<p>I give. I do actually agree with the various thoughts about going to a school where the student feels there is a nice “fit”–and if they offer the academic direction, the resources, etc.–and it saves money–a good choice. I like Purdue for engineering. I like it for CS which is what my son is interested in. I am too concerned about the overall costs. I tried to give some general direction–and you really can’t do that because there are many factors as people have laid out. Here a couple of more things to consider as you complete your research. In these tough times, businesses recruit from schools for a variety of reasons–past experience and success, location, budget, etc. Purdue gets alot of respect and attention from California for example. Beyond the midwest, it has more graduates located there than any other state as a result of businesses recruiting their students. Internships, co-op, and job opportunities often land in the region where you graduate from–so if you go to school in the midwest or the south–many of those opportunities will come from that area. In Texas, many fine schools have positive results with post-graduation–from businesses in that state. So, if you are ok with that–it is a great combination. If you go on to grad school–then that school now becomes your base. My son is particular about the weather and so location of school and potential post job opportunities are important to him even as an 18 year old. He will likely change his mind in time–but now it is a consideration. Alabama in this thread appears to offer some people everything they are looking for–and if the student is comfortable–it seems like a great choice. I likely would still recommend Purdue over Alabama for Engineering or CS (in our case)–for a variety of reasons–even if I must pay room and board only vs a better deal in Alabama due to some these items above–but many schools out there are fine for undergrad and likely will be good for many needs. And from a previous poster, yes I know that many publics offer different costs–U of Illinois is rather expensive or In-state–so is Penn State. Some schools in the south are a real bargain and offer terrific value. BYU is a great option-even if you are out of state–it is just a different environment–but a great school at a different value. So, yes a general statement that a in-state option if your best best is too “generalized”–just directional. I hope everyone finds the best fit at the best affordable price. Cheers</p>
<p>I have twins both going into Engineering in the fall. I will have all 3 kids in college so cost should be a factor. My son is facing the same Purdue vs Bama decision. His twin sister got into Ga Tech and has committed to them( Full tuition thanks to Ga lottery.) All that being said I think Purdue is worth the cost of attendance. Full disclosure, my husband and I are Boilermakers and we have lived all over the country. Many doors have opened for us because of our degrees from Purdue that frankly would not have had we attended Alabama. The Wall ST Journal published a list last year of which universities the major corporations liked to recruit. Purdue was 3 or 4. Georgia Tech was 7. Alabama wasn’t on the list. My son also has scholarship offers to Auburn & Ohio State. He will be traveling to Purdue next week and has told me he will most likely decide after experiencing how cold it really is in Jan in W. Lafayette. My son’s major is Aerospace Engineering, so comparing the program at Purdue to the one at Bama is like comparing filet mignon to bologna IMO. You know the old saying you get what you pay for. His twin sister is studying Civil Engineering and I would never pay for Purdue when that degree would yield similar job results from Bama.</p>
<p>This is a question/comment for momof2kids:
Having the industry experience you do, I sure you are speaking from experience when you say Purdue grads (or grads from other tops schools) don’t get paid higher salaries than grads from other schools for the same job in the same company. But I still suspect that grads from top schools get job offers before grads from schools further down the pecking order. What are your thoughts/input on that subject?</p>
<p>*But I still suspect that grads from top schools get job offers before grads from schools further down the pecking order. What are your thoughts/input on that subject? *</p>
<p>this is a subject that is often discussed within my family - which I mentioned are upper mgmt for Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Canon, DirecTV, etc (these consist of a VP, 2 Directors, and 3 senior mgrs…all engineers). A school’s name means very little to nothing. They’re interviewing the person, their accomplishments, their personalities, their ambition, their innovation, etc. </p>
<p>Believe me when I tell you some of their most disappointing hires have been from MIT and other tippy top eng’g schools…often those hires have seriously challenged social-skills and don’t represent their companies well during meetings with customers or others. </p>
<p>More to the point…rankings don’t tell them much since the rankings aren’t purely based on academic-strength in the classroom. Rankings often have little to do with what’s actually going on in an undergrad classroom.</p>
<p>My older son graduated from Bama last May. EVERY PhD program he applied to accepted him…all offers came with full assistantships and large stipends. He’s now in a top program at an elite school. So, “doors opened” for him. :rolleyes:</p>