UIUC vs. Tufts for Civil Engineering

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

Hi everyone,

PLEASE HELP THIS POOR GIRL WITH NO TIME LEFT!

I was taken off the waitlist from Tufts University a few days ago, and I really don’t know what to do. I’m choosing between Tufts and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). I’m OOS for both since I live in PA, and in the end, the tuition at these two schools is about the same after financial aid. So please, do not ask about whether I’ve discussed the finances with my parents, because yes, I DID. (Sorry for the attitude. I just see a lot of people respond with crap like this that really isn’t helpful).

But anyways, I’m majoring in Civil Engineering for both schools, and I’m 99% sure I will stay in this field since I’ve loved highways and streets my entire life and never lost interest in the subject after numerous summer programs and internships. And as that suggests, I’m specifically interested in Transportation within Civil Engineering.

I love UIUC. When it comes to engineering, UIUC is spectacular. Its undergrad engineering is ranked #6 according to USNWR, and I was able to confirm this upon my campus visit; UIUC has the biggest engineering library (Grainger) in the country, an engineering quad, and brand new buildings for ECE and CS. I also heard that the startup culture is huge at UIUC, and that Intel has built its own fabrication lab on campus or something. Well if that’s all true…wow. BUT, when it comes to Civil Engineering, UIUC kicks even more butt; it’s consistently ranked #1 on USNWR. CivilE has it’s own building with huge labs and brand-new lecture halls, its own career fairs, and about 10 research areas, one of which is Transportation. The CivilE major I shadowed has gotten an internship every single year since she was a freshman, and told me that companies come after her and that all of her friends find it really easy to find a job. Sooo yeah, pretty much UIUC academics is unbeatable for CivilE, I would say. However, not everything is perfect. Champaign-Urbana is about 2 hours from Chicago and is not a very big city in itself. The campus definitely provides plenty of opportunities to socialize and have fun since it’s supposedly a “party school”, but I don’t know; living in the middle of cornfields for 4 years might get old after a while.

I also love Tufts. Mainly because, unlike UIUC, it’s right next to a city (Boston). I’ve always wanted to go to a school where I could independently take the train into the city to shop for clothes and look at museums, which Tufts definitely allows for. Plus, Boston is absolutely beautiful AND student-friendly with all the other schools like Northeastern, BU, BC, MIT, and Harvard. Its overall ranking is also higher than UIUC (#27 vs #44), and the school has fewer students, which means smaller class sizes and more opportunities to talk with your professors. But on the down side, Tufts’ undergrad engineering is ranked #58, and undergrad Civil is not even ranked… (lol). And to me, it seems like a fair assessment. I saw that all the engineering majors are clumped into a single building, there is no engineering library, and there are only 4 research areas, none of which is Transportation. And when I surf all over CC and Quora to find out about Tufts’ engineering program, I see both ends of the spectrum. One person said that all of his classmates were able to find a good job, while another (an actual employer) said that Tufts Engineers are really not prepared for the workforce when compared to the Northeastern students with the co-op experience. This variety in opinions on Tufts engineering really worries me, since for UIUC it’s always a unanimous appraisal.

Although very different, I love both campuses and can see myself at both schools. I also always hear about Tufts’ “small barrier between engineers and arts majors”, but honestly I don’t get what’s so special about it since UIUC too has plenty of non-engineers and makes you take Gen-Ed classes outside your department. I didn’t apply to schools like MIT, Caltech, Georgia Tech, and RPI for a reason.

But essentially, the main dilemma here is whether I go for:

  1. UIUC’s engineering with more resources, better employment, and a transportation program that closely aligns with my interests.
    ~or~
  2. Tufts’ smaller class sizes and proximity to Boston that allows me to have more fun options on the weekends.

Is it better to be happy with:

  1. what you’re studying?
    ~or~
  2. where you’re living?

I’m posting this thread on several forums to hear from students of both schools, because I don’t have too much time (5 days left) to make this decision, and AHHHH I DON’T KNOW WHAT DO.

But yeah, thank you so much for reading! And also, don’t be afraid to share the drawbacks of your school if applicable, because really, no school is perfect, and hiding the negative aspects of your school will do more harm than good for me :slight_smile: And I promise, I’ll always love both schools no matter which I choose in the end.

2

FWIW, it’s always best to not insult the people who might offer you advice in your first paragraph, especially when your post is so long. Many will simply quit reading once they’ve encountered that.

With that said, in choosing a school you have to consider MANY variables, including location. There’s no denying the Jumbo Spirit leaves you with a good vibe. There’s also no denying, that in spite what the rankings say (and they are dubious at best), you can tell having visited both programs, that when it comes to engineering, Tufts and UIUC aren’t even on the same planet.

If it were me, I’d choose Illinois and then live where you want to live after. Remember though, that’s my bias. After we visited Tufts, and we all liked it, my son just felt the engineering was so lacking compared to his other school options that he didn’t even apply.

Good luck.

P.S. One caveat, the state of Illinois is having a budget crisis. No one knows now that’ll impact the state’s higher education.

3

Are you direct admit to the civil engineering major at UIUC?

4

@eyemgh Thank you so much for the suggestions!

