Does anyone actually care where I go to school (engineering)?

monydad
Sun, 22 Mar 2015 14:30:03 +0000

If you can’t afford to attend an institution it doesn’t really matter if something might hypothetically be better about it.

So if that’s the case there might be some other places that might challenge you more than Buffalo but be more affordable than Cornell. Off the top of my head, Rochester and RPI are two institutions that give big merit aid to selected high-scoring freshmen, I don’t know if they’d do the same for transfers, but it’s not impossible. Cooper Union has low tuition. Within SUNY its possible Stony Brook might be tougher than Buffalo. I don’t know that, but you might look into it if you care. And a number of schools claim to give need-based financial aid to transfers they admit. You can look up on CC which schools commit to meeting full need.

Basically agreeing with BrownParent, from what I understand, to achieve entry to a PhD program you have to have great grades where you are, and get research experience, and profs to write great letters for you.
If that would happen for you at Cornell you might get into a better PhD program than if it happens at Buffalo. Because academics undoubtedly know Buffalo is easier, and maybe the Profs writing your letters may not be as well known. But if it would happen at Buffalo but not Cornell you’d perhaps be better off for this purpose at Buffalo . And if it wouldn’t happen at either, you’d probably be better off at Cornell, for recruiting purposes.

But I’m just guessing. The best people to ask are perhaps your Cornell Mech E advisor and former engineering professors, and some of your professors at U Buffalo. Suggest candidly explain the situation (can’t afford Cornell,want Phd, now what) and ask them for their advice about how you may best realize your objectives going forward.

Also agree with BrownParent about other students and their choices. One thing Cornell’s student body is not is homogeneous, and there are opportunities open to them that not all engineers have. Yet Cornell is among the highest producers of students who go on to PhDs in science & engineering. There are plenty of people there who are interested in, and achieve, a Phd in those fields. Despite the fact that others who are also there aren’t interested, and don’t.