<p>The smaller engineering or "tech" schools tend to have similar course offerings and similarly nerdy students. They try to distinguish themselves from one another by emphasizing projects, or co-op, or research, or facilities, etc. Rose has an excellent reputation, but how does it stand out from its peer institutions (without simply pointing to a US News ranking)?</p>
<p>What peer institutions do you have in mind?</p>
<p>When I thought of Rose-Hulman in my college search, the peer institutions that immediately came to mind for me were Cal Poly or Harvey Mudd…but I think all three schools are fairly different. Cal Poly is much larger than Harvey Mudd and Rose, while Harvey Mudd has a different sort of educational model and is a different type of school than Rose and Cal Poly. Schools like RPI and WPI are often mentioned along with Rose, but Rose doesn’t have graduate programs like those schools so I’m not sure if those are what you are talking about.</p>
<p>If you have any in particular that you want me to comment on, I can…but overall I think Rose is unique in its size (smaller than many other well-regarded schools), engineering focus, and reputation (both in academia and industry).</p>
<p>WPI, RPI, Stevens, etc. I don’t think the absence of a graduate program is a draw.</p>
<p>I mentioned the difference in graduate programs because that <em>is</em> the main differentiator for Rose-Hulman for many people. It’s such a big differentiator that it is what US News uses to seperate programs for its rankings (schools offering doctoral programs versus school that don’t). At schools like RPI and WPI that have graduate programs undergrads have the opportunity to get close to research and see those opportunities first-hand. At schools like Rose that don’t have doctoral programs the professors are solely focused on teaching undergraduates.</p>
<p>A lot of the things that seperate schools from each other aren’t necessarily a draw or a drawback - they just make them different, and appealing in different ways to different people. 99% of college selection is hinged on subjective criteria that vary completely between people.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for other things that might differentiate Rose from those schools…
- Rose is small - smallest of the three you mentioned (enrolled students: Rose 1875, RPI 5431, WPI 3649, Stevens 2369). </p>
<p>2) Rose really has a familiar atmosphere that is hard to describe unless you experience it. Not only is it small, but <em>every</em> single student is a math, engineering, or science student - <em>every</em> single student takes math up through differential equations and knows calculus. Everyone has shared experiences and interests that really make for a cohesive campus. </p>
<p>3) Rose’ career services and industry reputation. Rose is completely open about who comes to it’s career fairs [link](<a href=“404 | Rose-Hulman”>404 | Rose-Hulman). I can’t find any lists for RPIs or WPIs career fairs (although it may just not be easy to find). At last year’s fall fair there were almost twice as many companies recruiting CS hires than there were CS grads. Those are the kind of odds you get with a small school that attracts a lot of companies to its career fair.</p>
<p>4) Professor accessibility. This may flow from being an undergraduate-only school, but I think it is a tangible asset for Rose-Hulman. Anytime a professor is in their office it is an office hour - their #1 goal is to help us learn the material. It isn’t uncommon for professors to give out their home phone numbers for questions. Many professors go by their first names. Perhaps it is the same at other schools - I don’t know - but it’s something that really blew me away as a freshman.</p>
<p>One of the things that really makes Rose is the general helpfulness of the student body. Whether it be help with homework or overcoming a conceptual error often you will find that others are willing to help even when the prof may not be available. On top of that the fact that Rose does not offer a PhD does not seem to hinder grads from going to top grad schools such as CalTech or Stanford. Rose imho offers less distractions than places like cal poly, Stevens, Mudd and even RPI mainly due to the fact that it is in Terre Haute. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I am a parent of a sophomore at Rose. I have children at three other schools and have never experienced a college like Rose. There is a friendly family atmosphere that you actually feel the minute you step on the campus. My son had offers of intenships for the summer after his freshman year , and had to choose which one to take. The same thing has happened for this coming summer. Rose is highly respected in industry and in my opinion worth the cost. It is a small town and that is not the greatest, but the positves are too many to list.</p>
<p>2) Rose really has a familiar atmosphere that is hard to describe unless you experience it. Not only is it small, but <em>every</em> single student is a math, engineering, or science student - <em>every</em> single student takes math up through differential equations and knows calculus. Everyone has shared experiences and interests that really make for a cohesive campus. </p>
<p>4) Professor accessibility. This may flow from being an undergraduate-only school, but I think it is a tangible asset for Rose-Hulman. Anytime a professor is in their office it is an office hour - their #1 goal is to help us learn the material. It isn’t uncommon for professors to give out their home phone numbers for questions. Many professors go by their first names. Perhaps it is the same at other schools - I don’t know - but it’s something that really blew me away as a freshman. </p>
<p>gobeavs nailed it. </p>
<p>These traits are what make small LAC’s more attractive than many brand name Ivies or other great institutions. The education at Rose is the strength, and that strength is hardened by the small school atmosphere.</p>