Any Inputs On Where To Attend?

Parents Forum
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<p>So, my parents are able to contribute about $8K (Might stretch up to $10K) a year for 4 years according to their calculations. I have 5 colleges to choose from; I’ll list their net cost + loans and their pros and cons. BTW, I am a EE major, will declare a double major in CS. Can negotiate to get a lot of the earlier CS classes as credit. </p>

<p>Bradley University:
Net Cost: $11,914 per year with $5,500 in loans.</p>

<p>Pros:
Small.
Relatively affordable.
Some might call it a “hidden gem” in engineering.
Formula SAE team.
Potential internship from Caterpillar.</p>

<p>Cons:
Lacks recognition outside Mid west.
Weather
Lack of serious research.</p>

<p>Florida Tech:
Net Cost: $23,640 per year with $5,500 in loans.</p>

<p>Pros:
Weather
Small
“Space Coast”: Potential Internship opportunities.
Formula SAE Team.</p>

<p>Cons:
Price
Probably will have to find a job, taking time away from studies.</p>

<p>Kettering University:
Net Cost: $14,556 per year with $5,500 in loans.</p>

<p>Pros:
Co op (It might just pay for itself, but I’ve heard the job market is hard)
Small
Formula SAE Team
Set tuition for 4 years.</p>

<p>Cons:
Potentially bad neighborhood.
Weather.
Might require an extra year to graduate due to co op.
Little to no research.</p>

<p>New Mexico Tech:
Net Cost: $0 per year with ~$3,000 - $5,500 in loans</p>

<p>Pros:
Cost
Size
Desolate, so more time to focus on studies.
2 Department heads with same research interests.
Sandia National Lab and Los Alamos Lab, potential internships.</p>

<p>Cons:
Desolate
No Formula SAE team (Contacted them with a proposal to start one potentially)</p>

<p>Rochester Institute of Technology:
Net Price: $18,463 with $5,500 in loans</p>

<p>Pros:
One of the better Formula SAE teams.
Co Op
President pushing more research</p>

<p>Cons:
Weather
Price
Size
5 Years to graduate.</p>

<p>With all that laid out, some have suggested that I go to CC and then transfer. Any input on that? If I want to transfer, I can just go to NMT and transfer from there since it will be cheaper and living in a different state really builds character. NMT will give me internship and research opportunities that CC won’t give. Plus, the better professor interaction times for better letter of recs.</p>

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<p>So, the way I read this, there are only two you can realistically afford?</p>

3

<p>I know a few people that highly recommend Kettering. I know that the coop opportunities there are plentiful, but not always as profitable in the past. There are still a great deal of oportunities for internships in the automotive industries. </p>

<p>NM Tech for the money is great. Don’t assume that desolate will give you more time for studies. You will be living in a bubble (and all the incestuous drama that can bring). </p>

<p>I certainly wouldn’t go to CC fo two years and transfer over NMTech.</p>

4

<p>Soccoro is NOT desolate. But it is a small town. But for a small town, it has pretty good amenities, including 3 very good golf courses. </p>

<p>The biggest disadvantage to Tech is the skewed male-to-female ratio at the school. (~3-1)</p>

<p>WRT to internships: LANL is currently laying off ~500-800 technical & professional staff (scientists and engineers) and a number of major programs are being shut down due to federal budget cuts. The student internship program has also been severely impacted by budget cuts and will not be hiring this summer and possibly not next summer either. IOW, don’t hold your breath hoping to work at LANL anytime soon.</p>

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<p>I think there are two you can take out of the equation right away. Florida Tech and RIT. You have better options than those and unless you really love them, just eliminate them.</p>

<p>That gives you Bradley, Kettering, and NMT. Have you visited these schools. They are very different. Bradley is in a small town, more of a equal M/F ratio. I like the Cat alliance but I figure that every engineering major wants to co op there so I would look into how many kids do. My S interviewed there and was very impressed with their trainee program. </p>

<p>Kettering is in the middle of Flint. I do like the concept of the mandatory co-op program. I would look into how that works and do most students have problems getting co-ops. It’s 80/20 M/F so that is in the equation also. Of your 3 choices Bradley has more of a traditional university feel.</p>

<p>NMT is in a small town in New Mexico. M/F ratio still skewed. I don’t much about this school but the price is right. Would not have to go into debt for this and you would have the opportunity to earn money with internships or co ops. I would not worry about the SAE team. They may have another opportunity with a similar type of organization.</p>

<p>In the end they are 3 great choices. The good news is that there are no bad choices. The money is probably doable for all of the schools I’ve mentioned, you just have to decide where you would be happiest. As I said, they are very different campuses.</p>

