**Your Two Cents Worth**

Kray · 07-14-2009, 08:14 AM

Hi there!
I'll be applying to colleges this year for Engineering (Industrial Engineering to be precise).
I have prepared my list of preferred colleges I will be applying to.
Trouble is, the list consists of 19 schools for IE, which I need to bring to 7 or 10 at most.

Preferred Colleges:

U Mich
Georgia Tech
Purdue
Stanford
Northwestern
U Wisconsin - Madison
Cornell
Columbia
U Pittsburgh
U Illinois - Urbana - Champaign
U Florida
U Washington
Princeton
Texas A&M
Virginia Tech
Arizona State
Northeastern
Ohio State
U Southern California

I would appreciate your best opinion considering different aspects of the colleges;
which one would you cross out from the above and why?

PS: If there are any other colleges which you would recommend for IE. Please post them as well.

Much Appreciated.

Thanks

NewHope33 · 07-14-2009, 08:23 AM

If Industrial Engineering is your passion, I'd suggest a flagship tech university for UG ... and a top-rated university for graduate work. JMHO.

drmamontgomery · 07-14-2009, 11:52 AM

You ask for advice that is virtually impossible to give. You ask only about the quality of the colleges on the list, and not about how well each of those colleges fit you.

For example, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are going to be WAY different in the tone and type of education you receive than (for example) either Princeton or USC.

Do you have no other criteria on which to base your decision? If you gave more information about what sorts or priorities you have in other areas (extracurriculars, types of activities you enjoy, class sizes, the educational philosophy--even the sort of weather you prefer), then we could be much more helpful.

Furthermore, it's impossible to know which of these schools would even be accessible to you without more information about your high school performance.

Jimgotkp · 07-16-2009, 05:37 PM

Purdue has a great overall engineering program, so if you did change what you want to major in you can do that.

Skywalker23 · 07-16-2009, 06:04 PM

Here you go. Don't ask for reasons why. I'm such a help aren't I...

U Mich
Georgia Tech
Purdue
Stanford
Northwestern
Cornell
U Illinois - Urbana - Champaign

Yakyu Spirits · 07-16-2009, 06:46 PM

Skywalker's list is spot on. All of those are top engineering schools

GammaGrozza · 07-16-2009, 06:47 PM

It seems like you took those schools right off of US News rankings. Why don't you take a different approach...

Here's some universities: Williams, Cornell, Chicago, UIUC, UFlorida, WashU, Carnegie Mellon, and Caltech. From this list, do some research and pick the three universities that appeal to you the most, without regarding their strength in engineering (so, overall academics, cost, culture, campus location, method of instruction, grad or no grad, research availability, whatever). Remember what specifically about these three universities appeals to you.

Once you have a list of three, find peer schools for each that have similar desirable traits, only this time considering the strength in overall and Industrial engineering. For example, if you like the large size of UIUC, you should also consider applying to UMich, Berkeley, etc. If you like the intensity of Caltech, consider MIT. If you like the city feel of Chicago, consider Penn, Columbia, Rice, Northwestern, etc. If you like the small size of Williams, consider Harvey Mudd, Caltech, Rice, etc. If you like the warm weather of Caltech, consider Harvey Mudd, Stanford, Rice, Berkeley, Duke.

Rny2 · 07-16-2009, 07:04 PM

Also, consider where you live. Obviously, they are all of a wonderfully high calibre, but money must remain an issue. Which schools are in-state for you, which schools are out-of-state, and how much will they cost?

Rny2 · 07-16-2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Here's some universities: Williams, Cornell, Chicago, UIUC, UFlorida, WashU, Carnegie Mellon, and Caltech

I'm sorry to say, GammaGrozza, but Chicago doesn't have an engineering program. Which brings to mind, make sure all of the schools on your list actually offer what you're looking for, in your case Industrial Engineering.

Knowitsome · 07-16-2009, 08:22 PM

^^^^^^

I think you're missing GG's point, which is to look at schools for reasons OTHER than engineering, then figure out what about them appeals to you. Use THAT info and apply it to the original list to narrow it for reasons of fit.

GammaGrozza · 07-16-2009, 10:08 PM

^Way to be knowitsome! Yeah, I know Chicago doesn't have an engineering program (I was considering it until I found that out). My reason for listing it was that if he likes Chicago, and would have applied for the other reasons (intellectual atmopshere, city, cold weather, etc.), then he should consider schools that offer a similar atmosphere but are good in engineering. I don't know if UFlorida or Williams have good engineering programs, either. My point was to just list a variety of different schools without considering the engineering factor.