<p>Been accepted to both. Stevens offered $6,000 more in scholarships --- renewable. Any body in a similar situation? Thoughts on making a decision? If I go to RPI, I want to play football. Anyone on the team have any input?
Probably majoring in industial engineering.</p>
<p>RPI is more well known, larger, and has better funding for research. Stevens has a better environment with NYC right there and a safe area, but I wouldn’t base your judgment on that.</p>
<p>We have a decent football team. The ECAV is awesome for working out in and they keep adding on to it.</p>
<p>My older son was accepted to both, and is now a senior at Stevens.</p>
<p>In his case it came down to financial aid packages. RPI was just not doable.</p>
<p>My younger S applied to RPI and several other schools (not including Stevens). He was accepted to RPI, and again it appears the RPI package won’t be doable.</p>
<p>@susgeek - send them an email (or call) explaining the situation and see what happens. The worst thing that can happen is that they say no.</p>
<p>Pickone
How much in Financial aid did RPI give you?
My S got accepted and has been recruited for Football.
He got a decent Financial aid package and will very likely enroll
and play football.
RPI is a great school and has a very good football program.
They take their academics and athletics very seriously.
Were you invited by the coaches for a weekend visit?</p>
<p>Sorry don’t know much about Stevens.</p>
<p>Good Luck wherever you decide to go.</p>
<p>Received $10,000 in scholarships and $10,000 in grants, rest is loans. Coaches invited me up during the season, but I wasn’t able to make it. I was very impressed by their football facilities when I did my original campus visit. The coach has called a few times to check in - want to play for them, but can’t ignore the finances.
How much financial aid did your S receive?</p>
<p>Can you figure out the total debt you’d have from each place, and the resulting monthly payment for how many years after you graduate? Does it compare to a monthly car, rent, or mortgage payment? I would say RPI has the better reputation but the question is, can you really make that pay off.</p>
<p>If you don’t have the chance to play football at Stevens and the difference in net cost is $6K per year, then I can see that being a deciding factor. Whenever your football career is over, that’s it, you can’t have that experience again. Good luck.</p>
<p>My son has a similar problem, where he has comparable financial aid packages from Stevens and RPI. But I am forcing him to go to Stevens, because as the manager of an environmental and engineering outreach program of Rutgers University I have experience in hiring graduates from many places. The Stevens grads who come to me are top notch when it comes to their experience and knowledge right out of college. </p>
<p>I can not speak as knowledgeably fro RPI, but I do know that Stevens reputation in the working world is much greater. I know that Stevens grads will be ready for productive work when they come to me on the first day. Whoever said that they have a lesser reputation in a post above should stop looking at US News Rankings, because in the “real world” Stevens kids are who I want to hire and who others want to hire.</p>
<p>^^^ </p>
<p>Clareek, these are some serious stretches. RPI is the oldest tech college in the U.S., has higher standardized test scores, endowment and endowment /student much higher than Stevens, better research facilities, etc. How is Stevens more reputable? </p>
<p>I’ve been at Texas Instruments for close to 20 years and we put RPI in the same class as CMU and Georgia Tech and other world class engineering schools. In my semiconductor research days our main group was dominated by M.I.T., R.P.I., Cornell and of course UT and Texas A&M. </p>
<p>Stevens is a very good school but is not in the same class as RPI.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison as you mention yourself that you can’t speak knowledgeably on the behalf of RPI, only that of Stevens.</p>
<p>-Doom</p>
<p>Clareek,</p>
<p>You have “forced” your son to go to Stevens? If that’s the type of student you want at Rutgers, ones who are easily manipulated and pushed around, I’ll make sure I go no where near the STD campus :)</p>
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<p>clareek is probably a student who got rejected by RPI</p>
<p>Stevens offers a lot of advantages because of its prime location. One of those advantages being its well-known co-op program. There are so many job opportunities near Stevens, that students are able to gain real-world work experience while in school and over the summer. Because of that, by attending Stevens you will enter the work force already having experience in your field. Employers do look for that experience when hiring for full time positions.</p>
<p>Stevens also is a nice place to live while you’re receiving your rigorous education. It’s always good to consider your life outside the classroom as well when deciding between schools.</p>
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<p>Stevens has very good starting salaries; however, the one thing that kind of irks me about stevens is that it seems to overspecify the students; They graduate with co-op experience, yes, but end up only knowing about one work field.</p>
<p>I think if people want to work to make money straight out of college, stevens is always a good choice… but if they want to make waves in their fields, I think RPI takes the cake.</p>
<p>I went to SIT and my son is considering both RPI and SIT. Have visited both campuses recently.</p>
<p>My perspective is first…there is no wrong decision. Both are solid engineering schools. Second, SIT is a smaller setting with a smaller class size and while lesser known to the general public, it is well known in the industry. Stevens has an exceptional placement office, it was a while ago and a different economic period but I had 13 quality job offers in hand before I even graduated. You will have no problem landing a top job.</p>
<p>No over specification at Stevens! In fact just the opposite, you get a B.E. at SIT, the coursework is very broad across all disciplines and makes a great foundation for grad school </p>
<p>If Sports are important to you…I think RPI would be better. Stevens sports today is better than when I attended but it is not why you go there. I have to say I think it is difficult to play DI/DIII sports and study engineering. I would not want to have the burden along with my academics, it is not easy. IMO unless you plan to play sports professionally I would just play club or intermural sports…honestly it is really time to stop playing games and get to work! If you want to pursue sports you should consider a big 10 school and major in “general studies”. I can’t imagine studying engineering and having a DI sports schedule…but that is me.</p>
<p>I think the schools are pretty similar in terms of academics. There is plenty of research at both places. Don’t forget that SIT has recently added a business school that has a technical emphasis as well that could mesh nicely with a lot of students ambitions. NYC vs TROY and some $$$ and sports trade offs to work out. Not enough women at either. Again there really is no wrong decision.</p>
<p>I am not sure where my son will go, am am not forcing him, just exposing him to his options, he has to choose from 8. He may not go to SIT only because he “does want to follow in his fathers footsteps” and wants to be his own man but he really likes NYC so who knows?
best of luck</p>
<p>OP, have you made your choice?</p>
<p>My older S who is a senior at Stevens has several job offers now for post-graduation. <em>grin</em></p>
<p>I also got accepted to both Stevens and RPI. I decided to go to RPI. Along you would have to pay more for RPI due the financial packages, the opportunities that you have after your graduate is amazing. We have a great career center and a career fair every semester with recruiters from the top companies.</p>