I’m trying to decide between my 2 top choices Virginia Tech and WPI for Mechanical Engineering. I’m from Northern VA, so VT is super popular here, and WPI is lesser known. I was accepted at both, and each has its own pros & cons for me. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the NROTC National Scholarship which will pay full tuition & fees at both schools (still have to pay R&B at VT, full ride at WPI).
Virginia Tech obviously is a top ranked national university for ME, but I visited and never really felt a vibe (honestly felt like every other engineering state school to me?). If I go to VT, I’d be in the Corp of Cadets. I’m interested if anyone has experience with doing NROTC & engineering while in the Corp/what the workload is like. Tech’s pathway for NROTC & ME takes 4.5 - 5 years. I don’t know that I want to go to school for an extra year for a similar education I’d get at another school. I’m going to a Corp of Cadets overnight visit in mid-April, so I’ll get to see that all first-hand.
The huge career fairs & connections VT talks about also doesn’t really apply for me sice I’ll be going active duty in the Navy for 5 years post-grad. Tech also obviously has the allure of big state school with incredible sports atmosphere, nationally recognized.
WPI on the other hand is more regionally known in the Northeast, but when I visited I loved it. I really liked the IQP and MQP/project-based learning and service projects. Knowing how challenging engineering can be, I also really appreciated the support systems in place at WPI like the “No Record” option for grades and the smaller class sizes/less TA led courses. I can graduate in 4 years at WPI, and the NROTC commitment is normal (not a Corp of Cadets), so there’s still an opportunity to do other things outside of classes and NROTC.
I’m thrilled to be able to do NROTC at either school, and I’m hoping to be a Nuclear SWO following graduation.
For VT, I’m worried that I’m just not seeing the allure right now, and being blind to all the opportunities. Is my reflection on Tech pretty accurate or am I missing important pieces?
I’ve heard from a few different people that the university you attend doesn’t really matter past your first job. For me, having at least a 5-year career in the Navy immediately following graduation, is this true? If I decide to go look for a civilian job after the Navy, are they mostly gonna see that I was an Officer in the Navy rather than that I attended WPI?
I know WPI is a good school so I don’t want to come off as naive or elitist lol. But like just compared to Tech, are employers going to think less of WPI?
WPI is accredited and very well respected. Graduating from WPI combined with the experience you will get in the military should put you in great shape. Huge congrats on the scholarship!
I’d go to the school where you feel you can be happy and successful and (to me) that sounds like WPI.
Hopefully a poster with an engineering background can chime in here as well.
FWIW I concur with @happy1 - it seems clear you prefer the vibe at WPI, and it also conveys other benefits (totally free! only 4 years!) which are no small thing. It’s a great school. And Worcester is kind of an unsung place - punches above its weight as a city, and is close to Boston for an occasional outing. Good luck and congrats either way! I don’t think you can go wrong here, but it sure sounds like your heart knows.
Well, Worcester is the second most populous city in New England, which would seem to place it in the heavyweight class.
Nonetheless, with respect to the decision the OP will be making, I’ll question the premise that Virginia Tech might be more respected than WPI, at least for mechanical engineering. I believe you could argue the opposite just as, or even more, easily.
My only question is, does WPI have a NROTC program on campus or easily accessible? Be sure that part of the equation works comfortably (you probably have already checked this out).
I was referring more to its reputation - largely outmoded as it’s rebounded since the 80s. A lot of people still think of it from the before times (maybe not so much for college applicants!)
That said, it’s roughly the 120th “largest” city in the US, which to me is nowhere near heavyweight class regardless of where it ranks within MA or NE overall. It’s a small city. I think it’s quite a fun one however, which isn’t true IME for some other cities of its size. Hence punching above its weight.
I am dead sure coming out of the Navy will make exactly where you went to college a non-factor for civilian options. Nor would it matter, because in this case this is a virtual tie anyway. Like, not that I put a ton of stock into these things, but this ranking literally has VT #22 and WPI #23 for a bachelor’s in MechE:
Then if I understand correctly, you are talking like $15K more a year for VT, and possibly spread over as many as five years, which is up to $75K out-of-pocket PLUS the opportunity cost of that extra year (no small thing). And you actually like WPI better anyway!
Really a no brainer to me. You’ve gotten a full ride at a great engineering college with a great next step already lined up. That’s a big win right there, and you can just cash it in and enjoy it.
My son is at WPI, he chose it over VA Tech, we are from Northern Virginia. He is on an AROTC scholarship. Message me and I can put you in touch with him, if you are interested.
My son is a sophomore at WPI - he’s a MechE and CivE double major. We’re also from N.VA. Like the previous poster, I’m happy to connect you up with him if you want, just message me. I’ll say what I like a lot about WPI is that the engineers get to do some pretty fantastic not-typical engineer stuff. Because of the Junior year IQP project, they all get a term off of regular class to do the project, and many (most?) of the projects are abroad. My guy will be spending seven weeks in Greece, working with other students in his group on some kind of project.
