20LEGEND

Intl applicant
Computer Engineering
Fall 2008

The following is a list of my safety/semi-safety schools. I need help grading/ranking them...

Boston University
Florida Instt Tech
Illinois Instt Tech
Lehigh University
Michigan Tech
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Northeastern University
Ohio SU
Purdue U
Polytechnic University
Penn State University Park
Purdue U
Rensselaer Polytec I
Rochester Insti Tech
U Calif Irvine
U Maryland Coll Park
U Miami
U Richmond
U Washington - Seattle
Virginia Tech
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Important Factors :
Quality of Education
Prestige
Placements on graduation

20LEGEND

Also, kindly ignore the cost factor here ..

irishforever

You should have U. of Illinois--Champaign-Urbana on your list!

JBVirtuoso

^But this is a list of safeties, which UIUC may not be a safety.

Usually larger universities have better engineering programs, but don't take that too far. You might want to knock off a few that are really small.

20LEGEND

Most of the universities i mentioned are big... just a few small ones there like polytechnic, WPI and Milwaukee ...

20LEGEND

Bumpity bump bump ..

ricegal

It doesn't really matter. They are all close to the same. You could rank them by SAT scores if you have to put them in some kind of order, but I suspect your job prospects are more dependent on the grades you make and many other factors (like networking, professor recommendations, internships, etc.) than which of these schools you choose. They are all pretty different schools, too. Lehigh is smaller with a mostly white student body and a big party scene. UC Irvine has a beautiful campus, but the surrounding area is pretty dead and it's a big commuter school. Also, the student body is very diverse. Penn State is a huge school where you can find all types. University of Wash is a very urban school. There are all kinds of subtle and not-so-subtle differences between the schools that are more important than the prestige factor.

20LEGEND

Thanks for the reply, but there's GOT to be some difference in the quality of education offered at all those colleges ? I need them grouped according to that ... In a pretty helpless situation ... College websites/rankings are useless for this ...

weenie

I think it's a good list, but within the list are schools with vastly different "feels."

Some are large, where your classes will be huge and you will have smaller conference or recitation classes with teaching assistants (you may, in fact, have some grad students for teachers). At those schools, however, you may like the extensive equipment or more research going on. (And they tend to be "higher ranked" because of the peer assessment factor.)

Some of the schools are smaller, with a definite undergraduate focus. For instance, Worcester Polytech, Rochester Instititue, Michigan Tech, and, to a large degree, Lehigh and Rensselaer. My son preferred the (relatively speaking) "artsy" bend of WPI.

Some of the schools have very strong and focused co-op programs - Norhteastern of course, but also Rochester, and probably a couple of others, I'm not sure.

Of course other factors are at play too - like location. Some are in "college towns," some are urban, some are in colder climates, etc.

Think about what you want besides just an engineering degree. Maybe that will help you narrow it down.

world changer

Purdue is supposed to be really strong, and their program is well-recognized. I'd keep that one for sure.

Try narrowing it down to about 3. That's usually the most you'll need for safeties. I'd do - Purdue, Virginia Tech, and RIT or WPI.

They're all big names in the computer world. All three have good alumni connections. And the good thing about Purdue and VTech is that they're well-balanced, and strong in other fields too.

20LEGEND

As an International student, I really don't know how to consider the class size factor.

Apart from that, I'm fine with both urban and rural settings ... Weather isn't an issue either .. :S

20LEGEND

I too was thinking of -
1. Purdue - Good reputation, easy app.
2. RIT
3. VT
4. U Washington

world changer

As for what I'd take off - the schools with no name. If you want prestige, FIT, MSE, etc. might not be what you're looking for.

EDIT: I think your list of 4 is good....you should be fine with those.

20LEGEND

Does U Washington have an NYU-ish campus ?

How are IIT, Ohio State, Penn State, WPI, Mich Tech and UCI ? ((The thing is, I was planning on applying to 3 other schools apart from RIT and Purdue 'cause I've already filled up their apps ...))

hazmat

PUrdue is fast and easy with a quick turn around. Big presence of PU computer types on West Coast. Large close knit alum association there.