Hey everyone, I am a transfer student looking to apply for either OSU or UC for Computer Engineering.I have a good GPA and pretty much all my credits transfer to both these schools. Basically, I shortlisted these colleges since I would like to save some money by staying in Ohio itself. I know OSU ranks higher than UC in overall rankings, but then again UC has a really strong and well-known co-op program. So I was kind of confused which to choose. I would really like to end up with a high paying job after I graduate, so in that context, which would be a better choice for me ? Would a good co-op and internship experience look better on a resume than a college with a better brand name ? Also since I live in Cincinnati, going to UC would save money for housing, again being a cheaper option for me ? So what should I do:
1.should I go to UC and get good internships, then save up for a good grad-school degree?
- Go to OSU and pay more ?
From Recruiter and Job perspective, which one would be more benefitial you think?
Also I have another question: If I go to UC, will I only be allowed to choose from the companies which UC calls on Career fairs, or can I do an internship of my own choice,in a company where I can individually apply?
It will take you longer to graduate from UC. The question is do you want to do that. Both will be fine for getting a job (the coops may help in boosting that initial salary but that balances against the extra time in school not being paid full time). I think you can arrange coops yourself. Call them and ask.
Thanks, but I believe in that case, if I go for UC, i’ll be saving housing expenses, as against OSU, where I would meed to pay for housing.
Also I want to attend a prestigious grad school after getting a Bachelors, so in that case would going to OSU give me a better edge than UC in terms of a better prestige and ranking ?
All things being equal, I would go for OSU. They have far more resources, a much stronger Alumni network and are better known nationally, and you will have a better college experiences. Are you talking about 2 years or 3? @ $500/mo rent in a shared apartment x 9 mo, that’s a $9000 difference plus any extra food costs for 2 years. That would be somewhat mitigated by lower car/commuting expenses. It’s also much better to live on campus, you will be extremely busy and have lots of late nights in an engineering program.
Recruiting opportunities will be better at OSU too.
Sorry but I disagree with @TooOld4School. With the coop program at UC there will be no better recruiting opportunities at OSU for engineering than at UC. If it saves $ then to the good. If you really want a campus experience then OSU would be better but it looks like you have your eye on the long haul. And OSU has more research $ but UC is still in the top 50 nationally, beating out some flagships and nationally known schools like Rutgers, NYU, BU…
http://mup.asu.edu/MUP-TARU-Part-III-Top-200-Institutions.html
There was a recent NY Times story about U Cincinnati and its efforts to rise in prominence.
Yeah I guess, UC would be better because I really want to save some $$$ for grad school, but on the same note I hope choosing UC over OSU won’t hamper my chances of ending up in a good grad school .
Grad school admission is largely about high grades and your “target mentor’s” research projects, at least if you are aiming for a fully-funded graduate degree. If you plan to be self-funded (or funded by an employer) your chances increase, given the other criteria.
Yeah… that’s a tuff decision but most probably I’ll be funding my own grad school education… maybe UC is the way to go