@momofsenior1… I hope that is not true. My freshman son is on your husbands path. But there does seem to be a lot of minors for engineering these days. He plans on minoring in business or some other business related thing.
@Knowsstuff It completely worked out for my husband’s career and hopefully it will for your son as well! I was responding to post #33.
I surmised from the post that it’s not a great way to get a great engineering job out of school. I think the path you described would be excellent for management training or technical sales. Etc.
@momofsenior1, IE is the exception, because they are really systems level engineers in the first place. The OP didn’t mention IE though so I didn’t place a caveat.
@collegemom3717 Thank you. Always great hearing from someone with experience in the field. Aside from those two quotes, would you agree with @TopTier’s advice based on your career?
@Gator88NE Thanks. I think that the social skills you mentioned are one of my strengths, particularly when compared to the average STEM-focused student. I would like to study in an environment where I can keep improving this facet as well as others that would make me more well-rounded, and possibly (hopefully) more desirable for higher positions at a company. From my experience so far (which is very little) it seems that Duke has the edge in this area.
@sushiritto A little levity is nice, but aside from the fact that these are both schools that value sports enough to spur great school spirit in the student body, allowing for great memories, sport’s rankings are not a big deal for me. I would rather continue the discussion from my original post and the quote by @TopTier on post #21.
@momofsenior1 I am not so sure as to the value of an MBA these days (and although I would like to hear some input on this, I don’t want this thread to get even more sidetracked), and I know little on the subject at this point. For sure, something to consider, since I plan on eventually moving into the business arena after undergrad.
@eyemgh I did not mention industrial engineering, but it is a field I have considered. Not really sure on the demand for this major compared to something like electrical or mechanical, but if you have an interesting remark to make on the subject, I would love to hear it.
“Once an individual is established in mid/upper-manaagement, the university’s OVERALL reputation is FAR more critical than the stature of the engineering, or business, or public policy, etc. school, per se.”
This is the opposite of what actually happens, as you get in to mid/upper management the undergraduate university matters less, at least in technology firms. Nobody gets promoted in high tech over someone else because of the undergrad college, it’s the other things that people have mentioned - meeting product deadlines, leadership, managing change. And even it it were determined a little by reputation, in silicon valley UM has a better reputation anyway.
"http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-colleges-for-software-developers-2014-10
Duke at 8. Michigan at 9."
This survey also has Stanford at 9. Any ranking that has Stanford at 9 goes into the online recycle bin.
We might as well put articles about architecture and pre-med up there too. They are as closely related to ME as software engineering and venture capital.
Here’s a more recent Business Insider list, if that resonates. It’s 2017, and top school represented in Silicon Valley. Duke is not on the list, and several schools you’ve eliminated are ahead of Michigan.
Hiring does tend to be regional though. That’s why there’s the high representation of CA publics.
Also note this does not qualify what job, so it will be a conglomerate of SEs, CSs, and various engineers.
http://www.businessinsider.com/top-colleges-for-working-in-silicon-valley-2017-5
Very much enjoying this thread–particularly the funny sports-related side notes! Now I’m going to say something absolutely profound to the OP. So amazing, many posters may need to hide their eyes:
OP is going to do extremely well, no matter which world class university is chosen. As cost is evidently not a concern (an extremely fortunate position to be in that does not apply to most students), I’m going to recommend OP go with the best fit, and also, Go Blue!
http://www.industrialinside.com/is-ie-worth-majoring-in/. Some food for thought about IE.
“We might as well put articles about architecture and pre-med up there too. They are as closely related to ME as software engineering and venture capital.”
The OP mentioned EE as well and software engineering would have some relevance there.
@theloniusmonk, I checked to make sure I didn’t miss it (I’ve been know to :D), but you’re the only one who has mentioned software in the thread. The OP specifically mentioned EE and ME.
“Nevertheless, considering that everything you write places UMich and Duke together, or gives the edge to UMich, makes me skeptical of the accuracy of such information.”
Humblest, I do not give Michigan the edge over Duke in any way except in engineering, where Michigan is in fact better (with the exception of BME, where Duke is better than Michigan). Both universities are very well rounded, but Michigan just happens to be more well-rounded academically (top undergraduate programs in Architecture, Business, Music, Nursing etc…). In Duke’s favor, it is indeed more selective, and its endowment per student is larger. In all cases, the relative advantage that these universities have over each other are negligible. They are both equally exceptional.
“4. Duke has a lower acceptance rate, but the quality of the student bodies is similar”
Is there any evidence, other than personal experience, for such claim given that it is used to refute a number?"
