Hi all, I am very glad to be accepted into both UMich college of engineering and UIUC for mechanical engineering. I have to come up with a decision by May 1 and am having trouble deciding between the two. I visited both schools and like Michigan a little more because of the campus life, the overall higher ranking, and the Michigan brand which I think is better than UIUC. Also, the recruitment for jobs from Michigan is better than at UIUC for engineering.
First off, I am instate or UIUC so UIUC is cheaper than UMich. However, I got a grant from UMich for 41K for the first year so my total cost of attendance at UMich would be around 14k and for UIUC I got 8K in grants so COA would be around 27K for the first year. Thus, I wondering how likely it would be for UMich to change its financial aid next year; would I still get around 41k in grants from them.
I am interested in Mechanical and Industrial engineering so Michigan is #3 for Mechanical and #2 for IOE vs UIUC which is #6 for Mechanical and #11 for Industrial. I am wondering if this gap in ranking is worth taking the risk in extra tuition (assuming the possibility I don’t get grants for my 2nd through 4th year)
Also, I am wondering if it would be harder to do well at Michigan than at UIUC because Michigan is overall a higher ranked school so will my GPA be lower at Michigan vs if I go to UIUC, or will my GPA be around the same.
Also, for Industrial engineering, Michigan seems to be a lot better 2 vs 11 but is this difference actually big when it comes to recruitment. I am currently interested in getting a job out of college for a top consulting company and see that these companies (McKinsey, BCG, Bain etc) recruit more from Michigan than UIUC.
With all this going in my mind, I am leaning towards Michigan but have to know if it is worth taking the risk in the extra tuition.
The FA office said the financial aids of subsequent year should be similar unless your familt situation changed. If you like UMich more and it is cheaper for you, it is not a hard decision.
I cannot compare them, but you may look at the freshmen retention rate and 4 year graduation rate. I don’t have the break down numbers for engineering alone but for the whole school. UMich is slightly better in both.
“Do you know which of these two schools has better placement into top MBA programs such as Harvard, Stanford UPenn, MIT, NYU Stern, UChicago etc.?”
I do not think MBA programs distinguish that much between top tier universities, and Michigan and UIUC are both top tier.
However, as GoBlue81 points out, the one advantage you will have if you go to Michigan is that its own MBA program, Ross, is one of the best, and it does give a slight advantage to applicant who completed their undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan.
I just got back another estimate from UMich and UMich is going to be around 90K more by the end of the 4 years. My family and I do not think it is worth 90K extra, but what do you guys think.
Will I have similar job opportunities from UIUC as UMich offers for consulting and jobs in the financial services with a Mechanical Engineering major and a business minor. Also, will I have as good of a shot as getting into a top MBA program from UIUC as UMich.
Thank you,
I am a little dejected about UMich, but I want to know that I am making a wise decision.
I think you and your family are correct in this case. 90K is too much additional to pay for Michigan, especially when it seems, per your post title, that the focus is going to be engineering, where UIUC excels. I think part of this is you want to have your cake and eat it too – consulting jobs aren’t necessarily the best representation of what you’d receive from undergrad engineering. I could be wrong, but consulting positions are recruited best by MBA graduates from reputed programs. UIUC’s bachelor of engineering graduates generally have outstanding recruiting in their respective specialties, because of the rigor and reputation of the program.
So do you mean that I would have the same chance of getting into a good MBA program with a UIUC Engineering major degree as I would from UMich Engineering?
Your best chance of getting into a good MBA program has to do with neither of those; both degrees are near the top in the country for engineering. What you need to do for admission to a good MBA program is work for several years after undergrad, do well, and progress as much as you can. That is what MBA adcoms will look for – they rarely accept candidates straight out of college. Demonstrate skill, leadership where possible, and potential in the workforce. A UIUC engineering degree should set you up well for that. The rest is up to your diligence and performance, as is the next ~four years at either of these fine institutions.
I agree. UMich and UIUC are similar schools. If the price was about the same then you have a decision to make. Here there’s no decision to make. Go to UIUC. Congrats.
Do you know what type of consulting companies recruit UIUC engineers. Do McKinsey, Boston Consulting, and Booz Allen recruit UIUC engineers or is it mostly Deloitte, PwC, Accenture etc.?
Sorry but also would an industrial engineering degree from uiuc be on par with an industrial engineering degree from umich even though umich is 2 for it and uiuc is 11. If not, how would the two differ in terms of job opportunities. Thanks and sorry for asking so many questions
.I hope you don’t mind me jumping in here and throwing in my 2 cents.
$90K extra is crazy!
U of Mich IOE is much better than UIUC. UIUC has a solid program, but in the College of Engineering it does not get the same amount of attention...just look at the physical facilities.
Getting into a good MBA program will NOT be hampered by attending UIUC for engineering, BUT it will depend upon how you apply yourself. I would focus less on trying to second guess what they (and consulting firms for that matter) are looking for, and instead, focus on making yourself "the best you, with the best skills". (My husband majored in general engineering at UIUC and went straight into Ross for his MBA. But keep in mind things have changed concerning work experience.)
What type of opportunities are offered in Michigan industrial engineering vs uiuc industrial engineering in terms of job offers and specifically consulting firm recruitment
We don’t really know because probably none of us attended both UIUC and Michigan. It’s unlikely that they’re highly different. Probably what UIUC loses for being slightly lower ranked it makes up for by being closer to Chicago.