Transferring (in electrical engineering): Cornell vs. Upenn vs. Swarthmore

College Search & Lists
1

I’ve been admitted to penn and swarthmore as a transfer (I haven’t been admitted to cornell, but I’m working on the assumption that I will be admitted in this post). My reply deadline is rapidly approaching and I’m struggling to make up my mind. I’m going to study electrical engineering, and I plan to enter industry, ideally in hardware, when I graduate. I am looking for a school with a lot of project experience, both in and out of classes, an entrepreneurial atmosphere, a collaborative spirit, and an active social scene. Ideally, I’d like to minimize the humanities courses I have to take (although I wouldn’t mind taking languages), but I can struggle through them if it means getting other things. I have visited penn and cornell and I will be visiting swarthmore soon. I have identified the following pros and cons (please correct me if I’m mistaken):

Cornell: pros - highly ranked ECE program, solid social scene, tons of clubs and activities, lots of project teams
cons - very cold, ECE building isn’t that nice, very large classes. also, I don’t know WHY the ECE program is highly ranked. I never really got a sense of why it’s so great

Penn: pros - lots of entrepreneurialism, great social scene, good amount of project teams, probably the smallest humanities requirement of the three, solid ESE program, best OVERALL reputation of the three
cons - very competitive atmosphere, seems business focused (instead of engineering focused), not the prettiest campus

Swarthmore: pros - gorgeous campus, every engineering class has a lab, friendly atmosphere, very small classes
cons - questionable social scene, not many electrical related project teams, engineering reputation is lacking, significant liberal arts requirements

Any help would be greatly appreciated; I have to decide soon!

2

Swarthmore doesn’t have an EE major. Just a general engineering one.

3

Why are you bothering to think about Cornell before you’ve actually been admitted?

4

@usualhopeful because if I am admitted, I will have to make a decision very soon after. So I may as well consider it now; there’s no harm if I’m rejected.

5

@welphereigo I suppose not, at least in your instance. Some kids (I guess mainly freshman admissions) get really over-attached to one school, but I guess that’s not really an issue here.

What do you think of Ithaca vs. being in/near Philadelphia?

6

@usualhopeful I’m actually up in Ithaca right now, it’s really nice, and campus is gorgeous. That being said, it’s kind of far away, and while I have been up here, the weather has been lovely but I know it’s certainly not like that most of the year.
Philly isn’t quite as nice, nor is Penn’s campus. I really like Swarthmore’s campus, though. I am used to being in a city, though, so I certainly wouldn’t mind being in Philly. Additonally, Philly is really accessible for me.

7

I’d go to either Penn or Cornell depending on if you prefer Philly or Ithaca. Personally, I would not get too caught up in what the campus looks like.

8

Highly suggest Penn if you are seriously considering engineering. You can take small classes as upperclassman so the advantage of Swat is not that huge.

9

Well, seeing as I’m now leaning towards either Swat or Penn, it seems like people are suggesting Penn.

10

I think Swarthmore’s engineering has a very different focus than engineering at most other places. It is less professionally oriented. Just take a look at the description on the engineering department’s front page:

“Swarthmore seeks to help its students realize their full intellectual and personal potential, combined with a deep sense of ethical and social concern. Within this context the Engineering Department seeks to graduate students with a broad, rigorous education, emphasizing strong analysis and synthesis skills. Our graduates will be well rounded and understand the broader impacts of engineering. They will have the skills to adapt to new technical challenges, communicate effectively, and collaborate well with others. The Engineering Department and its students provide to the College community a unique perspective that integrates technical and nontechnical factors in the design of solutions to multifaceted problems.”

You will find a broader social scene, more parties, and also more entrepreneurial opportunities at Penn. If you’re set on EE, go to a school that offers it. Swarthmore is a very collaborative place, and from what I know, Penn is more competitive generally. At Swarthmore, you still need to do division requirements: 3 courses in the humanities (languages are included), 3 in the social sciences, and 3 in the natural sciences. If you do not want to do six credits outside of your major, then I would advise against Swarthmore.

That said, Swarthmore engineers do go on to do great things, but obviously a small department at a small liberal arts school that doesn’t focus exclusively on the sciences would not have much of a reputation in industry. That shouldn’t necessarily stop you, especially if you plan on pursuing a masters’ or doctorate later on. Last year an engineering student was awarded a Marshall scholarship. You won’t be shortchanged on the quality of your education.

As far as overall reputation go, Penn is better known by the public, Swarthmore is slightly more reputable academically for undergrad. This is probably a controversial statement, but Swarthmore alumni have won more Rhodes, Nobels, Macarthurs in absolute number than Penn. This is what I mean by academic reputation. It shouldn’t have any bearing on which school you go to or what engineering program you should choose, but does tell you that the institutional culture at Swarthmore really pushes students to think deeply and profoundly about what the paths they choose to take. This translates to some outstanding figures in government and politics, in academia, in the sciences, and a broad array of fields. Don’t shortchange it because you think Penn has a better overall reputation. Go to the school that you think will push you to be the best at what you do.

Your success at and after college is contingent on what you make of your opportunities and learning. From what you’ve written, Penn seems to offer the most opportunity for specialization and its business emphasis will help in entrepreneurship. If Swarthmore is right for a student, they can really thrive there. But Penn seems to offer more for you.

11

Oddly enough, I think I might be going for Swat. I think I might have the opportunity to be happier overall there, regardless of the outcomes, and I recently had the revelation that that’s more important than anything else. Thank you everyone for your input, I really appreciate it!