Sadly, no. I can only speak from experience. In-state students at Michigan have lower tests scores than OOS students, but in the classroom, they perform just as well. The in-state students I knew, and I confess to have only know a few dozen, never prepared for standardized tests. This was strange to me because like most OOS students, I worked hard on my SAT preparation. That is why I said that there is a fundamental difference in paradigm to consider when comparing test scores at public universities and private universities. As it is, I am not sure if anybody can differentiate between a student body that graduated from high school with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and an average SAT/ACT of 1410/31.5 and a student body that graduated from high school with a 3.9 unweighted GPA having taken similar classes, and an average SAT/ACT of 1480/33. But when you factor in the effort, or lack thereof, that in-state students at top public universities put into their standardized test preparation, the gap in test scores is likely even smaller.
A students performance in their high school is a far better indicator of success than their SAT/ACT scores. I could have taken the SAT 4 more times and I likely would have gotten it over the 1500 mark vs. my 1470, it was a matter of answering 2 more questions right!! So I am one student who will bring down Michigan’s average over a Duke. But, I have a 3.9 weighted GPA in the most rigorous courses at an “elite” private school in the northeast.
I have friends who got into Duke, Northwestern,Vanderbilt with higher test scores, but easier classes but some of those same friends were rejected from Michigan. I think just maybe Michigan looks a bit deeper into what kind of student they accept. Their Common Data Set puts Rigor and School performance above test scores.
Go to Michigan, it truly has more to offer overall and for those who are so driven by rankings it IS ranked better for Engineering.
^ Are you able to find any data showing that the class rank of students who matriculate at Michigan is higher than the class rank of students who matriculate at Duke? What are you basing this on?
JenniferClint, who said anything about class rank? Michigan stopped publishing class ranks because it is disingenuous to do so since a very large chunk of incoming freshmen attend high schools that do not rank.
this is all so crazy!! Everyone is “splitting hairs” about students at Duke vs Michigan!! Seriously!! Please quantify for me in the scheme of life, why Duke will be better or even Michigan will be better! I think this is my last post, because if anyone thinks they are “better” aka superior attending one over the other they are wrong. As my dad would say we all bleed the same blood and we all meet our maker in the end so make your time mean something.
Avg GPA U Mich 3.82 Avg ACT 29-32 acceptance rate 29%
Avg GPA Duke 4.17 Avg ACT 31-34 acceptance rate 8%
Duke ranked top 10 in USNews, WSJ, Forbes, USA Today and selectivity. Regular decision 6.3% acceptance rate. Clearly defined peer group of U Chicago, Brown, Columbia and Penn. based on statistics of matriculating class
Michigan doesn’t appear in the top 20 Or match Up as a peer. Wash U or Emory as Peers. Great school but not Duke.
The Duke name cariës more cache in the finance space buy a Wide margin. I base this on thirty years of experience. Duke kids are nethodically recruited by NY IB shops and benefit from the depth and breath of there alumni network.
Michigan has not been a target of any of the three major banks i have worked For. Occasionaly a resumé would Pass my desk but limited if any true support.
Rather than spliting hairs as you say Lets be honest and direct. Duke has a far superior reputation in Finance then Michigan. Michigan is largely perceived as a safe school For talenten and smart kids givin its both large and public with managable addmissions rates. Duke is viewed as far more selectieve with a 6.3% RD acceptanten rate. 1,900 valadictorions applied To Duke and 29% were accepted. Stated differently i am sure there is a ven diagram that would show overlap between the two schools studen bodies but those out Side of the shared space at Duke would be far superior accademically then those out of the shared space from Michigan.
Saying things like i could have taken the ACT and grotten a Higher score or anecdotely pointing out studentes who got rejected at Mich (potential yield Protection) but into Duke or the suggestion that michigan Somehow looks harder at applications all simply wrong ang pure speculation in the hope of Boeing persuasive.
Every number produced suggesties Duke has a prestige advantage.
US. News ranks Duke # 11 in counselors rank Vs Mich at #22 and over all Duk #9 Vs Michigan #28
Duke has a better reputation, is harder to get into and is more heavily recruited from. Saying otherwise is purely an attempt to minimize a well defined hierarchical difference.
First, isn’t this thread about engineering, not finance?
Second, in regards to finance, Michigan is #4 here: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-finance
Duke isn’t in the top 12. And the Ross Business school is #3. Not sure where Duke is rated for business schools.
But I’m not an alum, but hopefully @Alexandre will chime in with better info than I can provide.