<p>I think the job placement of RPI students speaks for itself. They fare very well out in the world. </p>
<p>The # of applications to RPI has significantly increased over the years. Our family prefers straight forward information and we usually prefer not to have the sales pitch from schools - we find that annoying. Here are the facts - take it or leave it is how we like it.</p>
<p>My D goes to RPI and LOVES it. The ratio is not a problem at all.</p>
<p>She also had to choose between Case and GT as well. I absolutely love Case Western as well. The one big benefit about Case is the variety of majors it offers compared to RPI. Also they are a one door policy school. If you decide in 2nd year you want to go from nursing into electrical engineering you can - now it might take you more than the expected years to graduate but you don’t have to jump through any hoops to make the change between majors at any given time.</p>
<p>GT ranks pretty high in many of its engineering too but I hear a campus visit is a must before you decide on that one.</p>
<p>Good luck with your choices. Can’t go wrong with those options.</p>
<p>RPI and WPI were among Lake Jr.'s choices. He enjoyed both campuses. The representatives of RPI were a bit “assertive” regarding the school’s reputation for rigor, with one Dean going as far to say during the presentation “we don’t mess around here.” That drew quite a few laughs and impressed we parents and many applicants. Ultimately Lake Jr. chose another engineering university, smaller than either WPI or RPI, with similar gender demographics and similarly rigorous, but with better financial aid. This fall my nephew will be a Freshman at RPI, joining the son of a good family friend who will be a junior. We all like RPI.</p>
<p>Ultimately, it came down to RPI and Case and our daughter chose RPI. She is not thrilled about the TROY down itself but likes other things about RPI. Hopefully, she will have a good time on Campus. </p>
<p>I visit the GaTech campus a few times a year for unrelated business. It is too urban for S1’s tastes so he excluded it, but it is the best school of the bunch here despite being a ‘public’</p>
<p>Case was probably the better choice, but it is really splitting hairs. Most of it is what the kid puts into it.</p>
<p>My D2 chose Gtech over RPI and UCB for doing ChemE. We visited Gtech for their Gold Carpet day for accepted students and had a very positive overall experience. We are thankful to RPI to have offered her a sizeable merit scholarship that would have made it cheaper compared to Gtech and UCB. UCB was 11k more per year compared to Gtech and thus the decision.
Since we live in a semi urban area in PA, D2 wanted a city school experience. Another factor - since campus hiring is primarily regional, I wanted her to look for opportunities in Southern places like Georgia, NC, TX, AZ, etc. following graduation.
But most importantly, my D felt that RPI was like an extension of her high school…albeit a boarding one…and it was time that she took one step in the direction of the real world…where life is not in a cocoon.</p>
@dadinator funny you said NU makes you nervous. I went to another large school in Boston years ago,
and at the time NU did not have a top reputation. Given the changes there, went on a tour while visiting 2 other
schools in the area, to see what has changed. Hard to put my finger on it, but something just seemed wrong.
I did like many things about NU, but overall got a bad feeling. Campus tours can only tell you so much, but
this was the only one that left me wondering if I would want my child to go here, despite how much positive
results they have had recently. I do have a neighbor who sent their kid there and loves it, so maybe my anecdotal
concerns were not so meaningful. Matters little, S got into another school from that tour that we love, WPI,
though I can see a kid preferring to be in Boston, not Worcester, regardless of the feel of the school.
@blevine, I hope you realize this thread is really old - last post before yours is 2 years ago! Anyway, my D is a 4th year engineering student at NU. I can’t say enough good things about it - she’s had an amazing experience. My S is now looking at the schools your S is - WPI and RPI in particular. He wont’ look at NU because he doesn’t want to be in a major city. My D only wanted to be in a major city. All good schools.