Both schools are my top 2. I was accepted to both.
I originally intended on majoring in Mechanical Engineering (accepted to USC for). However, I have been thinking about possibly changing to physics (accepted to at Virginia Tech).
Can anyone give me their opinion on which choice they think would be better?
Thanks!
Does USC have Physics too? If so, you may want to consider going there because you can move to Physics if you change your mind. If you go to VT for Physics and then decide Engineering, it is a very difficult transfer process. IMHO
@collegeyaynj29 check your post on U of SC
if you were accepted to VT for physics it will be very hard to get into the engineering program. There are kids that try to do it year after year and apparently it is heavily frowned upon and most of the time prohibited.
Is either of these colleges in-state for you?
I loved both schools. If you have been accepted to Honors at USC, that would make a difference. Honors at Tech is not as big a deal; the only real benefit is first shot at snagging courses.
Next I would consider your major; easier to switch OUT of engineering than INTO it. You would lose a year and the acceptance rate is really low, since they don’t want to encourage people trying “back door” admissions.
They are both great schools. I’d see where people end up employed with your respective majors. My son got into Honors at USC for Math, but ended up not going there because their math department mainly supplies math teachers to schools in SC, and he wanted to do something different with it. Know lots of kids going to both, and they are all great and smart kids. There is no bad choice here.
My oldest daughter loves UofSC. She has experienced moving from one department to another and the process was easy and painless. She went from a Bio major (PreMed) into the Business school with no problems. Both will give you fantastic opportunities, but within a vastly different area. UofSC being in the middle of Columbia makes for a very active and vibrant off campus experience. My current daughter got into both UofSC and Virginia Tech, and had she not gotten into Duke and MIT, would have more than likely been deciding between them as well.
A friend of my son’s transferred to the University of Colorado, Boulder for physics from VT last year. He was not a fan of the physics department at VT.