<p>How do these schools stack up to each other in engineering (not including computer science)?</p>
<p>I get the idea that RHIT is the most respected overall in rankings, but that RPI is slightly better in practice. I don't know anything solid about WPI or RIT in relation to the other schools.</p>
<p>RHIT, WPI and RIT are all excellent but quite honestly they are not in the same league as RPI. RPI is in the same class as CMU, Cornell etc. RPI is one of the best of the best at the UG level.</p>
<p>RHIT is the best...Rose-Hulman right?</p>
<p>RPI is a true national university while the other three are primarily just undergrad. That's why RPI in the only one of the four to make US News top 50 and Newsweek New Ivy League. No contest here...</p>
<p>RHIT is tied for number 1 in engineering with Harvey Mudd for school with only undergrad...</p>
<p>Sheed, no doubt RHIT is excellent but it simply doesn't have the resources of RPI. For example check out RPI's Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations. This is the most powerful university supercomputer on the planet...faster than anything at MIT, Caltech, Mudd or anywhere else. At RPI undergrads can do meaningful research projects on facilities like this. And thats only one example...</p>
<p>rico</p>
<p>Why is RPI better just because they have a grad school? These schools are undergraduate, of course they aren't going to have grad schools! Their entire focus is on undergraduates.</p>
<p>That's like saying that Penn State is better than Rose just because it has a graduate school and <em>insert trite technological building on campus that undergraduates barely get access to here</em>.</p>
<p>IMO Rose and RPI are the best though.</p>
<p>Atomic the point of my post was that UGs do have access to research projects. I did UG research at RPI myself. I think that schools with good grad facilities do add something to the UG experience. </p>
<p>Also if you look at avg SAT and endowment RPI still leads the other three.
RPI also leads in endowment / student.
From wikipedia for endowment</p>
<p>RPI: 805 million /about 7000 students
WPI: 369 million /about 3800 students
RIT: 572 million / about 15000 students
Rose: 177million /about 2000 students </p>
<p>SATs from petersons.com</p>
<p>RPI class of 2010: 1220 - 1420 (class of 2011 is 1250 - 1430)
Rose 2010: 1210 - 1390
WPI 2010: 1200 - 1390
RIT 2010 : 1100 - 1300</p>
<p>I think the data shows that RPI offers the most.</p>
<p>One cannot honestly say RPI (where my dad was on the faculty for 40 years) is in the same league as Cornell. Cornell is markedly better and the best Ivy engineering school. RPI, I would agree, is better than the other three and an excellent school, but don't oversell it.</p>
<p>They are all great schools.</p>
<p>Now, take a closer look. Which one FITS you the best? Where do the kids look most like you'd be happy? Which campus/location do you prefer? Which one has the best extra curriculars for you? Do you want a school whose main focus is undergrad teaching? Which offers you the best support system?</p>
<p>What are your other interests? Which school fits you best?</p>
<p>I've always heard good things about RHIT. It's a smaller school than the others but that's not necessarily a bad thing- depends on what you're looking for in an undergrad pgm. </p>
<p>My son was a Rensallaer Medalist (would receive a large merit award at RPI). He felt RPI was very one dimensional (too tech). We know kids who go to RPI. Some like it, some don't (one transferred). The Rensallaer Medalist from our other HS went there this yr, as did her father. Many would say Troy is not in the best of areas, but Rochester and Worchester aren't high on everyone's list either.</p>
<p>RIT is a tech school but like CMU, it has a school of Design so there are many types of students on campus. SATs are a bit lower also, because portfolios are more important than essays in admittance to the Design school). RIT doesn't seem as
big a school as it is on paper. Like RPI, there's not a lot of school spirit (compared to Penn St type schools), but RIT's hockey team (Div 1) is doing well and the games are sold out. My DD is in the BFA design program but has engineering friends. The engineering program is demanding but not all kids are equipped to work on the high level the major demands (entry requirements aren't as strict as at other schools). The weaker students have to step up or they fail out. The stronger students are challenged. Classes are on the small side. For instance, calc classes are capped at 20 students and taught by professors. Another thing to consider is RIT is on a qtr system, which means an intense pace for 10 weeks, then you get a week or two break before the next qtr begins so picture HS marking periods with a week or two vacation in between. Qtrs aren't for everyone. Coops are mandatory for engineers, I believe. My DD's friend did one the past 2 qtrs (earning $17/hr I think & this was at the end of his 2nd yr) and he was asked to keep working there this yr, while attending school. I think many students who coop well get offered jobs and some leave school early for that reason.</p>
<p>I don't know much about WPI. My DH is from MA and doesn't know anyone who ever went there.</p>
<p>Redcrimblue, I don't think overselling anything. Cornell is world class university
with strong programs across the board. However, if you look at new research facilities like the $100M CCNI I mentioned earlier, $140M Experimental Media Center, new $100M Biotech Center you will find that these facilities are on par with anything at Cornell. </p>
