UCB, Michigan, Ga Tech, UIUC, and Rutgers for an Engineering Student

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm currently looking at these 5 schools for engineering, though I have essentially eliminated UCB and UIUC. </p>

<p>I'm looking to do work in an Environmental/Sustainability field, with a strong bias towards clean energy. I'm also interested in earning an English degree wherever I go, which I believe will help diversify myself from other Engineers. I would like to go on to either obtain an MBA or a Masters Degree in Engineering.</p>

<p>Of the 3 schools I'm actively considering:</p>

<p>Rutgers:
The weakest of the 5 by quite a margin, in my mind. However, I received their Presidential Scholarship, and I could possibly earn admission to their Honors College (I didn't realize I still had to send in an application for Engineering Honors because Presidential Scholars are guaranteed admission, but we've contacted the Dean about placing me into the school anyway).
From my understanding, their English program is solid, but nothing to write home about.
One problem for me is that it's, well, Rutgers, and not exactly the place I've ever envisioned myself going to college. </p>

<p>How much of a hassle would it be to transfer into a more prestigious program after two years? I have a bunch of AP Credits (English Lit/Lang, Physics C E&M/Mag, Biology, Stat, Calc BC, US History, Macro/Micro, Gov Pol, Psychology), would I lose those upon transfer, for most schools? Or would the credits allow me to make up for whatever college courses the college I would hypothetically transfer to would not count? How hard is it to receive financial aid for transfer students, about the same as freshman admissions?</p>

<p>Michigan:</p>

<p>Great for engineering, great Program in the Environment, and they've already agreed in principle to my idea for Engineering and English. It seems to be the type of school I could be very happy in, and we're visiting next week.</p>

<p>Cost for the first year is ~46,000. My parents will be able to pay about 15,000 a year, and Michigan is giving me about 14,000 in financial aid and work study (3000 in work study). Unfortunately I didn't receive any merit aid, and wasn't eligible for the Tucker Memorial Scholarship (5000 recurring) that seemingly everyone else earned, because I'm permanent resident. I should be able to obtain about 4 thousand in external scholarships.</p>

<p>That puts the net cost at 32, and after FC, at about 17. After scholarships, that's 13 thousand a year in loans. Over 4 years, that's 52,000 plus interest, in addition to the 60,000 my family would pay. Rather steep. </p>

<p>Ga Tech:</p>

<p>Great engineering, but shot down a proposal for a dual degree with Emory for English. Base cost of 39, 8 in financial aid, and again, no merit scholarship. I wasn't admitted to their honors program either. 31-15-4=11 in loans. However, there exists the possibility of my mother moving in state (her company is based in Atlanta), and I'd be eligible for the awesome Hope Scholarship. Unfortunately I hear the campus isn't exactly the most exciting.</p>

<p>UCB is 45,000 after financial aid, so about 26,000 in loans per year. That's not doable. UIUC is 37,000 after merit aid (12,000, 0 in financial). </p>

<p>Any and all advice is appreciated.</p>

<p>Also, one silly question. If I were to transfer, do most colleges care about SAT scores from transfer students? I have a rather nice score that would probably help a bit.</p>

2

<p>I’m leaning towards Ga Tech, however you definitely want to visit Ga Tech before settling on that school. To put it mildly, some of the historic buildings on campus are a bit run-down. Still, it is arguably your best bet for engineering, and you probably don’t need an English degree to be successful as an engineer.</p>

<p>On the other hand, don’t rule out Rutgers, unless you’re absolutely convinced you’ll hate it there. You have access to their honors program, which is prestigious in itself, and you can put that on your resume. Plus, if Rutgers is the cheapest of the three and you take it, your wallet will thank you later.</p>

<p>You probably don’t want to hear this, but Michigan sounds expensive, at $52,000 in loans. You want to graduate with as little debt as possible, and still get the best education you can get.</p>

