Hi! Please help me decide. Do not consider money in your opinion. I plan to major in engineering this fall. I got directly into Penn State’s engineering program, but I didn’t get into UMD. Should I go to Penn State or do CC for 1-3 semesters and then transfer to UMD?
Which school is better to get a degree in engineering? Which school is overall a better school?
My understanding that you are a Maryland resident. Am I correct?
Both schools are good, but if you are a MD resident, and can attend something like Montgomery College, you have almost guaranteed transfer.
Great thinking. Many students do it.
This will save you ton of money and outcome will be exactly the same degree.
You even can start taking classes at UMD prior to transferring, just be careful and make sure to keep GPA up to stay on transfer path.
It doesn’t matter. Because of ABET accreditation you’ll study pretty much the same things at both. Employers view the vast majority of engineering programs as equivalents. What will make a difference in your future in how hard you work to learn the material and whether you put in the effort to find internships, not the school name on the diploma.
Make your decision based on which approach you prefer. Personally I’d rather be at one college for 4 years, but I’m not you.
At one school you can study engineering.
At the other, you didn’t get in and you hope to transfer in.
You sort of answered your own question.
Both are fine schools but only one has loved you. I suggest you love it back if you truly want to be an engineer - otherwise all bets are off.
Good luck.
Penn State is well-regarded for engineering. If cost is a non-issue and PSU isn’t lacking some academic option UMD has that’s important to you, I’d say buy the Penn State sweatshirt and don’t look back. You could do the CC transfer and probably save some money, but I don’t think there are good enough non-financial reasons to do this. If you want a seamless four-year experience, you have an excellent one on offer.
Go to Penn state. I’m a terp but if you didn’t get in don’t settle for a community college. You can always transfer to Maryland after first year at Penn state. Your freshman year should be a memorable experience
Does cost differ or matter?
PSU does have secondary admission to specific engineering majors by GPA (varies by major).
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