@monydad: No disrespect meant to Cornell, or any of the other fine (indeed, awesome) universities mentioned. In CC world, many folks seem to have the view that their schools are “right” or “good,” and that all others are “wrong” or “bad.” Sometimes, in service of trying to make distinctions, one can write things that appear more like the prevalent “my way or the highway” screeds on these boards. Was only attempting to elaborate that there’s a much richer set of targets for someone who’s tightly focused on engineering.
@JHS: Of the schools I mentioned, I think that all would regard themselves as comprehensive universities, and they would also be generally regarded as such in the academic community. Rose-Hulman, perhaps, is the lone exception.