<p>in general, which school has a better reputation for engineering? from what ive heard, virginia tech is more technical and uva focuses more on the all around education(i.e. more of a liberal arts education along with engineering). what kind of job opportunities would a graduate get coming out of each school? what about pay? also, which school would give a student a better opportunity to get internships from top engineering companies?</p>
<p>VATech....</p>
<p>Virginia Tech</p>
<p>when it comes to engineering, pay is pretty much the same across the board.... not just those 2 schools</p>
<p>Uva all the way</p>
<p>Why VaTech? Why UVa?</p>
<p>and if u live in virginia, Uva tuition is only 9grand!!!!</p>
<p>In general, Va Tech has a somewat better rep for engineering. However, if you really think you want to slice it that fine, the answer depends somewhat on the type of engineering. UVa, I would say, is better for biomedical engineering and computer science (CS is part of the engineering school at both places). Tech probably gets the nod in most other disciplines.
Overall (talking not just engineering) UVa has a better reputation and much stronger departments.
There will be no difference between the two in terms of starting salaries, research, internship or coop opportunities, so from this perspective don't worry, take your pick.
Another consideration for you might be fit, or the feel of each place. UVa's engineering school is smaller than Tech's, more compact, and I believe as an undergrad you can expect more individual attention from faculty (in the interests of full disclosure, I myself am a UVa grad). However, I am in no way a Tech basher- it's a great school for engineering that I also seriously considered for myself</p>
<p>Va Tech... that's what the school is for.</p>
<p>My son just graduated from UVA engineering, so we were going through this about five years ago. I actually asked some questions of both schools about some key aspects of engineering. I found out there were some specific differences between the schools.</p>
<p>Tech runs freshman engineering as a 'weed out' course. Some of the courses require a high degree of attention to detail -- some would call it unreasonable. UVA does not have such a process. Both engineering schools 'keep' about two thirds of their starting engineers. But, at tech, some are 'driven' out, while at UVA they are enticed to "The College" (of Arts and sciences), where it is assumed that grades are higher and classes are less demanding. </p>
<p>In senior year, engineering schools all have a 'projects' course, that will prepare you for work as a professional engineer. At tech, this course will interact more with TAs, the project will be assigned to a larger team of students, and the interactions with an instructor will be fewer. That having been said, my son was least pleased with his project experience. True, he did get more connected with the professor and his group size was only four. But, the work did not interest him and they barely got a working system.</p>
<p>There is an intangible factor here that relates to overall school 'prestige'. For the most part, the students in either school become virulent supporters of their school. While I'm officially neutral (we have both Hokies and Wahoos scattered about our family), I have to give the nod to UVA on the prestige issue. It is rated higher, it has more 'firsts', and takes the legacy of Thomas Jefferson, the founder, seriously in everything from politics to bathroom implements. </p>
<p>Now, if my son were posting, he would point out that, every year, 500 students start at UVA SEAS and 2000 start in Tech freshman engineering. What do they all have in common? They all got into tech.</p>
<p>And so it begins again. Now at bat: Virginia Tech....</p>
<p>redbeard: sorry about the project experience. When I was an undergrad, most people (including me) did individual projects, picked a topic of their choice after consulting with faculty members for ideas, and then worked one-on-one with the faculty advisor to complete the project and write up the report. Can undergrads still do this? It may not be optimal but at least it solves the problem of not liking your topic very much.</p>
<p>It seems like schools nowadays are trying to emphasize teamwork and communication in engineering (at least in my experiences, and at schools that I'm familiar with). I'd be surprised to hear if many schools still have solo senior projects.</p>
Tech engineers end up working for UVa engineers
@UVaChE84 Biased much?
Dr. Bonehead - all UVA grads are biased. I should know. I went to VT.
And most kids love their schools. I had one at each, both in engineering. Both ended up in the right place. Great opportunities from both schools.
UVaChE84 appears to be posting denigrating comments on years-old threads. Not helpful.