<p>I have been accepted to USC and Columbia. I know you may be thinking that it's a no-brainer, but consider these facts. I will be studying chemical engineering. I have a Presidential Scholarship at USC that brings the total cost to about 32-33,000 per year. Columbia offered no financial aid, so the cost is 51,000. I have two big questions. Is USC's engineering program comparable to Columbia's? And is the difference between the programs a huge factor considering this is undergraduate education? I know Columbia has the prestige, but since my chances of getting into graduate school and a job depend mostly on research experience, would it make more sense to go to USC? I am mainly concerned with the quality of the education, as I can see myself in either LA or NYC. Please let me know what you think!</p>
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<p>Probably not. You’ll get a good quality education at both places. </p>
<p>You can search on rankings for the schools, neither seem to rank high for chemical engineering. If you are serious about that subject, I would try to research in depth each school’s program, try to talk to a professor at each, maybe contact the undergraduate advisor.</p>
<p>None are ranked for undergraduate chemical engineering. However, Columbia and USC are ranked in graduate chemical engineering.</p>
<p>Engineering Specialty Rankings: Chemical
Ranked in 2008 </p>
<p>1 California Institute of Technology 4.8
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4.8
1 University of California–Berkeley 4.8
4 University of Minnesota–Twin Cities 4.7
5 Stanford University 4.5
5 University of Wisconsin–Madison 4.5
7 Princeton University 4.4
8 University of Texas–Austin (Cockrell) 4.3
9 University of California–Santa Barbara 4.2
10 University of Delaware 4.1
10 University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign 4.1
12 University of Michigan 4.0
13 Carnegie Mellon University 3.9
13 Georgia Institute of Technology 3.9
15 Cornell University 3.8
15 Northwestern University (McCormick) 3.8
15 Purdue University 3.8
18 University of Pennsylvania 3.7
19 University of Colorado 3.5
20 North Carolina State University 3.4
20 Pennsylvania State University 3.4
20 University of California–Davis 3.4
20 University of Florida 3.4
20 University of Washington 3.4
25 Rice University (Brown) 3.3
25 University of California–Los Angeles (Samueli) 3.3
27 Johns Hopkins University (Whiting) 3.2
27 Ohio State University 3.2
27 University of Massachusetts–Amherst 3.2
30 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 3.1
30 Texas A&M University 3.1
30 University of Notre Dame 3.1
33 Iowa State University 3.0
33 University of Houston (Cullen) 3.0
33 University of Virginia 3.0
36 University of Maryland 2.9
36 University of Southern California (Viterbi) 2.9
36 Virginia Tech 2.9
39 Case Western Reserve University 2.8
39 Columbia University (Fu Foundation) 2.8
39 Lehigh University 2.8
39 Rutgers 2.8
39 University at Buffalo–SUNY 2.8
39 University of Pittsburgh 2.8
39 Vanderbilt University 2.8 </p>
<p>If you really want to do ChemE, I’d choose USC and save the money.<br>
If you’re unsure about ChemE, want Ivy League prestige, and money is not an issue, I’d choose Columbia.</p>
<p>ChemE? USC. If you are unsure AT ALL about ChemE, Columbia is much, much stronger in almost every single aspect.</p>
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<p>$80,000 stronger? Only the OP and his/her parents can decide that, of course.</p>
<p>Columbia Engineers are much stronger by any metric than USC engineers, i.e. SATs, SAT IIs, ACT, GPA, etc. Also, you can take classes in COlumbia’s Chemistry department that is one of the best in the country.</p>
<p>don’t forget that columbia engineering is not focused at ALL on graduate studies; it serves almost entirely to teach undergrads (OR:FE is about the only large department in the grad school). that sways the importance of the rankings in this discussion.</p>
<p>Go to Columbia if you want to work on Wall Street otherwise it’s hard to pass up free tuition.</p>
<p>Why did you apply to such different schools in the first place? I am not asking that question to chide or criticize; rather, I am just trying to see what you saw in both of them as different as they are in the first place. Your sense of how each is or isn’t a fit for you is extremely important to the question of which you should go to.</p>
<p>I think you also have to ask yourself two questions:</p>
<p>1) How much can my parents afford? If your parents don’t really care – and this doesn’t sound like it’s your situation – maybe you should go to Columbia if that’s what you really want. If not, or you will be in very serious debt because of going to Columbia, go to USC.</p>
