How would you compare a choice between A&M regular admission and U of Houston Honors? Mechanical Eng. Do the smaller class sizes of the U of H Honors program relative to A&M make up for the lower ranking? I’m trying to get a sense from folks out there if this is a no-brainier or is it something to think hard about.
I would think that there is more to the decision than just ranking. You are looking at two very different college life styles. Houston being a VERY large metro area and College Station being much smaller with a more college like atmosphere. I’m sure others will say it as well but it really is hard to beat the Aggie network after you graduate and throw in the HUGE engineering career fairs that they have on campus at A&M and to me it would be a no brainer. There is much more to the comparisons than just some rankings from some publication.
My son has also been admitted to Oklahoma State (Honors College), Iowa State and Purdue and he feels that TAMU is just the best fit for him and his personality. Bottom line you can’t really make a wrong choice academically between Houston and TAMU so I’d look at the intangibles and see which school feels like a better home for the next four years.
You should also consider that you are not guaranteed Mechanical Engineering at A&M. From what I understand the process is competitive and you will need a certain GPA at the end of your freshman year to guarantee your desired engineering discipline. At Houston you are admitted to your major as a freshman. Have you heard from Houston Honors College? My son is still waiting.
@STEM2017, yes we did hear from UH Honors a few days ago. Thx for the useful input. It is something to think about that at A&M you would be competing intensely in addition to acclimatizing to college life.