<p>I got accepted into both schools for engineering. I am torn between these two. Which one would you choose, and why? I visited both schools, and although they are polar opposites, both attract me. </p>
<p>I live in NJ so Rutgers will cost less, but only by about 5k, so cost is not a factor for me. </p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>What type of Engineering? What are your major interests in your college experience besides academics?</p>
<p>My son spent his first 2 years at UD and then transferred to Rutgers. His major was mechanical engineering with an aerospace concentration. I can’t say how things are now, but UD stopped offering certain aero classes, although they were still on the books. Even his professors thought he should leave based upon his preferences.</p>
<p>If you are a chemical engineering major, I’d go to UD. But you can’t go wrong with either university.</p>
<p>Both schools have top notch Engineering Programs with UD having at least a slight edge in Chemical Engineering. If you apply yourself you can obtain an excellent Engineering education at either if them. I completed my undergrad degree at RU-NB, teach some couses at RU (not in Engineering), and my D obtained her BSN in 2010 from UD (she elected not to attend RU). I therefore feel I am in an excellent position to compare the schools.</p>
<p>First of all RU is a huge school (has the largest number of students in on-campus housing of any school in the country) spread out over a relatively large area in New Brunswick/Piscataway. Depending on your classes there is a fairly good possibility you will be spending at least some time waiting and riding busses. UD is a medium sized school (about 16,000 undergrads) but the way it is laid out it feels much smaller. Most classrooms at UD are within walking distances from the dorms (but there is a campus bus system as well). RU is about 90% in-state NJ students. UD is unique among all Flagship State Universities in that 2/3rds of the students are from OOS (which gives UD a slightly greater feel of being a private university as compared to most state universities where the overwhelming majority of students are from in-state). I have eaten at the RU Commons (and most other RU dining halls) as well as in the dinung halls at UD and IMHO the food is a little better at UD.</p>
<p>RU (Division 1 FBS) is big into football and with RU joining the Big 10 in all sports in 2014 the interest is likely to escalate even further. UD football (Division 1 FCS) is at a lesser level but is still big at the school (UD went to the championship game in 2 of the last 5 years). UD competes at Division 1 in other sports and seeems to be elevating its status in other sports (UD woman’s basketball is in the NCAA’s “Sweet Sixteen” this year after having beaten North Carolina this past week). So there is a high level of sports interest at both schools which would also depend on your interests. Both schools have a high level of other social/athletic/academic activities so you should never get bored at either school unless you choose to not avail yourself of all these opportunities. Both schools have active Greek communities.</p>
<p>So you might ask why my D choose to attend UD rather than RU. There were a number of reasons (these were her perspectives). First of all the on-site nursing facilities at UD appeared to be superior than RU. Secondly she wanted to attend a large school with all the amenities a large school has to offer but she also wanted a school where she would not just get lost in the crowd. She also felt that the students at UD seemed to be genuinely happy to be there, were friendly, and she perceived a sense of elan (not snobbery-more like a goal achievement orientation) that seemed to pervade the student body and campus at UD that she did not sense to the same degree at RU. These perceptions were subsequently reinforced once she started to maticulate at UD. Again these were her perceptions.</p>
<p>In summation both schools have excellent Engineering Programs. They are similar in some areas but are different in other areas as noted above. It all depends on what you are looking for in an overall college experience. If money is not an issue then you really can’t go wrong attending either school. If this is the case I would suggest you attend the school where you feel you best “fit in”. If you have any other more specific questions please feel free to ask and I will try and answer them to the best of my ability. Good luck in making your decision.</p>