LIGC

Hello all, I apologize for creating yet another college choice thread, but I'm really stuck. I've been admitted to the Engineering departments of both UPenn and Cornell, and plan on starting out with computer engineering for both. Even though I really like working with computers, I am not very set on my choice and really don't know what I plan on doing after undergrad, be it medicine or more engineering or law, or any other program available. I'm from small town PA, but really have no preference in terms of college size or city size; in other words, I don't know enough to have an opinion or preference. Which college would you choose and why? Thanks for the help.

ilovebagels

Cornell's engineering overall is better. As for computer science, I don't really know (although Penn's car DID beat Cornell's in the latest DARPA self-driving car challenge )

Penn is particularly great if you want to explore outside your CS major thanks to its One University policy. Want to try law? You can even try a law school course in Penn's better-than-cornell law school

And last but not least, Penn has STWing!

monkeybb

At least, the first computer was installed at Upenn..

45 Percenter

^ Not just installed at Penn--it was CREATED there!

jenix

Yeap, ENIAC. Even kids in my school know this baby.

LIGC

Thanks for all of the help guys. I do have a question, are people predisposed at Penn to think about Wharton and Wall Street before anything else? I was thinking that if I went to Penn I would want to take classes at Wharton as well, but is it so competitive that it is impossible or not worth it?

tenebrousfire

certainly not impossible to take classes at wharton if you're an engineer!

i'm a pre-law bioengineer and engineering entrepreneurship minor (i highly recommend the minor) and will have taken either 7 or 8 wharton courses by the time i graduate next year.

plenty of engineers take wharton courses whether or not they're dual or joint degree - plenty also take random fun college and nursing courses too!

dconcerned

since you still keep options open, be it medicine, more engineering or other programs (which could very well be business courses as engineering plus business program would be a big plus), i suggest that you go upenn. you might even think about doing m&t joint program later on if you're qualified.
it's just like you kill two birds with one stone.

but if you want just engineering and absolutely no consideration for possible business courses/program, go cornell. come to think of it, i still think you should go upenn.

by the way, do you know that upenn has a top biomedical engineering program? another reason why upenn.

LIGC

thanks for the help guys, how hard would it be to get such business minors or dual or joint degree programs? I understand there will probably a lot of tough competition for such things.

iHojs2

Just had to reply here as I just had to make the same decision [with other choices that were also hard to turn down]. I visited both Cornell and Penn last week for their preview days. For me the choice was very clear, Penn was it. If you've already been to both and are still not sure I'd follow the advice that folks on both threads have given, especially reading the other comparison threads between each of the universities. [It was good to see that neither side trashed the other at all and that there are great folks at each place with good spirit].

Good luck with your decision. I think it's just as hard saying 'no' as it is saying 'yes', but difficulties like that are really a problem that is not hard to take. Some great kids in my school did not get into any of their top choices, including both Penn and Cornell, and others and I felt a bit guilty having so many choices. Especially a friend who so much wanted to go to Tufts and didn't make it in, or other friends who got waitlisted at places. Consider both your options to be very good ones, and go with your gut. You will get a great education at both places....but perhaps better weather at one of them. hehe

wharton4life

Just to make it clear, you cannot minor at Wharton. Thanks to the "One-University" idea, however, you can take as many business courses as you would like. From what I have heard, top companies recruiting at Penn know that all its students have Wharton, or any of the other fine schools, at their disposal. This is one of the reasons why Penn is so very attractive. While Cornell has one of the greatest engineering programs in the country, some of other their other schools are just not quite up to par with of Penn (IMO). Both are still wonderful universities with endless opportunities.

LIGC

thanks for all of the help guys, I've turned in my deposit to UPenn today, that was the toughest decision I've ever had to make.

45 Percenter

Congratulations! Great choice.

mattwonder

I should just point out that Penn does not currently offer a Computer Engineering major. We have Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and we're (I say we because I'm actually helping) trying to get Computer Engineering available as well. Hopefully it will get launched next year.

However, like most HS students (and most college students) you probably don't know the difference between the terms and this point is moot :-) If you're actually interested in talking about computer engineering or computer science (or learning what the difference is) feel free to PM me.

45 Percenter

^ Matt, there's also currently a Computer and Telecommunications Engineering major:

Penn Engineering >> ESE >> Computer and Telecommunications Engineering Program Description