UF vs Georgia Tech

College Search & Selection
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<p>First off, I'd like to thank anyone who actually read this thread and replied. Thank you. ^^</p>

<p>Currently, I'm a Florida resident. I got my acceptance letter from Georgia Tech on the mail the other day, and of course, I was greatly pleased. However, with financial situation at hand, things seem to be tough for me, while UF offers a cheaper. I have no doubt I'll get into UF due to various other factors, so for the time being I'm assuming I'll get in there too. So, here's my situation.</p>

<p>Georgia Tech costs about ~37k barring no aid.
UF (counting Bright Futures, and discounting other costs that are not included in GT's CoA) costs about ~10k.</p>

<p>Because of my idiotic highschool's choice in selecting to take GCE AS and A-Level examinations, I have credits for those classes, the former which are almost useless anywhere outside of Florida. Should I attend GT, I'd be able to skip two classes: Calculus I and Chemistry 1310. At UF, however, I'd be able to skip 30 credits( the maximum), which correlates to about a year off (the school counts 30 credits a year as full time for a student).</p>

<p>However, from what I've heard, GT has great dorms, which cannot be said for UF, which I've heard have the worst dorms in existence (with such a student population, it might not be too much of an exaggeration). Also, GT has a much more respectable reputation than UF and since I don't plan in working in Florida for the rest of my life, I figure I would need a respectable school nationwide. </p>

<p>So, here are my questions:
About how much aid would I need from GT to make up for the price? Parents are willing to pay up to 24k, anything else I'd have to take loans or pull it out of the nonexistent money-growing tree. However, they are not too happy paying such an amount of money, especially if it's not worth it.
On that note, is it worth it? Paying more for GT while I can go to UF cheaper and skip lots of classes? Is GT really that much more respectable than UF (and with better dorms)? I know what US News Ranking say, but I want to hear what /you/ say. </p>

<p>Once again, thanks.</p>

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<p>as a GA resident whose top 2 schools are these 2, I'd say go with UF.</p>

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<p>It is true GaTech is the best engineering school in the southeast...but UF is next best and has almost all departments ranked in the top-25. Grad schools and national employers will not make a significant distinction....Lockheed, for example, considers both to be "key schools" for recruitment. Your future will be more determined by yourself than a distinction between these schools. You should factor in best fit and quality-of-life, in addition to cost, before making your choice.</p>

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<p>@rsx: You rather go to UF than GT as a GA resident? You're crazy.
@rogracer: So you think GT's prestige is not worth it, price-wise not to mention the other perks of UF (skipping the first year)?</p>

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<p>Another GA resident here - I'd take UF out-of-state over GT. I don't know that GT is more respected than UF. It would be for engineers, but GT has the highest rate of student dissatisfaction of any school I know. Several people from our town go to UF and are passionate abut it. Q of L would have to be strongly in UF's favor.</p>

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<p>GT is <em>somewhat</em> more highly regarded than UF overall, but I would much rather go to UF, even if I had to pay more for it. I've heard nothing but negatives about GT from the students there, as it seems like almost all of them are miserable.
That school is a trap - you go there and hate it, but you have a low GPA because all the classes are curved to make the average a C. You can't transfer anywhere, and are stuck somewhere you don't like for 4+ years.
Don't worry about the "nationwide prestige" - five years after you graduate, no employer will care where you went to college as long as you have a degree and are qualified for the job. What work experience you have will be way more important. Don't count on a GT degree getting you any farther than one from UF.</p>

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<p>Hmm. I'm surprised so many people prefer UF over GT. This is slightly reassuring. ^^ I've never heard of the whole students being displeased, though. Just the weed out part. But, if it was unclear, I am aiming for an Engineering degree (particularly Chemical Engineering).</p>

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<p>Interesting perspectives. Let me tell you that having attended both schools (UF for undergrad and now GT for grad) that there is a noticeable difference in the two. Academically, GT's courses are a bit more demanding and Tech does an excellent job of making the departments feel interdisciplinary, but UF is a better school for well-rounded students. It is also my perception that more companies have an interest in the engineering students at GT, but honestly big companies as rogracer mentioned will recruit at both schools. Also, some of the dorms really suck at GT but ALL of them suck at UF. Most of the dorms on campus are 40 people to a bathroom and look like they're rennovated mental wards! GT, on the other hand, absorbed the athlete housing from the 1996 Atlanta games so the accomodations can get nice. Still, at GT I am sometimes reminded of what I left behind at UF (ridiculous amounts of hot girls and great school spirit mostly).</p>

