Hey guys. Im an international student from Singapore. Ive been accepted to Purdue’s FYE programme and the University of washington’s Mechanical eng program (direct admit, not pre eng). So which one do i go for? I mean both schools are very well regarded, but I believe Purdue has a slight edge. I also like Purdue’s rural setting, Im not sure about the UW campus. Any suggestions?
I can’t say much about the comparative benefits of the engineering programs, but I can guarantee you that the UW campus is b-e-a-utiful. It’s heavily forested with lots of pretty buildings, cherry blossoms bloom in the spring, it borders an area with lots of student-friendly shops and restaurants and even an improv comedy theater, and Seattle’s best and most beautiful (in my opinion) bike trail runs through the edge of campus. Seattle’s newest train station is located either on or right next to campus (I’m not sure if the university technically owns that area or not), too, as is a major bus station. There’s also a small nature preserve around 100 meters from the sports stadium area.
With direct admission to the major, you would not have to compete for admission to your major later.