<p>I applied to three schools so far, Rutgers, Penn state and Lehigh.</p>
<p>I got into Penn state and according to a friend it is likely I'll get into Rutgers too.
So right now I think I narrowed it down to Rutgers and Penn. Which one would be better suited for me? In terms of Academics, opportunities after I graduate, atmosphere in campus. If I go to Rutgers I'll definetely commute because it's much cheaper, and I'll have to dorm if I choose Penn. A close friend of mine recommended Rutgers because over there people will take their studies more seriously than at Penn State because of its party school reputation. Personally, I'm not a partier, but I like to have fun and this doesn't necessarily have to involve drinking. I also might feel uncomfortable in an environment where people just slack and don't care about the stuff that matters. However, Penn State engineering is one of the top programs in the country, especially for my major. Sooo I'm a little confused on what to choose. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Lehigh is easily the best out of those 3</p>
<p>I agree with the above poster that Lehigh is the best university of these three. However, it’s only the best for you personally if you’re interested in pre-med, engineering, math, or science. If you’re not, then it’s a poorer fit than the other two. Although Penn State is a party school, Rutgers is in many ways too. People at both places do a lot of partying, drinking, and toking from what I’ve heard. Living in dorms is not actually that bad; you’ll also find that commuting can make you feel a it isolated from the university itself since your often not on campus. That said, if commuting vs. dorms represents a major financial issue, than Rutgers would be better. If not, then you have to think about it this way: what do you want do and where? In the NYC area and particularly New Jersey, Rutgers is more respected. If you want to work in Pennsylvania, then Penn State is a better choice. If you want to live somewhere else, both are roughly equally respected, though Penn State probably has more recognition due to its sports teams, and may be slightly more respected because of its marginally higher rankings in US News. </p>
<p>In essence, when choosing between Penn State and Rutgers, ask what you prefer: New York and Newark, or Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, or somewhere else? One last word; Penn State has a better business program than Rutgers, so if that’s what you’re interested in then you should go there. To recap, in my opinion: 1. Lehigh if you’re interested in math, science, engineering, or pre-med; 2. Penn State if you want to get a humanities or social sciences degree and live in Pennsylvania, or in general get a business degree; 3. Rutgers if you want to get a humanities or social sciences degree and live in NYC or New Jersey; 4. Basically flip a coin between Rutgers and Penn State if you want to live somewhere else and are interested in a humanities or social sciences degree.</p>
<p>I’m an Industrial engineering major by the way.</p>
<p>If you’re doing industrial engineering, then Lehigh would be the best. Lehigh’s engineering program is much better than the other two schools’. This is of course just my opinion. Whatever you think is the best place is obviously the best for you.</p>