UF or GA TECH?

RChris173 · 03-30-2008, 08:44 PM

I've been admitted to both places and I need to make a decision. I live in South Florida and have been awarded $12,020.00 in grants from GA TECH to cover the total tuition at GA TECH. The rest will have to be through subsidized/unsubsidized loans through GA TECH as they also offered me those in the award letter.

At UF, because it is within the state that I live in, the tuition is cheaper and free because of a state scholarship that I have.

I intend to be an engineer major in the field of computer science.

Please give opinions on what I should do and what factors I should consider!

Thanks for your time,

Chris

johnnytremain · 03-30-2008, 09:25 PM

Ga Tech is better than UF in engineering for sure, but you also won't go wrong with UF.

ASMAJ · 03-30-2008, 09:33 PM

Based on ranking only, I would go to Gtech. For computer engineering GT is higher than UF. If you wanted to do nuclear or materials science and engineering then I would pick UF. GT is also highly ranking in biomedical, civil, and industrial. However, I believe in saving money and go to the cheaper school, esp if you will get a great education at that school. Once you finish ugrad, then go to a top engineering grad program; most of which pay for your expenses so money would not be an issue.

Faresx25x · 03-30-2008, 10:29 PM

ok Georgia Tech is better than UF for engineering. that is a clear fact. I got into UIUC and Ga Tech. both tied for 5th in the undergraduate engineering category. UF is 29th, and thats where i will go. It's just NOT worth spening so much money for undergraduate. Both of these schools are expensive and the last thing you want is to get your BS and be in debt. trust me go with UF, it's still a VERY GOOD school for engineering, do your best, and then once you are done and you owe no money you can go do you graduate in the top 5.

now, if your parents have money coming out of their ass and dont know what to do with it, got to Ga Tech. (though the women-men ratio would still hold me back) lol. anyways good luck

ChamilitaryMayne · 03-30-2008, 10:48 PM

So you got a full ride to UF or just tuition?

If you are absolutely certain about engineering, Georgia Tech might be a better choice. You should also visit both.

RChris173 · 03-31-2008, 02:49 PM

I've visted Gainesville and toured UF.

Florida has a program where if you maintain a certain GPA and certain SAT/ACT score, 100% tuition or 75% tuition (depending on your GPS/SAT/ACT) is paid (except Summer term) in Florida's public universities

For me I have the 100% tuition in Florida but dorms will still cost money, however, my parents have a Florida Prepaid (529 plan) which would cover that in Florida.

I've never been to Atlanta...

cloverleafgirl · 03-31-2008, 03:58 PM

My son is in exactly the same situation. We are also in S. Fla and deciding b/w the 2 -- not sure if he wants to major in Comp eng. or ee. The money is a big factor, and grad school is almost a certainty. We are going back to revisit both schools. This time, we're going to go to the departments and talk to faculty. We did that at a couple of schools that he decided against and got a lot more information and a better idea of what it would actually be like to be there. Sounds like you got a pretty good aid package at GT -- Bright Futures is hard to say no to though.

rogracer · 03-31-2008, 06:45 PM

GaTech is the best engineering school in the southeast, and UF is the second best. But they are, for all practical purposes, essentially equal. As a corporate recruiter in aerospace, we rate both schools as "key schools"...meaning we do not distinguish between the two at employment time. Essentially, both are considered "top-tier". Grad schools will take a similar view.

So pick between the two based on factors such as fit and cost. Either choice will serve you well as far as education is concerned.

alexithymia · 03-31-2008, 07:54 PM

I was stuck in the same position as you, but i decided UF.
No doubt, GA Tech will be better academically, but also alot more difficult.
I think it depends on what you really want out of college..
UF will be less academically rigorous, more party-like atmosphere etcc (and more girls..GT is like 60% male or something like that which is bad for you..unless your gay?)

ASMAJ · 03-31-2008, 08:08 PM

Quote:

No doubt, GA Tech will be better academically, but also alot more difficult.

Quote:

UF will be less academically rigorous..

No offense, but I don't agree with this. GT might be ranked higher but it does not make getting an engineering degree from UF easier.

alexithymia · 03-31-2008, 08:17 PM

Well I'm just speaking off of what i've heard from a friend who went to Georgia Tech for a year, and then transferred to UF...
So I'm not just speaking blindly off of what some "Top Engineering Colleges" list said...

ASMAJ · 03-31-2008, 08:28 PM

Well it could be possible. I guess its person dependent.

IDC2008 · 03-31-2008, 08:40 PM

My sister was like you. Maybe consider doing what she did. She did her undergraduate in Engineering at UF and graduate (PhD) at Ga. Tech. She loved her 4 years at UF as an undergraduate student and was ready for downtown Atlanta and Ga. Tech for 4 years of graduate school. Ga. Tech is a great Engineering school with a very diverse student population. You can't go wrong either way.

gatorjacket · 03-31-2008, 08:57 PM

I'm a sophomore at UF that had to make the same decision. Gtech is a great school, if you can afford to go there, and are sure you want to do engineering, do it. It is definitely quite a bit more rigorous though (not saying UF engineering is easy at all, but GT is pretty much know as one of the toughest schools in the nation.) Atlanta is a great city, so there will be plenty to do, but the actual GT campus really has the feeling of a much smaller setting. It's like it's own little community.

When I made my decision, I was not sure I wanted to do engineering. It was a very real possibility, but I came in pre-health. That was one of my bigger reasons for going to UF, it kept my options up (high enough gpa to get into med school at GT very difficult). If I had known I was going to do engineering, it would've been GT in a heartbeat.

That being said, I still feel like I am getting a great education at UF, it's free, and employers are all over the Career Showcase looking for Gator Engineers. Plus there are a LOT more girls. (friends at GT tell me there are very few and those are taken by the frats).

Hope that helps and if you have any other questions let me know.

gthopeful · 04-03-2008, 12:24 AM

Executive summary: GO TO UF AND WORK HARD!

Here's the deal: I graduated from UF in Electrical Engineering last semester. When I was applying to undergrad, I was accepted at both GT and UF; The latter was under bright futures and they gave me 24k over 4 years for national merit; Tech offered like 2k for the same scholarship! My parents wanted me to go with the cheaper school, and that's what I did even though I knew I wouldn't be going to as hard of a school (GT's average GPA is a good 0.4 lower than UF's, see http://www.irp.gatech.edu/GradeInflation2003.PDF page 35 ASMAJ).

I worked very hard at UF, which is a very big school with a ton of opportunities due to its sheer size. Ultimately, I graduated with highest honors and research experience through a stipend I won from UF. Honestly, I do not feel I would/could not have done either to the extent that I did at UF if I had gone to GT as an undergrad, so in retrospect I am glad I made the decision to go to UF. Further, I'm going to grad school where reputation counts more and this time I'm going to GT - debt free.

As to the difference in rigor, Tech is absolutely moreso across the board, but UF has its own set of hardass professors that you'll learn a lot in too. The thing with UF is that you can take the path of least resistance and take all the easy professors or the ones that just don't expect you to know as much but ultimately teach the same material as anywhere else that's accredited. I only had 1 or 2 professors over my entire 4 years that made exams where the average was in the 50's, whereas I hear that's a lot more common at GT.