@ucbalumnus Yes.

To everyone: Once again, really sorry about the attitude in the beginning! Didn’t realize I said “crap” after apologizing…

5

I would look at it from more of a long term approach, after all, college is a long term investment.

Which of the two places do you think will help you succeed more academically. I can tell you right away that >75% of your time will be dedicated to school, so WHO you will be surrounded with make a huge difference.

From your post I feel that the decision is very clear:

“One person said that all of his classmates were able to find a good job, while another (an actual employer) said that Tufts Engineers are really not prepared for the workforce when compared to the Northeastern students with the co-op experience. This variety in opinions on Tufts engineering really worries me, since for UIUC it’s always a unanimous appraisal.”

“I’ve always wanted to go to a school where I could independently take the train into the city to shop for clothes and look at museums”… Couldn’t you take the train to chicago too? Make it a monthly trip with some freinds. Shopping would get old fast if you’re super close.

“But on the down side, Tufts’ undergrad engineering is ranked #58, and undergrad Civil is not even ranked…”

I don’t see any reason to not choose UIUC if you can see yourself at the school. The student body will be better prepared, provide more resources, and get you experience.

If you are worried about being in the middle of nowhere for a while, think of all the ways that could be a possible benefit: easier to bond with other students, going outside of your comfort zone, the ability to focus more easily, fresh air and outdoor experiences.

What are you are ultimately trying to get out of college? I believe that you can still have a good experience at UIUC and your future self will thank you for working harder for four years in college.

Best of luck!

6

Yea, I almost quit reading at the insult. We posters (who are often parents) offer advise with good intentions, not to insult the students who have already thoroughly considered finances. You’d be surprised how many have not.

It sounds like UIUC would provide a fine engineering education. I’ve heard lots of good things about it. We visited Tufts with our son, and although I though he might like it (he was a musician / IB student) he far preferred the more STEM-ish schools. Students do go into Boston from Tufts, but it’s not as convenient as say Northeastern. Having said all of that, engineering is HARD… so it is good to pick a place that you’ll be happy. Just know that there might be different job options depending on your choice.

7

Now on to my rankings rant. Colorado School of Mines, Lehigh, Colorado State and the University of Utah are all ranked very similarly to Tufts. Unlike Tufts, they all have fairly massive engineering programs. How Tufts, and I like Tufts a lot, just not for engineering, is even in the same discussion as those schools, all far more like UIUC than Tufts, is really mind boggling. The USNWR has Columbia and Penn in the top 20 and Harvard at 23. It’s really a farce. Unfortunately students and parents put way too much emphasis on a number with no concept of its origin or validity. Fortunately, you’ve visited. You will know exactly what the compromise will be.

8

Thank you so much everyone for the responses! I’m definitely leaning towards UIUC now. Any other opinions?

9

Yea… but you might not like it :wink: Do you parentsteachers, who know you best, have thoughts about which school is a better fit?

10

@colorado_mom Honestly my counselor and parents are also stuck on this dilemma haha…sigh Both schools offer advantages in separate areas, but ultimately, education is what I’m going to college for. Definitely don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to specifically study Transportation within Civil Engineering, which only UIUC has in this case :wink: So yeah, UIUC is again where I’m leaning towards.

11

It’s an honor to be picked from the waitlist. But it’s OK to stick to your original plan, especially since they have the program you want.

12

Thank you everyone so much for the insightful advice! I ended up staying committed to UIUC, mainly because they offer a concentration in Transportation, but also based on the Civil-specific career fairs and frequent on-campus recruiting that they have. UIUC students seem to be doing internships as freshmen and sophomores more so than Tufts students, and although Tufts has a better student-to-faculty ratio, getting research opportunities as an undergraduate doesn’t seem to be a problem at UIUC. But once again, I still LOVE Tufts. I will definitely be missing out on the city life, but since I’m going to be spending most of my time on campus, I decided it’s better to be satisfied with what I’m studying than where I’m living. I can live wherever I want after I graduate, so hopefully I can make my way to Boston then :slight_smile: You all brought up some VERY good points, and I really appreciate it!

Also, feel free to continue the discussion if there is anything else you might want to add, since there may be others faced with a similar dilemma whether that is now or in the future. I’m sure others would find this forum very useful as well.

Go Illini! Go Jumbos!

13

Go Andrea! :smiley:

14

@eyemgh Haha thank you!

15

Andrea, you made the right choice. I say this as a thrilled parent of a Jumbo '21. For your interests, no brainer. I was silently pulling for you and I knew you would figure it out. Good luck!

16

I think you made the right choice too. At Tufts, engineering represents only around 15% of students. For your goals, UIUC sounds like a better match.

Yes, Boston IS a fun city for students. So I’m going to plant the seeds early for an idea… mayb do REU/research at a Boston school for the summer. DS applied to a few REU programs during his freshman year and didn’t get an offer. Part of the reason was that he really did not learn about REU til December and only had a few very late applications.

Tufts is on the REU/Engineering list. (I didn’t see Northearstern, but perhaps they have other similar opportunities)
https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=10006

17

You can always take the Amtrak up to Chicago…