I am an in-state student and got accepted into Purdue’s engineering program and IU’s computer science program. IU offered me free tuition, but Purdue did not offer me any money. However, Purdue is still relatively cheap and my parents are willing to pay for it. I honestly do not know whether I like engineering or computer science more, but a problem is that I kinda have to choose one with my college because IUs engineering seems lackluster while Purdue’s computer science is so competitive that I could not transfer to it from engineering if I wanted to later. I visited both and I found that the students at IUs Luddy school seem like part of a family and want each other to succeed. Additionally, the Luddy school is getting some huge donations and funding. And with my CS degree, I could get a minor in business at Kelley. Also, it would be easy to switch to data science or informatics if I found it more interesting. However, Purdue’s engineering is nationally ranked and the internship and job opportunities are great. Also, many of my close friends will be going there that I could room with. Also, the first year engineering program lets me explore different fields of engineering which is cool. In terms of general school culture, I am not much of a partier and I’m not too interested in the arts or language that IU offers, so I would probably fit in better at Purdue. However, I want to take all the factors into my decision and I appreciate any input or advice.
This boils down to which school would give you more flexibility since you aren’t totally set on a major.
If you opted for Purdue, would you do computer engineering? That is different than CS in the college of science, which would be very difficult to transfer into, even from engineering.
I would encourage you to look into the four year plan of studies between the two schools and see what seems more interesting to you.
As a Purdue parent, I say Boiler Up but if you really want CS, that’s a different path than engineering.
Yes, I probably would do computer engineering at Purdue so that I could pursue my interest in engineering and still have a little coding.
Your post reads as if you understand what both schools have to offer, the pros and cons of each, and have visited both to get a feel for the campus, students and atmosphere.
Honestly, with that amount of data, I don’t think anyone here can add much to your decision making. My D is very happy in engineering at Purdue and would highly recommend it, but I’m sure there are many, many IU students who would say the same.
Continuing to read about the programs and details plans of study, visiting campuses as much as possible, talking to students, and learning more about CS vs. CE to see which one is more appealing is about all you can do. Being in a program/major that suits you is more important than any individual characteristic or ranking of the schools.