| Don't discount WPI, it is an excellent engineering school. It is not big in size so it is not "big name", but academically it is excellent and well-regarded. Its relatively small size makes it a valuable (and pretty rare) alternative for engineering students who might not be comfortable at a larger institution. I won't automatically knock the community college alternative, some are fine for the first two years of undergrad., depending on the school and the major you want to pursue. But I can almost guarantee that the academic standards would not equal what you will find at WPI - I would go to WPI, no question. | 
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