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<p>I guess, realistically, FIT and RIT are really out of the picture. JPL offers internships for undergrad, but they are in a similar situation as LANL. They laid off workers just 4 months ago and cut their highschool internship program. So, I am not sure about the state of the undergrad opportunities. Since JPL is so close to my house, I can come back home during summers and do internships. </p>

<p>Any comments on transferring out?</p>

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<p>I would go with Bradley. I worked at Cat with lots of Bradley grads. Good people and solid academics. Bradley places people mostly in the central Illinois area and Chicago.</p>

<p>Well respected school throughout the Midwest.</p>

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<p>Daughter opted for UNM, turning down UPenn…for what she considered a great adventure. Was 3000 miles from home, from rural NC to NM. Best 4 years. Different climate, location, culture, food and tons of great classes and great people.</p>

<p>UNM is not NMT however many of the same pluses existed for her. Great scholarship money, little to no loans…great GPA graduated magna cum laude, honors thesis, fun minor, pre-med, 4 years of research at the med school…and all on a academic scholarship.</p>

<p>She ended traveling all over the state, Santa Fe, Taos, camping in the desert…she took Flamenco dance and Navajo…was invited and attended some very special dances, and made wonderful friends.</p>

<p>There is something about changing your lattitude to gain a different attitude. Just as much an education as you will learn in your classes.</p>

<p>Again she loved all 4 years. Spent her summers there as well. She was also a D1 athlete so she managed to squeeze all the experiences along with her practice and meet schedule.</p>

<p>And she enjoyed eating as much Mexican food as her coach would allow!!</p>

<p>What a great opportunity you have been given. An EE degree with little debt, a great location, a new perspective…A GREAT ADVENTURE!!</p>

<p>Go to NMT and don’t look back. Don’t go with the thought of transferring. Of course you can but why set yourself up for that. </p>

<p>Enjoy and CONGRATS!!</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>Agree 1000% w/ Kat. NM - pretty cool place for a EE/CS guy. Uhh, the universe is at your fingertips. For free. How great is that. Grats to you!</p>

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<p>I don’t think going to CC first makes any sense for your situation - going to NM Tech seems a much better option for you.</p>

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<p>Don’t get ahead of yourself on the internship question. You don’t have to intern in the same place your college is located - you can intern across the country if you want (and get an offer). I’m talking about summer internships. You probably won’t have an internship during the school year and most likely won’t have a summer one for the first couple of years anyway.</p>

<p>Wherever you’re considering, take a look at which companies recruit on campus there and if you can find it, some stats of where their grads were employed.</p>

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<p>Well, I just put my deposit for for housing and tuition in the mailbox. It’s official, I am going to New Mexico Tech.</p>

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<p>Congrats! I have read several of yor posts, and I am sure that you will do well wherever you go.</p>

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<p>Congrats! You’ve got the Right Stuff!</p>

15

<p>Looks like you made the obvious right choice for your situation (the only one that was clearly affordable).</p>

16

<p>Oh I am so excited for you!!</p>

<p>Now you can look at the course catalog, pick out a tentative schedule within your major, join a facebook group if there is one (or not!), start looking at travel plans, maybe find a job for the summer…</p>

<p>Remember to try and buy your books used preferably online, search by ISBN, ask the prof ahead of time if you need the exact edition or see if an earlier edition will do…maybe on facebook other older students will be selling their books…great way to break the ice for meeting new people…</p>

<p>Start making your “list” of all the places you’d like to visit and experiences you’d like to have…</p>

<p>Did you receive work study? Early bird gets the worm on that one, but after you’ve been on campus you might find something that really interests you.</p>

<p>Just remember you really grow when you stretch and take yourself outside your comfort zone. Baby steps are fine to begin with, and this experience will be what you make of it. Keep an open mind, really push yourself and along the way enjoy the company you keep.</p>

<p>NM is where the next “space” program will be. A space port in NM. Space Port America, Las Cruces, NM. First state-owned port, rather than building a new airport they built a space port. Different companies building, the Spaceship Company (TSC) is building Spaceship 2 for Virgin Galactic.</p>

<p>[Spaceport</a> America](<a href=“http://www.spaceportamerica.com/]Spaceport”>http://www.spaceportamerica.com/)</p>

<p>What I would give to be YOU! A dual degree in EE and mech E (I know you mentioned CS) might be useful in flying one…just a thought…rivals the ballon festival in ABQ…</p>

<p>Congrats again, and HAVE FUN!!!</p>

<p>Kat</p>