Looking for pro/cons - Aerospace Major - WPI vs Clarkson Honors
Price, vibe and/or location matter to you?
The big con with Clarkson is the location and Price with WPI - so we are trying to get a better feel for the Aerospace Program at both Clarkson and WPI, which is the top deciding factor, location and price are manageable
I don’t tend to rest on rankings. Especially as you get higher and more selective. There’s little real difference between many in the top 50 schools.
However. I am going to diverge from this a bit in this very specific situation and your very direct question.
If you are money, location and fit agnostic between these two schools.
WPI would be my clear choice.
110 vs 53. Happiness rankings much lower at Clarkson. The remote location you mention and some other factors as well.
If your student wants to be an engineer. Wants to have a little fun but really challenged to be great in his field. WPI. And it’s not really close if it were my decision to make.
In other situations and majors. I may very well suggest the reverse. Clarkson is a fine school and is a bit underrated.
Given that they are both solid universities, what are you looking for?
Every university is different. All ABET accredited programs have “capstone” projects in their major. Both have a similar selection of majors. One is very rural, one is in a suburban setting in the second largest city in New England. Along with costs, these are all characteristics that students and parents often discuss.
WPI has such a unique program that it is often misunderstood. Find out what an IQP is. Why seven week terms with three courses every seven weeks instead of five or six every semester. Learn about the GPS. There are a minimal of three project directed activities involving teamwork at WPI and have been since 1970. See https://www.wpi.edu/news/new-book-highlights-importance-project-based-learning-first-year-college.
Do you want an overseas research opportunity at no additional cost?
Both Universities have success stories to tell regarding successful alumni in the aerospace field.
If for some unforeseen reason, aerospace did not work out, what would the other contenders for a major be?
At WPI, the entire university is an “honors” program.
What are your interests and activity requirements to create a balanced day? Consider taking this question seriously.
WPI '67
WPI male female ratio: 64 to 36
Clark Male female ratio: 70 to 30
Yikes in either case
If your environment (geographic area/weather/etc) is important to you, then visit Worcester before you apply. WPI is in one of the nicer sections, but overall Worcester is not a bucolic college town.
@bopper I think WPI is closer to 50/50 - at least that’s what they touted when we visited last fall. This article: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2017/08/21/wpi-sees-notable-gains-female-enrollment-after-shift-use-non-need says in 2017 it was 43% women, and I know they’ve been trying hard to increase the female enrollment.
Worcester is a small city setting, with proximity to Boston; Clarkson very rural, with access to Adirondacks and Canada, and a very active outing club.
@bopper
You are probably correct on the men/women ratios at Clarkson University as 70 to 30, but Clark University in Worcester is 39 to 61. They are two very different Universities. Clark University only offers engineering in a 3/2 program with Columbia.
In the Biology and BME majors the WPI women represent about 60% of the students. We (and the rest country) still have lopsided male ratios in the other engineering fields and in Physics. Women are well represented in Mathematics and, as already noted by “taverngirl,” in the last two entering classes women have increased to about 43% of the students. Among engineering majors, this is a good ratio.