xongkoro

Hi, everyone. I am seeking for advice on making a choice between these two colleges:

UMN(University of Minnesota at Twin cities), F&M(Franklin&Marshall college)

I want to major in chemical engineering or CS(I know, quite different choices). I need a degree which will prepare me better for the career. These are two schools topping my list. I get several concerns about each one:

For F&M: I am not sure if this liberal arts college is a good place to learn pre-engineering course. Is it ok to get into engineering graduate school with a B.A. in physics/chemistry/CS?

For UMN: It is said that the school is too big and the class size is overwhelming. Plus, it does not do well in the rankings. I am afraid I'd be lost in the campus...

P.S. Since the F&M provides financial aid, the cost of attendance in each college is almost the same.

I know these are two quite different choices, but I just don't know which one should I choose to spend my next four years.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you very much. : )

UMTYMP student

Admittedly I know about Franklin and Marshall but UMN is one of the best schools for Chem-E. I think CS is also pretty good at UMN. It kinda depends on how you'll fit into the different campuses and whether you'll be happy majoring in physics or chemistry.

xongkoro

Thank you for your reply. Actually I did ok on both chem and physics in HS. Therefore, I think I'd be happy learning related majors. The point is, though these majors fit me, I think sth. like chemical engineering fits better into the job market.

ucbalumnus

A quick look at F&M's course catalog indicates that its course offerings in computer science, chemistry, physics, and math are rather limited, and there is no engineering. It would be a very poor academic fit for someone whose interests are chemical engineering and computer science. Some other smaller schools like Bucknell would be more appropriate choices for someone with these interests who wants a smaller school.

Going to engineering graduate school can be done from an undergraduate physics major, but that is not the preferred option, especially from an undergraduate school that is as limited in physics and other STEM subjects as F&M.

Ranking-wise, Minnesota is fine, especially for chemical engineering, where it is regarded as one of the top schools in the subject. It will have much more recognition among employers in chemical engineering and computer science than F&M does.

xongkoro

@ucbalumnus: Thank you for your reply : )
It seems that science courses provided by F&M are not that much as well as practical. However, the students in F&M told me that chem and bio in their school are the best among all. Is that because they are more of pre-med types instead of pre-engr types?

ucbalumnus

The pre-med set of courses does not require a lot of advanced chemistry and biology courses (or even majoring in one of those subjects). So even if the school's offerings in those subjects are too thin to make it worthwhile to major in them, the offerings may be fine for a pre-med majoring in some other subject.

xongkoro

Bump...any other suggestion? Thanks for attention.

warblersrule

Essentially, yes. F&M is primarily known for the natural sciences and good pre-med preparation. Biology is particularly good, as is its somewhat unusual neuroscience/behavior major. English and classics are the other standout programs at F&M.

F&M is also known for its house system similar to that of Harvard, Yale, Rice, and a few others.


I think you would be better served at U Minnesota.

happy1

I can't comment on the classes you want to take because I don't know about the engineering field, but I would also give due consideration to the type of environment you want to spend the next for years. I looked at F&M with my D this year and although she did not enroll there, we all were favorably impressed by the school. If you are more comfortable in a small LAC setting with small classes, then I'd consider F&M. Look through the course catalog (they are usually online) to determine for yourself if the school can meet your academic needs and goals. It is probably too late, but a few LACs do offer engineering majors (ex. Union, Lafayette, Trinity that I can think of quickly).

xongkoro

@Warblersrule: Thank you for your reply : )
I agree with u on the question of F&M's strong programs. Well...I hope I'd be "served" at UMN. The advisors are sometimes too busy though. There is one point, the tuition of F&M is way higher that of UMN. Could anyone tell me what does high tuition of F&M mean? Does that indicates a better education?
It seems that I get a chance to choose between an expensive product and a cheap one at the same cost. And if I choose the cheaper one, isn't it a little pity...

UMTYMP student

The reason UMN tuition is lower is because it receives state support.

xongkoro

Sure. I am thinking about this issue, while even the non-resident tuition is less than half of the tuition for F&M,

polarscribe

No, a cheap product is not necessarily worse than an expensive one. That's what marketers want you to think, but it's not true.

If you choose a school that is a worse fit for your academic interests because it's more expensive... you're nuts.

UMTYMP student

I'm not sure why OOS tuition at the UMN is so cheap but I don't think it's because UMN spends much less per-student than peer schools so I'm pretty sure OOS students are also benefiting from state funding.

xongkoro

All right then, I am searching more about each school. More advice pls?