<p>Ok. So the college search is almost done ... all I have to do is CHOOSE A COLLEGE now. But I am at end with which one to choose. I have 2 big name universities, and ND is one of them. I am also considering a state school in my home state. There are things I like about each I just cant decide which is best.</p>
<p>Im looking to major in engineering (undecided discipline) and I have had multiple people tell me that where ever someone gets their undergraduate engineering degree doesn't matter, its all about grad school. Is this true?? Is engineering at my state school comparable to engineering a big school? I want to know if this rumor is true or false.</p>
<p>-- I am also considering a degree in business, so of course ND would make sense in that fact. This is a reason why i have looked to the big name universities. However, this is only a side note. I really want to know about undergrad engineering. Thanks</p>
<p>Well I think it will be nice if you could say the name of the state school so as to do the comparison. However, ND has a very good engineering department and is dedicating more time to research especially to the undergraduates.</p>
<p>Well people have their different opinions but your graduate school is equally as important as your undergraduate school.</p>
<p>And what other factors are you considering like cost, etc?</p>
<p>i am a ND engineering grad from about 25 years ago, and do occasionally interview young engineers for jobs at our science oriented company. I have a BS, MS and PE.</p>
<p>We typically just hire out of the top 10 USNWR schools, but ND is included also. But we don’t place ND any higher than other state schools like Va Tech, Ga Tech, U of Michigan etc…the only engineering school that would give a kid a perceived bump would be MIT.</p>
<p>Undergrad research is not valued by me…seems more like a ploy to convince non-science parents to pay more, there was never anything like undergrad research 20 years ago, defnitely not at ND when I was there, if you are looking for a job after graduating…but might help with the prof recommendations if you are going to grad school. Co-oping is highly valued by my company , but ND does not have this and summer interning is too short. </p>
<p>If ND is going to put your in debt and you want to get a job after graduating, go to a good in-state engineering school and save $, co-op, get a >3.5, and have some good EC’s , and your will have good opportunities.</p>
<p>I would also check to see how well-connected the career office is with engineering companies. The career placement office will be very important as you look for employment, esp in engineering. ND does offer a huge engineering career fair each year (in addition to regular job fairs) with as many as 140+ companies participating, which has been a valuable asset for many. I would check to see what the state school offers-visit their career center!</p>
<p>How many engineers go on to get graduate degrees (in engineering, not law or business) and then continue to work in the industry rather than entering into academic work?
In general, for positions requiring graduate degrees, it’s true that the quality of your graduate program (and your relative performance there) matters much more than your undergraduate degree. But I have no idea whether graduate degrees in engineering are common.
I’d also point out that not everyone who starts out as an intended engineering major remains there…my son’s roommate HATES HATES HATES his introductory engineering coursework and is seriously considering a switch. So do keep that in mind as you compare programs.</p>
<p>Your son’s roommate is at the end of his freshman year and has presumably signed up for next year’s classes and is still considering switching? What is he waiting for, make a decision.</p>
<p>IF you are planning on graduate school, undergrad is much less important, and ND is a solid (though not excellent) name. Choose your undergrad for the experience, your grad for the specialty. That doesn’t necessarily mean choose ND for undergrad, I might add. It depends on your big state school. When it comes to engineering, often your big state school IS your big name school. If it is a U of I or something like it, then it is one of the top schools in the country so you can’t lose either way.</p>
<p>when comparing engineering schools , and if you have a strong interest in going to a top grd school (where PHD programs are typically fully funded)…just leaf through the faculty listing (take EE for example) and see where the profs got their PhD’s from, if there are schools like MIT, U of Ill, Ga Tech, U of Michigan, etc…, listed, then lot of profs to get recommendations from.</p>
<p>I live in Kansas, and our best state school for engineering is Kansas State University. I believe it comes up in the 60s for nationally ranked engineering schools … so its not one of the most impressive programs out there. </p>
<p>However, it is virtually free for me to go there and I have already been offered a spot on a research project for next year (as a work-study job).</p>
<p>So do I go for the cheaper school, and give up a name like ND as well as a wide variety of possibilities for other majors just in case I do decide engineering is not for me???</p>
<p>ND is a lot more prestigious than Kansas State, and there are great research opportunities starting in your sophomore year (and potentially in your 2nd semester). I also think that ND would look a lot better on apps. to grad school than Kansas State and you will get a lot better college experience at ND than KSU</p>