DD is trying to decide between CMU and WPI for Fall 2022 admission.
Cost is one of the considerations and while we can make it work, it’s still at least $20k/year extra over WPI.
We love both schools and understand the national recognition that CMU has. We also realize that the ROI difference is not huge between the two schools, especially since we are in Mass where wages are decent and there are tons of jobs.
She’s interested in Robotics either through Mech Eng or ECEY Your thoughts would be much appreciated!
CMU has an edge in reputation for CS. It’s much closer for robotics though. I just looked up positions that alumni from both hold. It’s clear that some companies favor one over the other. Boston Dynamics has about 3 times as many CMU grads, but they still have close to 10 from WPI. Amazon Robotics really prefers WPI grads, with almost 100. CMU doesn’t crack their top 10.
If she really likes WPI and is just fearful of turning down CMU, I’d reassure her that she’ll have plenty of opportunity with a WPI diploma. No matter where she goes, it mostly depends on how curious and driven she’ll be anyway.
Congrats to her!
EDIT: oops, I didn’t put 2 and 2 together. I replied when McGill was still in the hunt.
I really appreciate it- we are so overwhelmed I needed to see your post analysis again! May I ask where you’re getting the info from? This is fantastic information. Thank you gain!
I pull up schools on LinkedIn and look up where alumni work(ed). For your daughter’s specific case, I pulled robotics companies on LinkedIn, narrowed to engineering for what they do, and then looked at where they went to school.
WPI has so many hands on opportunities with robotics and the way their curriculum is structured. Save the money and travel time on the road when visiting. In robotics, she will not see a difference in career opportunities.
For a female going into robotics and AI she will be able to have many opportunities upon graduation and the difference between CMU and WPI will not stand in her way at that point.
Agree, there is no way of predicting the future…at this time but, maybe she will tackle that, too.
There is no question but that CMU is a world leader in Robotics and CS. The question is whether that’s worth the extra $80K to you and your family.
Since Robotics is a secondary interest, I don’t think that should drive your decision. At CMU, it looks like Robotics is available only as an additional Major or as a Minor. Is that similar at WPI?
WPI is widely considered #2 though. It’s not like we’re comparing CMU to Wichita State. And, I think the whole college experience is a little more balanced at WPI.
Agree 100%. I love WPI and that would certainly be my choice, especially given the effort they’ve made to be gender balanced.
WPI has Robotics Engineering as a major and minor depending on where interests go.
CMU has robotics as a dual/additional major or minor:
Take time to look at the course catalogs and program requirements.
When considering WPI with both our kids one strength was the interdisciplinary nature of many of the professors and their projects on campus and at their immersive international projects they encourage (included in tuition).
Was getting ready to write CMU hands down then I read robotics. WPI has one of the best undergrad programs in the country. The ability to be hands on in robotics as an undergrad is rare. ( Ask). Also, being able to have robotics specific courses is going to be different than taking engineering and have a handful of robotics courses. Look at the curriculum of both schools. CMU is pretty awesome but if my kid was definitely in the robotics camp, it’d be WPI even at a premium.
I’d also call and speak to the program directors for each, if possible. WPI was one of the first undergrad robotics programs. And they make a huge effort to reach out to women. They sponsor many engineering/robotics programs for middle and high school girls to fill their pipeline. Being in college classes with a male/female balance can matter to some. One accepted students STEM program we recently attended (not WPI or CMU) had less than 20% women. That’s a tiny number. You want your daughter to have equal access. Not saying that imbalance will lead to anything dire but equality in numbers basically helps a lot.
I am biased as a CMU alum, but I know so many of my classmates who went into robotics and have done incredible, headline-making things. I thought I had some skewed experience based on what almost everyone here is saying, but the article three posts above reflects the high regard I have for robotics at CMU.
As far as gender efforts go, CMU CS has made a huge push to get to 50/50 and the school has been 50/50 for a few years. This is a huge change from when I was a student (30% female), and happened because it was valued and prioritized.
Robotics and AI extends far beyond one department or school at CMU. You will find aspects of it everywhere from the philosophy department to entertainment degrees.
Also, gender numbers vary from major to major. They can vary a lot. So it’s best to check.
Not to take a thing away from CMU, I think it’s great, but nearly everyone in robotics has ridden a huge wave as few have experience and it’s exploding. We have a connection to this field and have seen young ( and mid-career) friends do wonderful things. I think it’s also projected to grow more than most fields in the next 10 years. So, while it’s a consideration it’s common across the industry as well as across programs.
I think both are great schools. Our oldest graduated from CMU SCS and our youngest did a summer program in engineering at WPI and loved it. They are quite different in campus atmosphere, so I think it would come down to fit if it were my kid (assuming the cost difference doesn’t stretch your budget). My son’s roommate was heavily involved in the Irisi Lunar Rover project at CMU and did a ton of robotics work in general. However, I don’t think the reputation for CMU robotics is necessarily $20K/yr better UNLESS CMU is the perfect fit.
but, maybe she will tackle that, too.