<p>2) If Columbia’s students are all great, better in fact than USC’s on average, maybe you’d find it good to be a big fish in a small pond. The thing about grad school admissions is you will be helped by getting strong recs from professors who recognize you to be a standout. Sounds easier said than done at USC. </p>
<p>I am not a particular USC fan and am a fan of Columbia’s, but there is no doubt: USC is on the move, upwards. In fact, even as I say I am not a fan, I have begun to realize that I am actually growing respect for the place more each day.</p>
<p>Unless, you have really strong reasons, be a Trojan Man (unless you are a woman).</p>
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<p>Hmmm…I wonder why Columbia’s undergrad engineering is not ranked higher then?</p>
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I applied to both Columbia and USC because they have very strong engineering programs and are in big cities. I don’t have a big preference of LA over NYC or NYC over LA. I have been to both and I think both are great places to be for different reasons.</p>
<p>In response to your questions:
- My family and I can afford USC at 32,000 a year. We would have to take out about 10 to 15,000 per year in loans to pay for Columbia. I’m not sure if I want to be in debt 40-60,000 coming out of undergraduate school. Also, I would prefer to be paying less for USC and having more spending money than to be scrapping to pay for Columbia without any money to spend.</p>
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<li>Honestly, I like Columbia’s learning environment more than USC’s because I feel like I would be working with people equal or smarter than me, and that adds another dimension to my education. With that said, I prefer USC’s school spirit and sense of community. USC has prestige and famous alumni, and so does Columbia.</li>
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<p>Though Columbia is an Ivy, I’m not that sure there is a large difference in reputation for engineering at USC and Columbia. Entrance into graduate school and work for chemical engineering are more based on research and exposure than connections (which Columbia has a serious advantage in). I’m sure Columbia law and business are much more reputable, but as far as engineering goes, I understand that USC and Columbia are equal. Also, the two schools have huge endowments and spend a lot on research, which is very important in engineering. Am I wrong in any of this? As it stands, I think USC is the wiser choice for undergraduate education in chemical engineering.</p>
<p>i think you underestimate the connections USC has, the trojan network is second to none. im going to USC as a freshman in engineering next year and have been doing my research. the community feeling from USC goes beyond undergrad, from what i can tell it is forever</p>
<p>Any other USC or Columbia students, alumni, family, and friends with input?</p>
<p>Go where you think you want to live after graduating. It is true, however, that the Trojan network is fantastic.</p>
<p>Unfortunately NYC, isn’t a hotbed of traditional Chemical Engineering jobs…</p>
<p>part of the money issue you might want to consider:
i am not familiar with the LA, but i can assure you - living in nyc is VERY expensive. even if your family does take out the loans and you attend columbia, you might not want to be, as you said, “scrapping” for money in an expensive city.</p>
<p>I recommend going to Columbia only if your parents are able/willing to pay extra 80k for it over USC for next 4 yrs. Otherwise, grab this opportunity and go to USC. USC is a very good school.</p>
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<p>patlees, seeing that you go to Cornell, are you saying USC’s engineering school is comparable to Cornell’s? I know Cornell’s is one of the best in the country. Are you implying that I shouldn’t be paying just for the name? I’m just wondering because you are an Ivy Leaguer, and so you have that other perspective. </p>
<p>Wow, the help and input has been incredible. I think my last thing I need to weigh is Columbia’s reputation/connections. Do people think that the Columbia/Ivy League name is worth $80,000 more than USC’s? For undergraduate? Columbians, Trojans, Ivy Leaguers, anybody feel free to answer!</p>
<p>It depends on the school you are talking about. In the case btwn Columbia and USC, it becomes rather tricky since USC is still a pretty prestigious school. But, if you are comparing btwn a second-rate university and Columbia, extra 80k for Columbia is worth it, imo.</p>
<p>If you see yourself in LA, USC Trojans will take VERY good care of you</p>