<p>When it came time for me to choose an undergrad school, I chose UF over GT and I feel I made a good choice. You should NOT pay an arm and a leg for undergrad when you have such a fine school in your state. If you lived in Montana, my answer might be different, but go to UF.</p>

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<p>Look at the "reviews" of the schools on students--review.com (without the dashes) just to get an idea of what the current students think of both schools, but take everything you read with a grain of salt</p>

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<p>"I've never heard of the whole students being displeased, though."</p>

<p>Here are Princeton Review's student survey rankings for Tech:</p>

<h1>8 Professors Get Low Marks</h1>

<h1>4 Least Accessible Professors</h1>

<h1>3 Class Discussions Rare</h1>

<h1>6 Best Athletic Facilities</h1>

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<p>
[quote]
Here are Princeton Review's student survey rankings for Tech:</p>

<h1>8 Professors Get Low Marks</h1>

<h1>4 Least Accessible Professors</h1>

<h1>3 Class Discussions Rare

[/quote]
</h1>

<p>Oh come off it GT is an engineering school not an LAC. Nobody goes to GT thinking they're going to have an intimate atmosphere where you feel all warm and fuzzy after every lecture. Look at those rankings; Many of the most esteemed technology schools are high on that list because there is such a huge emphasis on research. If you get involved with research with a professor you will get a totally different experience than what PR tries to paint.</p>

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<p>Dude, UF will be Waaay cheaper for an almost equivalently prestigious degree. When money is factored in, UF is a no brain-er.</p>

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<p>Not all of UF's dorms suck. If you get into the Honors Program which you should be able to, their housing (Hume Hall) is pretty nice.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Not all of UF's dorms suck. If you get into the Honors Program which you should be able to, their housing (Hume Hall) is pretty nice.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>It's pretty nice compared to the rest of UF's dorms, I'll give you that. I was in them for two years and while it's nice to have to share a bathroom between only four people, the rooms / the hall itself have no humanity. West campus GT housing is quite nice (no experience with east)</p>

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<p>Let me tell you this. I visited and applied to GT last October because of their vaunted engineering. By November, I was wondering why I had even applied there. The students didn't seem miserable, but it wasn't that happy. Barely any good looking women, my tour guide just talked about how rigorous engineering was there and how there were lots of weedouts for students that couldn't keep up. I'm at a private school now, and possibly changing majors from engineering to mathematic and economics. If I was at Tech, and not in engineering, I'd be in their management program whihc is a joke.</p>

<p>Go to Tech if you KNOW you want to do engineering. If you aren't for sure, then UF.</p>

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<p>YOU need to choose UF. You may think you want engineering, but what happens if you fall out of love with your major?
with all the money you save by going to UF, and credits you can transfer, the difference in price could be used to get a masters in engineering at georgia tech after undergrad studies.</p>

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<p>I am in the same situation as Xav - facing a tough decision. I have full scholarships for attending either UF or GT. I am a Florida resident. UF is close to home and many of my high school friends will attend UF. On the other hand, I looked at the following ranking: [US</a> Graduate Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering School Rankings](<a href=“http://www.infozee.com/channels/ms/usa/bioengineering-biomedical-engineering-rankings.htm]US”>US Graduate Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering School Rankings)., and I have to admit that GT is a much better school academically for what I want to study. My goal is to make into a reasonable medical school after my B.S. I really love the medical field. This is a really difficult decision to make. Hope someone, with experience, can give me some good advice.</p>

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<p>For what it is worth, Xav ended up going to U Minnesota</p>

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<p>Xav - I would appreciate it if you could share your reasons for choosing U Minnesota after comparing UF and GT.</p>

<p>gthopeful - Hi. I wonder if you might know his reasons ?</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>You can do that from either school. It may actually be easier from UF, since the classes are easier and you will get a higher GPA.</p>

<p>I would go somewhere far from home for undergrad if I could–it’s good to have a change of scene!–but I realize that’s not what everyone wants.</p>