<p>I am going for engineering undecided and am wondering which of these schools is best for me. So far I have been admitted into Penn State and Northeastern. I did receive a scholarship from both Northeastern and RIT. After all is said and done I believe all of the prices will be close enough that money won't be a huge factor. So Buffalo, Northeastern, Penn State, RIT, or Stony Brook?</p>
<p>My vote is for RIT.</p>
<p>If money won’t be a factor, Penn State - UP is by far the strongest engineering school out of these. However, Northeastern coop is excellent and I think that would be a decent choice too. UB would be my third choice.</p>
<p>Not so fast, noimagination my friend. It’s hard to beat Rensalaer. Penn State may be very good, but I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the field in the northeast whom would say that it’s better than RPI. The facilities are fantastic, the co-op opportunities are plentiful and they are working hard to enhance the Humanities and Arts for a better overall student experience.</p>
<p>Penn State all the way. RPI is also good, but it’s not on OP’s list right now.</p>
<p>Auburn. Great school, excellent value, beautiful campus.</p>
<p>Yes, the OP did mention Rochester Institute of Technology. It also has a sound reputation for producing quality engineers. Lake Jr. attended a reception with a rep from RIT and came away with a very good impression of the place. The only reservation I have about the RIT program is the mandatory [school term] co-op experience, which means that it will take longer than 4 years to graduate. I say let the students get their experience during the summer with an REU or employment/internship.</p>
<p>LakeWashington, did you mean RIT, not Rensselaer, in post #4? I think that is the source of the confusion.</p>
<p>OP, have you visited any of these schools? The cultures are very different at PSU and RIT, for example. </p>
<p>I would not cross off a school because of a mandatory co-op experience. The student may take an extra year, but it won’t necessarily cost any more and co-op students often walk away with job offers for when they graduate. I say this as the mother of a son who did three REUs, though not in engineering. I think an REU has great value if you are planning to apply to grad school. If you plan on working after completing your bachelor’s, co-oping may be of more value.</p>
<p>out of these 5 have have visited Buffalo and Stony Brook. I am planning on visiting Penn State and Northeastern soon and am still waiting to hear back from RIT. I have also visited some other schools that I applied to.</p>
<p>Not trying to hate on RIT, but I’ve heard decidedly mixed reviews of the place and it is definitely not RPI.</p>
<p>OK, I agree that Rensalaer, in the aggregate, has a stronger program than RIT. And Renselaer’s reputation is certainly more well known than RIT.</p>
<p>Respectfully disagree with 1moremom about the value of REU vs. Co-ops. Both are good to have on the resume but I would give the nod to the REU experience because of the oportunity for specialized learning and independent work. Of course, I’d never encourage a student to turn down a Co-op opportunity from companies such as Boeing, Raytheon or United Technologies.</p>
<p>Are you or have you shared what Merit you received from RIT or Northeastern. These are both schools I have applied to and have not heard from yet. I am comparing them to UB and Albany as well. Have not heard from UB yet either.</p>