MIT vs U-Mich vs Caltech vs Cornell University? For engineering emphasized in automotive

enginestud
Tue, 08 Jul 2014 20:14:03 +0000

In regards to mechanical engineering with an emphasis in automotive, which of these schools are the perfect fit?
I understand that hardly any university teaches automotive or applied science (hands on) automotive engineering or science,

with the exception of few: (http://www.canton.edu/csoet/auto_tech.html)

that is why I went to a community college (4.0 avg.) to take an accredited (NATEF) automotive/general studies degree (as opposed to untransferable vocational school credits like UTI) and transferred to a 4 year state university to get a bachelors in Business of Industrial technology with emphasis of automotive (NAU if anyone is wondering).
I love the math and engineering behind automotive and my ultimate goal is to study at a prestigious university that has top of the line resources to lead me towards the path of success. In my community college I personally took a wide variety of courses of chemistry, physics, engineering, electronics (as a technologist engineer and in automotive) and electricity. I excelled in all of these fields (I am naturally keened to science since a young age) but now I want to focus on alternative fuel resources, mainly hydrogen (you may call this blind faith, but I have strong reasons).

If I want to pursue a career in automotive as an engineer whose aim is to develop hydrogen based vehicles (I currently work with BMW North America and I want to get into developing vehicles like the Hydrogen Seven series [since I already have thorough knowledge in Bimmers inside and out] or helping in developing this vehicle). Which schools of these would help me in my pursuit of not only giving me an edge in mechanical engineering, business, or in automotive degrees and programs, but help me in a sense accomplish my goals (which is ultimately contributing in the aid of yielding the most effective vehicles to the road, or helping in the research and development of hydrogen based vehicles ― well I am looking for the most integrated and leading degrees [nationally] and effective programs that integrate all of these fields together, if not I don’t mind transferring form one university to another).

I am not biased to only these schools as I heard many great things from universities such as Harvey Mudd College, many of the SUNY universities, and so forth I have not mentioned. I am opened to any options that anyone may provide with sufficient reasons. I am personally planning to attend SUNY Binghamton to study Hydrogen Economy, and cover hopefully an entire degree on alternative fuel resources focused on hydrogen (I hope to expand this into a degree as a technologist engineer with mechanical emphasis of hydrogen and alternative or integrated fuel systems).

The reasons why I have listed the universities I did above was because I heard for example that MIT has their automotive sloan program which is historically known but mainly focuses on hydro carbon fuels and desiel (carbon footprint), but they are also at the top with Caltech when it comes to mechanical engineering and physics and many other sciences and math.

http://web.mit.edu/sloan-auto-lab/

Caltech, well I heard they entered into competitions such as Formula SAE Competitions and X-prize but I have not heard of them ever having a department of automotive or programs like MIT does.

University of Michigan is ranked in the top 10 list of almost every engineering departments they teach nationally, and in some sciences (which im focused on). Aside from that (they don’t necessarily pair up in equal terms with MIT or Caltech but top ten nationally isn’t an understatement either) U-M does have a strong core in automotive specifically with an integrated system that’s combined with mechanical engineering and they have even been dubbed motor city. Their students have made landmark achievements when it comes to competitions of engineering and building the best car, they even outperform MIT in terms of x prize and formula sae.

http://isd.engin.umich.edu/degree-programs/automotive-engineering/index.htm

I haven’t heard too much about Cornell, except that it is an academically high end school and it teaches automotive as well, and that it has won many national automotive competitions and rivals Michigan within these terms.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/top-10/top-10-automotive-colleges-and-universities-in-the-us.html

I am hoping that either of these schools or the schools you folks may have in mind does have a strong program or degree that involves automotive, mechanical engineering, alternative fuel resources and pursuing these into a higher degree as well and get me prepared for my future goals up ahead. Even if you believe that I am not cut out for MIT or Caltech, for the sake of answering this question and many others who might ask the same thing, which of these schools or combination of schools (with an order) should I consider taking that best integrates the field of studies that I want to pursuit? I have already done a bachelors in a business degree of industrial technology, and a strong understanding of automotive (a transferable associates degree) with an introductory to mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, advance mathematics (already done with calculus) and so forth (all of the English and other electives such as humanities, social sciences, art, and etc. are all taken care of since a long time ago- thank god!). So what is your guy’s and gal’s take on my question? I am open and I take every answer seriously (unless you crack a very humorous joke, which I’ll still take the seriousness deeply into consideration)

And ps: I don’t mind if I have to retake courses again (worse case scenario) I really indoctrinate myself and immerse myself into this philosophy of personal enrichment, which to me $$$ isn’t much of an issue for many reasons, not that I am rich, but I work for a great company that would literally invest in me, and has for a long time had great benefits for its employees and would invest in them in any time to increase their profits and fortify their assets.