3

<p>On a related note, how are all of these programs regarded in the working world and grad schools? Can Honors + Presidential at RU compare to a degree at Michigan or Ga Tech? How much does prestige matter for MS in Engineering?</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply!</p>

<p>You’re right in that Ga Tech is probably the best Engineering school of the bunch (perhaps save UCB), and the Hope Scholarship makes it very appealing. They also have a tech & cultures program that, while not an Enlgish degree, is rather interesting.</p>

<p>Agreed on Michigan. 32 in loans is doable, but 52 is hard to swallow.</p>

<p>The English degree is more of a personal indulgence, but certainly something I’d like to pursue.</p>

4

<p>Why don’t you wait until after you make your visit to Michigan and make your decision then?</p>

5

<p>GT, even though in the middle of Atlanta, has a very serene and “secluded” feel from Atlanta. Just a point if you haven’t visited. It’s a very quiet campus. </p>

<p>I would say choose between Michigan and GT. An engineering degree is very respectable from these institutions compared to Rutgers. Money should be the final deciding factor as an education is far more important than worrying about money and goingto a lower tier college. When you take a loan, you are essentially making a wager on yourself that you’ll find a job after college and will able to pay off the loans, which all depend on your education. Michigan and GT will give you the best payoff for your tuition. But the final decision rests on your feel and perception of Michigan and GT.</p>

6

<p>*One problem for me is that it’s, well, Rutgers, and not exactly the place I’ve ever envisioned myself going to college.
*</p>

<p>OMG. Really? </p>

<p>I think it’s ridiculous to go into the debt that you’re suggesting for an engineering degree. It won’t make one dime’s worth of difference when you’re applying for jobs. You’re not going to get paid more with a degree from UMich/GT over Rutgers. My H is a hiring engineer and so are my brothers. They don’t pay people more money for their engineering degrees from various schools…the exceptions are MIT and Cal Tech…and they aren’t given much more either.</p>

<p>And, if your parents aren’t going to co-sign those loans that exceed fed loans, then you won’t be able to borrow that much anyway.</p>

<p>YOU are limited to the following amounts…</p>

<p>frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>

<p>To borrow more, requires parent co-signers.</p>

<p>*I should be able to obtain about 4 thousand in external scholarships.</p>

<p>*
Not only will that be difficult, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do that for all 4 years. Private scholarships tend to be small, hard to get, and often for freshman year only. </p>

<p>You’re lucky to have Rutgers as your affordable choice. To be looking down at it like you’re doing is really ridiculous.</p>

7

<p>Have you visited Rutgers? Did you hate it?</p>

<p>You plan to get a masters afterward, so big undergrad debt is foolish. Success at any of these schools will get you into top grad programs. Go to Rutgers. Then get your masters at GT or Michigan.</p>

8

<p>

True if you are just an average engineering student getting an average engineering job.</p>

<p>

True if you are doing the same job at the same company. But who says you have to do the same job?</p>

9

<p>With regards to the pay/employment of Michigan/GT grads v. Rutgers grads:</p>

<p>1.) Mich/GT Engineering is nationally recognized such that employers know that graduates with decent GPAs will do an exceptional job at their company. For Rutgers, it may take more time to accomplish the same feeling.</p>

<p>2.) Grad school: With so many engineers coming out of college, a graduate degree is necessary to differentiate you from other job seekers. Consider grad school in order to enhance your portfolio.</p>

<p>3.) Ultimately, the future of a college grad depends on their personality–hardworking, diligent, and focused vs. a person who skims through college. There is a professor at CalTech who got his degrees in engineering from University of Kentucky. It all depends on how hard you want to work. </p>

<p>Why Mich/GT are great schools is b/c they recognize this talent and have rigorous curriculum. If you are a student who isn’t afraid to work hard, go to Michigan or GT. Otherwise, use Rutgers as a step to familiarize yourself with engineering so you could go to a strong grad school. Michigan/GT are major weedout schools for students who aren’t overly dedicated to engineering.</p>

