<p>I find this to be an extremely hard decision to make. I want to be a chemical engineer, but I have absolutely no idea which school is better for chemical engineers.</p>
<p>Minnesota - top 3 chemical engineer program, research opportunities, big school, sports and social scene, overall rank is very low, bad weather
Harvey Mudd - best non-doctorate engineering school, very competitive and academic, small school, no specific engineering degrees, most $$$ straight out of college</p>
<p>I find this to be a very interesting comparison. Which one would you choose?
Any input would be appreciated!</p>
<p>Both schools for this major are near equivalent. Therefore I think it comes down to fit and cost. Which would you prefer a large university with Big 10 athletics, a larger party and bar scene, and access to a large metro area or would you prefer the smaller setting (I’m unfamiliar with the Claremont area so i can’t speak to much on that)? One thing that I remember getting told on one of my tours at the University of Minnesota was that you can make a large school small, but you can’t make a small school feel big. I hope that makes sense. Especially when you get into your more upper level classes your Chem. E. peers will provide you with a more tight knit community.</p>
<p>Also, how does the cost comparison work for you? Where are you from that makes Minnesota have automatic bad weather? And what do you mean “overall rank is very low?”</p>
<p>I’ll try to fill in some details from the Claremont side of this. You’re totally correct on the athletics/bar scene, though Mudd does throw its share of parties. It’s a very different feel.</p>
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<p>That’s probably true in most cases, though Mudd differs slightly because of the consortium. You can keep to Mudd mostly, which will provide a very small feel, but you can also reach out to the other 4C’s which provides a much larger social atmosphere. It is scalable, not to the same degree of Minnesota, but at least gives you some choice in the matter.</p>
<p>As for my opinion, while the debate may be difficult as to which one to choose as an engineer, I would say at a smaller school like Mudd the “fit” is going to be a much larger factor. The school has a unique and distinct feel and personality, which tends to be polarizing. Some decide its not for them, while for others its the entire reason they chose the school. If you haven’t visited, you likely need to do so to get any clear idea of which works better.</p>
<p>Jotajota, money doesn’t really play a factor because my family will have no problem paying for college. I am actually from California, so Minnesota winter weather could be harsh.
When I say Minnesota’s overall rank is low; I mean it doesn’t compare with some other top public universities as an overall school, even though the chemical engineering program is very highly ranked.
I am still in a dilemma because I love sports and would enjoy supporting Minnesota athletics, but academically Harvey Mudd engineering program seems like it would prepare me extremely well for engineering careers. The small community with an extreme emphasis on math and science is also very appealing.
Any other thoughts?</p>
<p>Start by visiting both schools. Go to UMinn in the winter if you can so you know what cold is really like. Apply to both ( and a few others too) - if you get into both and still are on the fence, you’ll be able to visit again. Along the way, try to talk to professors at both.</p>
<p>Ok, so I understand my choice will be mostly based on personal preference. But in terms of academics, would you go to UMinn for a chemical engineering degree or HMC for a engineering degree? This is a harder decision than it seems because of UMinn’s extremely high ranked chemical engineering program. However, Harvey Mudd is known for its math and sciences and also has a top engineering program in terms of non-doctorate universities.</p>
<p>Since you are from California, you might also consider the various UC’s, several of them are also highly ranked in Chem E and would cost a lot less.</p>
<p>I say it also depends on what your career interests are… Both schools will be more regionally recruited (like all schools). Harvey Mudd seems to attract students that have more research and academic aspirations rather than working as an engineer for a corporation. Minnesota will be widely recruited by midwestern firms… if you desire getting a job back in California, it will take some legwork on your part. But you should have no problems getting a job from either.</p>
<p>Maybe not. Estimated COA for California residents at UC Berkeley is $31,566 for 2011-12. At UCLA it’s $30,476 for California residents living on-campus, and at UC Santa Barbara $30,926. </p>
<p>Estimated COA for a non-resident (OOS) at the University of Minnesota for 2010-11 was $27,385. The University of Minnesota Board of Regents has not yet approved a budget for 2011-2012 but the university administration anticipates an 8.2% tuition increase for non-resident students, bringing total OOS tuition and fees up to $17,948 (from the 2010-2011 level of $16,588). Even after that increase, costs for a California resident to attend the University of Minnesota will likely be very comparable to in-state costs at Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSB, and possibly lower. Minnesota pegs its OOS tuition a few thousand dollars ($4,000 at present) above the in-state rate, and room & board costs are much lower at Minnesota.</p>
<p>That goes both ways. The year we spent in the Bay Area while I was a visiting faculty member at Berkeley, we spent a small fortune on additional raingear and extra layers of clothing we could add or shed quickly as we moved around to various microclimates, or even standing still in one place as the cold, damp morning fog burned off into blazing afternoon sunshine. As I recall it was not unusual to experience 50-60 degree temperature swings in the course of a few hours, especially when moving a few miles from a cold, damp, foggy coastal area over the Berkeley Hills and inland into the valley. In Minnesota when it’s cold, it’s cold, and when it’s hot, it’s hot (and no, -32 and +102 are not typical, though they aren’t unheard of). We don’t have any of this “all seasons in one day” business like the Bay Area. Nor do we have month after sodden month of rain.</p>