CU Boulder [exploratory studies] vs. Purdue [first year engineering] for Undergrad Engineering [similar price]

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Need help deciding between University of Colorado Boulder and Purdue for undergrad engineering (OOS for both). Planning on Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.

***Price and distance equal for both

Interests

  • Hiking
  • Skiing
  • Social
  • Club Sports/ Gym

Stats

  • 4.1 GPA
  • AP Physics and AP Calculus

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER
Engineering Rank: 19 | Overall Rank: 99 |

Pros:

  • Great Weather (300 days of sunshine)
  • Great skiing
  • Cool college town
  • Very Social
  • Close to Denver; can stay in Colorado after graduation
  • Fun football games

Cons:

  • Not directly admitted to School of Engineering (Would need to complete 1 year in Exploratory Studies but 99% guaranteed engineering admission second year)
  • Not ranked as highly as Purdue
  • Aerospace is prestigious but there is a chance I study Mechanical instead

PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Engineering Rank: 4 | Overall Rank: 43 |

Pros:

  • Directly admitted to First Year Engineering Program
  • Very highly ranked
  • Stronger Alumni/ Engineering Network + Internship/ Job Opportinuties
  • Very nice campus
  • Strong school spirit
  • Great basketball games
  • Greek Life is less hardcore than CU Boulder

Cons:

  • Middle of nowhere
  • Worse Weather
  • Supposedly extremely difficult work for Engineering

Any thoughts/ advice is appreciated

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I am pretty sure aerospace concentration at Purdue is very competitive to get into, so that’s not a guarantee. But neither is engineering at CU. Perhaps someone with more experience can comment.

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Main Dilemma: Not sure if the higher ranked Purdue is worth it over CU Boulder which has arguably a higher quality of life (in my case) with hiking, skiing, and great weather since I am someone who is outdoorsy.

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Based on your interests it sounds like CU is a better fit. Congrats!

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Transfer into Engineering at Boulder is 100% guaranteed IF you meet the requirements. Of students with a 4.0 HS GPA, 56% successfully met the requirements and transferred. See link here for more info.

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I hadn’t seen those data from Boulder before, thanks for sharing the link.

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Thank you for the link

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You bet! I received that link from a Boulder admissions officer in response to questions I had about the transfer process.

My S24 (Mechanical Engineering) was also admitted into Exploratory Studies at Boulder. While he was certain he could meet the requirements, he chose to attend one of several universities that admitted him directly.

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9

Boulder is not a great ski town - and per your #s 7% aren’t moving to engineering - but perhaps those 7% aren’t cut out.

Prestige is not relevant in aero - but both are great schools.

I agree it sounds like CU is a better fit for you.

But many will say - take direct admit - and that’s most reasonable - but of course at Purdue, you’re not assured your concentration - so it’s sort of similar except you know you’ll be an engineer whereas at CU that’s not assured.

btw - Mechanical is a great sub for aero and you wouldn’t have trouble making the transition in real life.

Good luck whatever you decide.

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@JB232 if this screen name is your real name, I would urge you to change it. Here is how:

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Fraternities aren’t that big a deal at CU. In fact, most fraternities are not recognized as student organizations as they are off campus.

Some students who were admitted to Exp Studies were able to get into engineering this spring, if that makes your decision easier.