<p>rico</p>
<p>
[quote]
Redcrimblue, I don't think overselling anything. Cornell is world class university
with strong programs across the board. However, if you look at new research facilities like the $100M CCNI I mentioned earlier, $140M Experimental Media Center, new $100M Biotech Center you will find that these facilities are on par with anything at Cornell.</p>
<p>rico
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So what if the FACILITIES are on par with Cornell's? There is much more to an engineering program than FACILITIES. Faculty quality and overall student strength matter much more. Schools with stronger student bodies can move at a faster pace and challenge even the best students.</p>
<p>You're out of your mind if you think RPI's engineering program is on par with Cornell's. Cornell is in the top tier of engineering schools and rivals places like Caltech and MIT.</p>
<p>Yeah, Atomic I thought about checking myself into the mental ward but instead, I decided to enjoy the millions of dollars I've made as an engineer with my education that is supposedly not as good as Cornell....Give me a break.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yeah, Atomic I thought about checking myself into the mental ward but instead, I decided to enjoy the millions of dollars I've made as an engineer with my education that is supposedly not as good as Cornell....Give me a break.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Apparently RPI didn't teach you faulty parallel comparison.</p>
<p>How does the fact that one graduate from the school was successful make RPI just as good as Cornell? That is surely an insurmountable amount of evidence!</p>
<p>Cornell:
SAT CR: 620-730
SAT Math: 660-760
(keep in mind that this is for the entire school... the engineering scores are probably +40)
Endowment: 4.3 billion ($215,000 per student)</p>
<p>RPI:
SAT CR: 580-680
SAT Math: 640-740
Endowment: .805 billion ($115,000 per student)</p>
<p>Yeah they sure seem even after this preliminary check.</p>
<p>I think RPI would be the best, but then again I hardly know a thing about engineering lol</p>
<p>lol, all i know is RPI is not in the same class as CMU and Cornell...not to say it's a bad school or anything.</p>
<p>I agree that RPI is the best on your list, and that WPI, RIT, and Rose Hulman are good but not in the same class as RPI.</p>
<p>It depends on what you are looking for but I would rank them:
RPI
WPI
RIT
Rose-Hulman</p>
<p>I will preface this by saying I am a Rose-Hulman student (just started as a freshmen), so if you feel that is important - there it is. I will say that I just started here, and these comments I would have said during my college search a year ago.</p>
<p>Collegehelp, what are are you basing that on? For undergraduate academics, I think that Rose-Hulman is at the top of that list, at least above RIT and WPI - IMO the only one you could argue as being above RHIT would be RPI.</p>
<p>But aside from that, I think Ricos comparision of RPI and RHIT is invalid. Of course a school with a graduate program will have a larger endowment. Rose-Hulman is not a research school - it has research opportunities, but it is focused on educating undergraduates.</p>
<p>Also, that comparision of SATs is misleading. Look at ACT comparisions (data retreived from princetonreview.com)...RPI ACT mid-50%: 25-29, RHIT: 27-31. Although I don't think a school should be judged by its students' test scores, since Rico brought it up I figured I would point it out.</p>
<p>In general, both RPI and RHIT are great schools, and you shouldn't select one over the other soley on academics. Individual fit will probably end up making more of a difference within the top-end institutions than any academic differences.</p>
<p>Ah, there goes Atomic again. Of course it was not mentioned that RPI has far more financial resources than its endowment as is evidenced in the $1.25 billion it has already raised toward $1.4 billion campaign.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.rpi.edu/campaign/progress.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.rpi.edu/campaign/progress.html</a></p>
<p>And Sheed30 may want to consider that amount is bigger than CMU's entire endowment...Oh, but RPI is not in the same class (lmao). RPI easily has the resources to go to against CMU and Cornell. </p>
<p>Would you tell Tedd Hoff (RPI grad who invented the microprocessor) that RPI is not in the same league as Cornell? </p>
<p>Would you tell George Low (RPI grad who directed the Apollo 11 moon landing) that RPI is not in the same league as Cornell? </p>
<p>Would you tell Alan Dumont (RPI grad who invented the cathode ray tube which became the foundation of the american television industry) that RPI is not in the same league as Cornell? </p>
<p>Would you tell J. Eric Jonsson (Co founder of mighty Texas Instruments) that RPI is not in the same league as Cornell? </p>
<p>Would you tell C. Sheldon Roberts (RPI grad who was Co founder of Fairchild Semiconductor) that RPI is not in the same league as Cornell? </p>
<p>Would you tell Clay Bedford (RPI grad that was construction superintendent for Boulder and Grand Coulee dams) that RPI is not in the same league as Cornell? </p>
<p>Would tell Washington Roebling (RPI grad that built the Brooklyn Bridge) that RPI is not in the same league as Cornell? </p>
<p>I could go on.....</p>