<p>1) Cornell’s engineering is tops especially for MechE in terms of rank, resources, and all the shiny new buildings and awards they keep getting.
2) I was also once scared about Cornell being too “fratty” or too much of a party school. I couldn’t have been more wrong - everyone finds their clique and you will too. If you’re looking for own “nerdy group”, the engineering school has no shortage of them – everyone in there is a nerd and you’ll make friends in no time.
3) CMU over Princeton or Cornell would be a serious mistake IMO. The resources afforded to Ivy League Schools are outstanding and the name carries weight when it comes time to find a job. Microsoft and Google are always on campus at Cornell. I always saw engineering kids with freeby toys every other week that the firms kept handing out to attract applicants.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>