<p>My son was accepted into Stevens for Mechanical Engineering and got about 18K in merit scholarship). He was also accepted into Stevens 5 year masters program. We're from northern NJ, so the Stevens campus is perfect. We can visit, or not, without a lot of hassle and cost. He easily can come home and visit whenever he likes.</p>
<p>He was also accepted into a few out of state schools, on the top of the list is Purdue (no merit money). Purdue has a very highly rated engineering program. But the cost and hassle with travel to Purdue is what is drving us to consider his other options, like Stevens.</p>
<p>What do you think? Assuming I can foot the bill for the added travel expenses, is Purdue's higher rating for engineering worth the hassle? Stevens rarely appears in the same rating lists with Purdue, and when it does it's much further down in the list.</p>