I am an international student from Taiwan, and I was accepted by schools such as Wash U St. Louis, UCLA, USC, NYU, Georgia Tech, UIUC, and Purdue. In Taiwan, the number of US schools that we have heard of is pretty limited, and the only references that we have to use to compare schools are college ranking websites and forums such as the one I am using now. I want to major in aerospace (it is my dream to work at the forefront of the development of technology, especially those pertaining to air/spacecraft, weapon systems, AI, etc), but I’ve noticed that many of the top colleges in aerospace on US news & report rankings (not including MIT and CalTech) are ranked 30+. Should I go for schools that have higher total ranking (WashU #15, UCLA #23, USC #23) that offer not-bad aerospace majors or schools that have a much better ranking in aerospace engineering (Georgia Tech #2, Purdue #4) but with not so great total rankings? Not taking into consideration cost and school atmosphere and considering only the academics and job prospects, which schools are the best choices for me? I want to know if pursuing my dream major is worth the sneers and the condescension from my classmates after they find out that I, the top student in my class, am going to a school “worse” than theirs according to ranking websites. I will consider any and all help or information provided to me! Thank you for your time! I hope you have a great day!
I think that it matters for certain types of majors to be at a college that has that specific major ranked the highest. For employers, when they will hear Georgia Tech or Purdue they will like it. When they hear WashU, UCLA, they will also like it. But employers probably want a place that focuses on the major more. However, if you also want prestige than it may be better to go to WashU or USC. It depends. Look at placement statistic, social life, professors etc. Opinion: If I were you I would go to WashU or USC.
If you’re relatively sure about majors, I always suggest opting for major over school. It can make a huge difference. I also recommend talking with people doing the job you want to do (or hiring for it) and seeing what schools they recommend.
Also, Aerospace Engineering is very hard. If you were 100% like it’s what I want to do then the college with the best major probably would be the best. If your 75% sure then the other colleges would be better bc usually they are well ranked across most sectors whereas Purdue and Georgia Tech are ranked well on specific areas.
This is meaning if you decide to drop aerospace.
It would be Purdue or G Tech for me. Engineers the world over know these two as some of the best. What your classmates think is useless because they won’t be hiring you.
Purdue is my favorite of the two. I love West Lafayette.
Consider undergraduate department rankings where you can find them (engineering, business, economics).
Ignore graduate department rankings.
“Ranking” is not synonymous with “USNWR ranking.” Consider alternative rankings such as “The 50 Smartest Colleges in America” (Business Insider), which places Georgia Tech second from your group. G-tech reports the highest standardized scores of any public university in the U.S.
When viewing USNWR undergraduate rankings, place more weight on the “overall score” than the ranking position.
Consider the overall quality of the school as well as its personal appeal to you as key factors. This may again involve some consultation with rankings if they are important to you.
“sneers and condescension from my classmates”
You need some new classmates, or a new way of looking at them.
@Acceptance101
I’m pretty sure I want to study aerospace, since I attended a camp at UIUC and loved the major. I know that camps aren’t accurate representations of the majors, but after talking to the professors there I think I know what aerospace engineering is about, and I quite enjoy the math and physics behind it. I also have “Various RC Activities” listed as my first extra curricular activity. I pretty much fly, build, and crash drones in my spare time. I pretty much am addicted to drones and planes.
I’m also looking at WashU or USC. I love the atmosphere of WashU, but the lack of engineering prestige somehow holds me back…
@OnTheBubble
I originally wanted to go to Purdue because they have a kickass aerospace program and my girlfriend is going there, but my parents want me to “differentiate” myself from my classmates who got into Purdue with 1800 SATs and won’t let me study abroad if I choose to go there… (In Taiwan SAT scores are like everything. I got a 2270 SAT in one sitting, and although I’m not the highest scoring person in Taiwan, it’s still expected of me to attend “better” schools).
Thank you all for the relevant and helpful comments! I will be talking to my counselor to decide on the best choices for me. Thank you all again for the help!
Since you are certain about your major, you should choose based on your major.
BUT as an international student, there will be many internships and jobs in the US that will be closed to you in aerospace. So, contact each place on your list, and ask the departments, the career centers, and the international students offices very specifically about internship and job placement. Do any of them have good relationships with the aerospace industry in your country? Are any of them better at placing international students in internships and jobs after graduation using your OPT? You need to be certain that the institution where you spend your tuition dollars will do its best to help you with this.
Are your parents going to be hiring you?
Ask them that. If they are, then their opinion matters. If they aren’t, then ask them why their opinion should matter.
Also, where would you want to work? My understanding is that for non-Americans, landing a job in the US straight out of undergrad is quite uncertain.
And if not PU, then why not GTech or UIUC? UIUC is pretty close to PU (though you’d need a car).
@happymomof1
I think I might have missed one thing: I have a green card (not sure if that makes a big difference…). I am not sure if this would help my job/internship prospects, but I think I should mention it for the sake of the question. Thanks for the help!
Between USC (overall engineering PA score 3.5) and WUStL (3.2), it would appear difficult to make a significant distinction. However, you may wish to regard aerospace engineering separately.
@ForsakenDignity I can’t help you with your parents. Many Asian families are like that here as well. Purdue is among engineering elite in the US and its no secret anywhere in the world engineers live.
Purdue ranks #2 in the USA by job recruiters for engineering per WSJ and graduates command among the highest salaries.
@PurpleTitan I think me parents are okay with Georgia Tech because it is ranked no.2 in aero, and that somehow mollifies their frustration at me for not getting into an ivy league school and (in heavy Chinese + Taiwanese accent) “choosing to no be a doctor or lawyer.” They also consider UIUC because prestige wise, UIUC is more heard of than Purdue in Taiwan in the Tech industry.
The green card changes a lot of things, but some Aerospace internships and jobs will specifically require US citizenship because of the need for security clearances. Talk your status over with an immigration lawyer. You may want to move-up any naturalization plans that you have.
