<p>I'm currently entering my senior year in high school in August, so I need to know what college I should go to rather soon. I love mathematics and science, especailly chemistry. With that, I feel that going into Chemical Engineering would be the best thing for me. I would love to do dual degree with Chemical Engineering and Physics with minors in Chemistry and Mathematics, respectively, with those degrees (maybe Chemical Engineering and Chemistry with minors in Mathematics and Physics, respectively). I looked around and narrowed my school choices to MIT, Cornell, Georgia Tech, and UF. These are the only four schools I would ever consider. From my understanding, each school offers what I would want, getting two degrees in 5 years or so since my fields overlap with one another. I've always loved Cornell; the Big Red has always called to me. However, Georgia Tech and MIT are better engineering schools and are much more feasible financially. Georgia Tech more so than MIT. In addition, I have plenty of AP credits and plan on acquiring more by the end of my senior year (I'm taking 10 exams this year, so I'll have a total of 18 exams taken), so I believe they'll life the burden of payign more so. At Georgia Tech, with my expected scores, I would have 37 semester hours/credits. MIT, however, does not make use of all of my AP exam scores like Georgia Tech does, so that definitely affects my choice. Cornell would give me 33 credits. I suppose I love Cornell because it's Ivy League, I could get the financial aid necessary to pay for it, and it has the programs I want. Then again, the programs I want are also at these other schools. Now, UF is an option above all others because of my girlfriend. I love her with all of my heart and when she gets out of high school we're going to move in together and live our life together and be happy. Now, I know the majority of you would say to just forget about the relationship, she'll be here waiting, if she loves me, then I can go away, but the matter of fact is that right now I want to be with her. She has no interest in going out of state, sadly. So I figured the best school in Florida would do -- UF. They also have the programs I want, and I would also manage to get Bright Futures to help pay. Also, I would have 77 credits thanks to my AP exams. In 5 years I would get a bachelor's and master's (this program they have, really something amazing). Essentially, I wouldn't mind going to UF because I'd be close to her, my amazing friends and family, and it'd be much more affordable than the other alternatives. However, I've always been told to go out of state, experience life, and just get out there. But a friend of mine told me why he isn't leaving, it's because "his room is here; his friends are here; and his family is here; why leave it for a chance of something new when I love what I have now?" Which I found to be an excellent point. I woud just worry because UF is the 35th best school in engineering while the other 3 are in the top ten. I know what rank the school I go to doesn't supposedly matter to employers, but I feel like it does. Like, if I want to get hired as a chemicl engineer I think my employer would surely be more impressed by a degree from Cornell or Georgia Tech rather than the University of Florida. I read that most companies hire the top 10 schools and sometimes from the 10 to 20 range, so MAYBE they'd hire me. I'm an overall pretty awesome dude character wise, though, so I think my "vibe" would be wanted. I'm great with numbers and science, and I love talking to people. Anyway, I just really need to clear up where I should go. Do I go to my dream school? Do I go to better ranking schools? Or do I stay home and go an affordable college at the risk of not being as easily employeed? Please help me out, because applications are knocking at my front door and I' nervous as to what college I should let in. I appreciate any help any of you have to offer and look forward to it. Thanks!</p>
<p>Since you can only go to a school that admits you and that you can afford, you should apply to all four and await their responses next spring–at which point you will likely have more clarity than you do now, and your romantic relationship may well have evolved. I will also add that paragraphs are your friends.</p>
<p>things in the real world are never so black and white! companies do not follow a script and only recruit from harvard ,yale, and princeton .
or for Engineering the schools you listed! you should maybe not be so rigid and go out and explore a little more!</p>
<p>*I read that most companies hire the top 10 schools and sometimes from the 10 to 20 range, so MAYBE they’d hire me. *</p>
<p>ha ha ha. If you read that companies hire from the top 10 schools and “maybe” from the 10 -20 range, and “maybe” you’ll get hired if you go someplace lower, then you’re reading nonsense. There are well over 100 schools that offer eng’g. Do you think the non-top-10 programs would even bother offering those majors if their grads weren’t being hired by great companies. WTH??? If those grads weren’t getting hired, do you think parents would still bother paying to send their kids there for eng’g? Apply some COMMON SENSE to what you “read” (and what was this source? Sounds like the Journal of High School Lunch Table Gossip)</p>
<p>High tech companies hire engineers from ALL GOOD ENGINEERING programs…even from schools with eng’g programs ranked in the 100s. </p>
<p>Most of the males in my family are hiring engineering managers/directors/VPs for top techie companies. They hire grads from schools ranging from the CSUs to MIT and every place in between. </p>
<p>the top 10 engineering schools do not even come close to graduating enough engineers to fill America’s need for engineers. What the heck have you been reading? Throw that garbage away and erase that from your brain.</p>
<p>BTW…GT is an out of state public for you and will likely expect your parents to pay all costs. If your parents won’t pay, then don’t bother unless your stats are tippy, tippy, tippy top and you might snag a hard to get merit scholarship.</p>
<p>“But a friend of mine told me why he isn’t leaving, it’s because “his room is here; his friends are here; and his family is here; why leave it for a chance of something new when I love what I have now?” Which I found to be an excellent point.”</p>
<p>If you go elsewhere, your room, friends and family will still be there when you get back - and you may discover a lot about yourself that you wouldn’t have realized had you stayed in your comfort zone. Nothing wrong, of course, with attending your local state U - many smart people do it and live perfectly happy lives thereafter. But this is probably the one time in your life when it’s easy to go somewhere else for a while because the infrastructure is there waiting for you and everyone else in your freshman class is showing up hoping to meet new people and try new things. Are you sure you want to give up that experience? For something that will be there anyway? Remember, if you do go away, and you don’t like what you find, you can always go home - but I’m betting that you’ll treasure the experience of exploring the wider world for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>m’s mom^^ m is lucky to have you as a mom! your post is 100% on target!</p>
<p>Assuming you work hard and get solid grades, a degree from Florida is going to open doors for you. </p>
<p>I went to college with a guy that was accepted at MIT, and he chose to attend our state flagship because he felt like there was a better social atmosphere at our school. He ended up getting accepted into a PhD program at Cal-Berkeley, so I don’t think it really mattered that he passed up an opportunity to attend MIT.</p>
<p>I agree with you, MommaJ, in that giving it time and applying to those four schools will most likely provide me with greater clarity as to what to school I should go to. Also, I love paragraphs! Can’t you tell by my giant paragraph? 
I actually just wrote what was on my mind at the moment because it’s been on my mind for weeks, so I didn’t want to stop and break it into paragraphs. mom2collegekids, I see where you’re coming from on the matter of the other non-top 10 schools offering engineering as a degree. However, I still believe it would make a difference if you had a degree from MIT instead of a community colleege (in my case, Miami Dade). But still, I see what you mean. That’s very true. By the way, my source was some list I once came across on a webstie, but I know it was a respectable website; not “teen gossip.” Huh, zobroward is definitely right, M’s Mom is awesome! Every commentary you (M’s Mom) is sound and reasonable. Although, why not appreciate what you have while you can? Then again, getting out of my comfort zone and experiencing life outside it might also be worth a shot. Billy73, I do work deligently. Wow, flagship and ended up at Berkeley? That guy is something! All of the current commentary has definitely opened my eyes and mind to what I should really consider and what’s good for me. Thanks, everyon!</p>