So I’ve got accepted into 10 universities, but I have a hard time choosing one. I currently live overseas so I don’t have the privilege of visiting the campuses and getting a real feel of the schools.
My first choice of major is petroleum engineering and my second choice is geology.
Universities:
U of Alabama
U of Arizona
UGA
Ole Miss
CU Boulder
UT Austin
Texas Tech
Penn State
FSU
LSU
Things I’m looking for are:
A large school (in terms of enrollment and campus size).
Located in a small city. I like to know a place as if it were the back of my hand.
Large football school.
A lot of pride and spirit.
Greek life.
Good party scene.
And academics for my major of course.
If it were you which one would you pick? It’d be great if you could rank them from 1(most likely to attend) -10(least likely).
Have you been offered any large merit scholarships at any of them? Otherwise can you afford them all equally? The bottom line of total cost often is a big factor in ruling some schools in or out. Also did you get accepted into the major you want or not?
I agree, absolutely, with @NorthernMom61 . Finances need to be a big part of this discussion.
Which offered the best internships? The best opportunity for advancement in your chosen field?
Which gives you the best feel? Have you spoken to reps of the schools? To students?
At the end of the day, this question is impossible for a stranger to answer for you. EVERY school is the right fit for some kids, and the vastly wrong fit for others.
If price is not an issue, I would opt for Penn State. Strong geology and a well developed PE program. State College fits your criteria for a small city, and there’s a ton of sports derived school spirit as well as parties both in and out of the Greek system.
No, I don’t have a scholarship for any of them. I’m also not from any of those states so I’m paying out-of-state tuition for all of them. However, money isn’t an issue for me.
For LSU and Texas Tech I got into petroleum engineering, as for the rest I got into geology. The major doesn’t matter as much since I can go into the same industry (oil) with both those majors, and I’ve already made connections with people in oil companies.
Well, you did cast a wide net. Based on websites, brochures, and YouTube videos which two or three school appeals to you most? You have a lot of choices, it might help to rule some out, especially since cost isn’t a factor.
Sounds as if most of them meet your BASIC criteria. Now do some basic research those criteria and rank them based on those criteria. Some are more liberal, others more conservative. Others more/less diverse. Each state has a distinct character. Etc. etc. That will tell you a lot, and then you can look for help here to refine that.
A few small things:
Do you care about winter weather (pro-con)? No snow at most of these except I think Penn State and CU Boulder.
Most of these schools are southern schools. Only one of these schools (Penn State) is in the Northeast. How do you feel about various regions pro/con?
CU Boulder is, I believe, pretty liberal and has a lovely setting and outdoorsy vibe. Does that appeal to you?
The major DOES MATTER for working in that industry. A geology career requires a graduate degree.
I would think long and hard about the prudence of getting into the oil industry. You are aware that oil prices have collapsed and are projected to stay depressed for a LONG time, and that many industry workers are unemployed now?
But based on the other criteria u listed, i wd go with Penn State or UT.
Penn State is the top ranked school by job recruiters overall (not just in the oil industry). It’s got an excellent engineering dept and the top ranked geology dept in the US, not just petroleum geology. It’s got the geographic advantage of viewable geology being available in the mountains right there. Plus, if petroleum geology doesn’t work out, there is the career path of environmental geology, since the school is not solely a petroleum geology recruiting ground.
Penn State has got a great college town. Austin is great too.
For engineering, I wd hedge your bets and stick w a more versatile major like mechE. They also get hired by the oil industry and any other industry.
But i concur w the other posters: if u can afford the school w/o FA, then u can afford to visit. You don’t need to do it w your parents. And flying overseas to the US on your own is not a big deal; my kids have been doing it on their own since they were 15.
Even though I'm doing petroleum engineering/geology, which can apply to different industries, I prefer to stick with oil since my family's been in the business for generations and we have many connections. I can only hope that the industry will be doing well by the time I graduate.
@GMTplus7
Yes I've gotten accepted.
@suzyQ7
I do have the money to visit, but I don't have time at the moment since my schedule is booked. I'm currently a high school senior living in Thailand, it's only worth going to the states if I have at least a week off. So I only have my December break, which I'll be going to England to visit my grandparents, and my spring break, where I already have a trip planned.
@GMTplus7 @londondad
The region of the schools and the weather doesn't really matter to me.
CU Boulder was the only school that I've visited. I really liked the campus and the town, however it was a bit TOO liberal, which was a turn off for me.
@porcupine98
Then your family members can confirm that you don’t need a specialized petroleum engineering or specialized petroleum geoscience degree to work in that industry. I live as an expat overseas, w many friends who work in that industry as engineers. Most of them have generic engineering degrees (like MechE) rather than an PetrE degree.
If the oil industry does not recover by the time u graduate, then u are screwed w a specialized PetrE degree. It doesn’t matter how many contacts u have if no one is hiring at all.
My oil industry friends say this downturn is different. This is not a cyclical economic downturn, but DELIBERATE price undercutting by the Saudis, and it could go on for a decade. Plus the Iranians are about to flood the market wioil to further exacerbate the supply glut.
