone a renaissance under the current president, Shirley Jackson, with an impressive strengthening of the sciences and the addition of a world-class digital media/performing arts facility (and faculty). It is highly innovative in its teaching and does very innovative things. When I was there Robert Resnick (of Resnick and Halliday) taught Physics and DiPrima (of Boyce and DiPrima) taught DiffEq. Both textbooks were the bibles in those (and still, in these) days. The school innovates; it was very early in the use of computers and is the #1 most connected campus in the nation (wireless); this year they are trying something amazing - every new undergraduate engineer will spend a term studying abroad (and will be replaced, on campus, by a visiting student).</p>
<p>RPI is not "in the middle of nowhere." Lots of schools are, btw. RPI is 2.5 hrs from Boston, 3 hrs from NY, and a bit more to Montreal. More importantly, it is about 1 hour from Southern Vermont and the best skiing in the east. The capital district is rich in outdoor activities, being close to the Appalachian Trail, Lake George, etc. Troy was and is somewhat of a depressed city, but it does have one gem - Russell Sage College, where many an RPI guy finds his future spouse. The Capital District has lots of local colleges (SUNY Albany, Skidmore, Union, etc.) and performing arts in the warm months (Saratoga).</p>
<p>RPI grads are very highly respected nationally, and the best companies recruit on campus. The education is very hands on and definitely prepares an engineer to go out and face the real world. The network of alumni is strong, and many look for RPI grads to hire.</p>
<p>You have to go with your gut in these decisions. Visit the schools and decide.</p>
<p>You should not worry about the "grade deflation". If you think you can get the better education at GaTech, I would go to GaTech. Same applies to RPI.</p>
<p>In my opinion, MBA programs weigh more on your experience and your future plans rather than stellar GPA. Hence at top 5 programs, a small difference in GPA will not jeopardize your chances if you can really make your time at GaTech or RPI worthwhile.</p>
<p>I just checked the grade distributions for GaTech, and it seemed like their grades are INFLATED (e.j. 28% gets A, and 50% gets B for Aerospace engineering, whereas normally it's 15% A, 5% AB, and 60% B in other public schools)... I just took a quick look and didn't analyze anything, but tell me what you guys think.</p>
<p>wildbean15, pbleic and tahncol86, thanks you very much for your feedback. Does anyone else have something to say?</p>
<p>Hey kid0815, as a current IE student at RPI, perhaps I can be of some help!</p>
<p>Georgia Tech does have a terrific, and top ranked, IE program, however, I decided to go to RPI over GT. There are approximately 30-40 students in my graduating IE class (as opposed to 300+ at GT). I find the professors to be extremely helpful and all IE's know each other here pretty well. We've got a relatively tight-knit community compared to the other engineering majors. </p>
<p>Also, the RPI curriculum is very flexible - I was able to add in a dual major in Economics.</p>
<p>As for grade deflation? I've never encountered any grade inflation or deflation in IE courses here. You either do well on tests or you don't..... they're fair, but still difficult. Core engineering courses (chem, physics 1 and 2, engineering analysis, comp programming, etc) can be a pain though, and have tons of students in them.</p>
<p>RPI is located in a shady city, known as Gotham City.... uhh I mean Troy, but it's relatively close to NYC and Boston. The student body size is ~5000 undergrads, with not too many females sadly... There are things to do here, but it's no heaven on earth, socially (my friend at GT feels the same way there though). Winter is long here, which is a huge plus if you're a skier.</p>
<p>In terms of employment, RPI can land you pretty nice job offers from what I've seen. If you plan on working in the North East, RPI is your best bet. Down south, Georgia Tech. Work experience is really what matters most for getting an MBA, as others said, so both schools are equivalent in that regard.</p>
<p>If you can, visit both schools! Get a feel for them - although they're both tech schools, they're very different. (size, culture, weather, etc)</p>
<p>If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to send me a PM. I'm writing this post extremely exhausted, so sorry if it's incoherent at times :)</p>
<p>Yeah, I didn't mean to label RPI as "in the middle of nowhere", and it's true, many schools do indeed have similar location-types as RPI. To emphasize what everyone's been saying, I think you should totally visit both schools. I realize that might be a stretch, with how much time is left until the beginning of May, but really, in my opinion, there's really a lot you learn by visiting. It doesn't even have to be a formal visit on a specific visitation day (though that certainly doesn't hurt), just seeing the campus, and a dorm(s), and eating some food, and seeing what people are like is just soooooo friggin' key. And it really is up to personal preference once you've figured out what you like and dislike about each school. Both are great schools, and they complement each other well. Really, there is no right answer to which one is better. Some people like Vanilla, others like Chocolate.</p>
<p>I think one of the biggest differences between RPI and GT, is that GT is rather large. Or at least, significantly larger than RPI. Some people really like the small school feel (I think I do/did); it makes me wonder what it would've been like to go to another smaller school (technical or otherwise), but certainly nothing that detracts even moderately from my experience. So try to figure out which you feel to be more agreeable.</p>
<p>If you have anymore questions I'd be happy to answer them. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>Thanks Marines920 for your reply. I visited Georgia Tech last weekend, It seems like a good college with a great opportunity for co-op and study abroad. I haven't visited RPI though, By the way, I am an Asian international student, so how do you think these schools' reputation globally. Thanks</p>
<p>Would anyone care to compare Cornell with these two schools, especially in ECE? Thanks.</p>