10

<p>If you want to be a pure engineer with no debt, go to Rutgers. If you can swing the money somehow and still have your mind set on engineering, go to Georgia Tech. However, if you think that you would possibly be interested in business opportunities like consulting after graduation, then Michigan is the way to go.</p>

11

<p>OMG. Really?
It’s very close to home.</p>

<p>Not only will that be difficult, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do that for all 4 years. Private scholarships tend to be small, hard to get, and often for freshman year only.</p>

<p>Right now I have a 2-6 thousand / year corporate national merit scholarship from my mother’s work, depending on our financial need (which we have quite a bit of). From our understanding, essentially every reward is 4,000 per year.</p>

<p>And, if your parents aren’t going to co-sign those loans that exceed fed loans, then you won’t be able to borrow that much anyway.
I wouldn’t make any decision without my parents being on board.</p>

<p>You’re lucky to have Rutgers as your affordable choice. To be looking down at it like you’re doing is really ridiculous.
To the first sentence: I absolutely am.
To the second: I think you’re assuming a little bit. I never envisioned myself going to RU because it’s very close to home and not exactly an engineering power house. I don’t think I’m looking down on it at the extent you think I am. Unless we can somehow secure more money, or my mother can move to Atlanta, it’s probably where I’ll choose.</p>

<p>*True if you are just an average engineering student getting an average engineering job.</p>

<p>True if you are doing the same job at the same company. But who says you have to do the same job?*</p>

<p>I would be very disappointed if I ended up as an average engineer. </p>

<p>How more difficult would it be for me to go from RU to more highly regarded graduate school, like a Stanford, Cal Tech, or MIT, vs. coming out of Michigan or GT?</p>

12

<p>Berkeley is No. 1 in English and No. 3 in engineering…</p>

13

<p>Berkeley was my #1 choice for the schools I thought I’d get into, because of what you said and because it’s location by the Bay Area is perfect for what I want to do.</p>

<p>Unfortunately it’s prohibitively expensive.</p>

14

<p>-> How more difficult would it be for me to go from RU to more highly regarded graduate school, like a Stanford, Cal Tech, or MIT, vs. coming out of Michigan or GT?</p>

<p>The fact that you’d be coming from Rutgers will only make a small difference, if you have good grades.</p>

<p>What makes a big difference is if you start now, by going to the websites of those three schools above, and find out what research the professors are doing at those schools you are interested in. If you find a professor whose research interests you, get in contact with that professor. If you can scrounge together some funds to make a trip to California, come out here and visit the professors, and talk with them directly. If you can get the professors to remember you, you’ll have a better chance at getting into these schools.</p>

<p>A warning though, Stanford’s Masters program is unfunded, and it costs $35,000 per year for tuition, alone. I would only choose Stanford if you intend to pursue a Ph.D (which is funded at Stanford), or you can get an outside funding source. Georgia Tech is similar.</p>

15

<p>I just came back from visiting Michigan. Great school, and their facilities are awesome. But as I’ve gathered more information, it looks like I’m looking at RU.</p>

16

<p>^ Good school. Too bad Cal wasn’t cheap enough for you to come West. Best of luck in all your future endeavors.</p>

17

<p>Don’t worry about not getting into honors program at GT. GT is an honors program itself. The GT engineering advisor I talked to said that GT is more rigorous and loaded than the other top engineering schools.</p>

18

<p>I agree that the honors program is not necessary at GT. You will be plenty challenged without it. Consider GT’s outstanding co-op program. You could reduce your cost of attendance while gaining valuable work experience.</p>

19

<p>GT is more rigorous and loaded (whatever that means) than MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Cornell, Carnegie, and the like? </p>

<p>Could their somewhat lesser admission standards mean GT admits more students not up to the task?</p>

20

<p>Hey I’m in between Carnegie Mellon and Georgia Tech for engineering. Chardo: I think so. Georgia has to admit a certain amount of in state students who IMO don’t think gatech is going to be that hard so they think they can continue their high school ways of “studying”</p>