SUNY Binghamton,VS Drexel Vs University of Toronto

College Search & Selection
1

My son has duel Canadian and American Citizenship and is a NY State Resident. He is interested in Engineering He was recently accepted in the Engineering faculties at Drexel and SUNY Binghamton. He was rejected in the Engineering School at the University of Toronto . However he was accepted into the University of Toronto 's St George Campus in a special program involving Physics, Chemistry and Math in their Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

In terms of cost, because my son is a NY State Resident as well as a Canadian citizen, the cost differential between SUNY Binghamton and the University of Toronto because of a financial package offered by Binghamton, is not much.This also takes into into consideration the lower value of the Canadian dollar in comparison to the US dollar, Drexel would cost with their aid package about more than $10000 a year than SUNY Binghamton or Toronto.

We heard that Drexel with their CO-OP program has a very good job placement program for Engineers. Is Drexel really worth more than $10000 a year or $40000 plus over 4 years more than the cost of going to the Engineering School at SUNY Binghamton?

The University of Toronto has a world wide reputation and some now consider it the best over all University in Canada and ranks high as one of the best universities in the world. Their Engineering School is ranked as one of the best Engineering Schools in the world. My son did not get into their Engineering School but only into their School of Arts and Sciences. In Canada you can apply to more than one faculty at the same school. I told my son it is always possible to do a graduate degree in Engineering if you major in a STEM subject as an undergrad. Does the prestige of the University of Toronto outweigh the fact that he was not accepted into Toronto’s Engineering School but in their faculty of Arts and Sciences.

My son thus far is inclined to go to SUNY Binghamton. He says he wants to study Engineering . Does Binghamton have a good Engineering undergraduate program? Do students at Binghamton in Engineering get as good positions as they do at Drexel with their CO-OP program?

If anyone has any comments on this topic,please give your opinion.

2

As a whole Binghamton is a well renowned university. Considering academics since both are good schools I would go with the cheaper option. At the end of the day the name of your college is mattering less and less. If you are not coming out of an Ivy or some other highly prestigious program school name will only give you a significant edge if the hiring manager is an alumni.

You are asking the right questions though CO-OPs and internships are at the point where they are nearly as important as the degree itself. Bachelor’s Degrees are so common now the internships are a requirement in order to differentiate yourself in the job market. I can not speak for Drexel, but when I went to Binghamton I was able to take two great internships for credit and was able to participate in seasonal internships during breaks. Binghamton has a great career services center that will pay huge dividends so long as you take advantage of it.

Binghamton has a good engineering program, good career placement, and is much cheaper. Don’t saddle yourself or your son with unnecessary debt.

3

Is admission to UT’s engineering school competitive or is it open admit? If he has to compete against other students I’d say it’s not worth it.

4

I’d agree with your son’s assessment that Binghamton is his best choice since it cannot be guaranteed that he will be able to study engineering at UT. Binghamton has a very good reputation and the engineering programs appear to all be accredited by ABET. You can try to contact the engineering school or career placement to get a sense of engineering graduates do in the job market.

Personally, I don’t think Drexel is the caliber of either UT or Binghamton and certainly isn’t worth paying more for. You son can seek out summer internships to get some work expreince.