I also think it sounds like a no brainer that you should go to WPI if your only concern is employment in the public sector after you serve our country (thank you!) that will not be a problem. Your 5yrs of experience as an officer in the military along with having an ME degree will make you competitive for the vast majority of jobs you would want at that point in your career. I think the 2 7wk course terms at WPI per semester vs. the traditional 14wk semester at VT might be a bigger difference to make sure you like.
Being familiar with the Corps at Virginia Tech though I can tell you that (assuming a satisfactory academic performance obviously) you might have an advantage in the assignments for which you would be commissioning for coming from a senior military college (they are one of six SMCs and only the academies are higher). I say might because that is technically only officially true for the ROTC at SMCs , but most agree its still unofficially accurate for the Navy and Air Force as well. Depending on your goals for your 5 year service commitment that may be impactful. Also you probably already know but the Corps of Cadets program includes a Leadership Minor and/or Leadership and Service Minor to their degree, again not sure how important that is to you or your future career but worth noting, depending on your AP/DE credits you may in fact still be able to graduate in 4yrs (or do 4.5 and add a co-op while you wait for the commission that would likely be paid but more importantly its experience that will impact your competitive advantage for your military assignments.
As to your concern about Engineering and the Corps at VT, that is actually the most common major with 37% of cadets in it so you will find that also easily managed. In fact in the first year with the quiet hours in the barracks it often sets up good evening study habits with built in study groups so I think it actually helps contribute rather than detract from success.
Looks like NROTC is based at Holy Cross. This is only a 7 minute drive from WPI, but it takes quite a bit longer to get there any other way, so it seems to me that having a car could be important. However, the cost of 4.5-5 years of housing at VT could cover that, with plenty left over.
How many of the NROTC cadets are from WPI, though? There could be something to be said for the “critical mass” and peer support in the Corps of Cadets at VT. To me, this would be the factor to look at. Even if you were going directly into the workforce after graduation, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose WPI over VT for MechE if you were feeling a better fit - as has already been said, their reputations are comparable. But you’d definitely be in the minority at WPI, in terms of having the ROTC commitment to work around; whereas at VT, you’d be in a setting where that commitment is centered and normalized. That doesn’t make WPI the wrong choice for you, though. You’re doing the right thing to do the Corps overnight before deciding. Also look at how the summer IQP opportunities mesh with ROTC summer obligations.
One thing to think about is that some students change their minds about ROTC before the point of commitment at the end of the first year. If you think there’s any chance this could be you, there would be a big difference in the cost of the decision. Could you afford to finish school at VT without ROTC, if it came to that? How about WPI, which would be a lot more expensive without the scholarship? I’m sure you aren’t planning to change your mind, but it definitely isn’t unheard of, so it’s a thought exercise worth having in the mix.
But I wouldn’t worry about employers or anyone thinking less of WPI. It’s a great school and it seems to resonate with you. I’d go for it without hesitation if the NROTC experience there works for you, and you feel settled about being more financially locked in by the scholarship.
I didn’t realize the NROTC program wasn’t at WPI. OP is hoping to have more time for other things beyond NROTC but it looks like there is still a decent amount to fulfill and adding in travel back and forth if all of this has to happen at Holy Cross. @algxrithm The 2hr lab twice a week at Holy Cross, plus these 8 courses (I assume 1 per semester?) might also impact your ability to go abroad for the IQP like @OctoberKate mentioned. Definitely check into that and the summer obligations overlap like @aquapt mentioned just to be sure if that is important to you!
“On a weekly basis, students will attend NROTC classes, Naval Science Laboratory, and physical training. Laboratory is a twice-weekly meeting of the NROTC Battalion, lasting for two hours. At lab, midshipmen receive a variety of training in general military subjects, practice close order drill, conduct uniform inspections, and meet with their student chain of command.
The following are the required courses for all Navy midshipmen, and often must be taken in addition to a normal collegiate course load.”
Intro to Naval Science
Sea Power
Leadership & Management
Navigation
Naval Operations
Naval Engineering Systems
Naval Weapons Systems
Leadership & Ethics
This was honestly one of the parts I really liked because it would let me focus more on the classes I’m taking rather than being spread really thin and just trying to pass!
I didn’t know this had a role in it - I’ll definitely ask when I go on the visit.
I heard this from a friend who is in AROTC, but who wasn’t an engineering major. They said it definitely helped them, but then again, they weren’t engineering so it’s sort of different. Hearing that it still applies for engineering majors too (and its a somewhat manageable workload) is good to hear.
As for the things about WPI in your most recent reply - I have a connection at WPI in the NROTC program, and I just reached out to them. I asked about transportation over to Holy Cross & the IQP/MQP ability.
Thank you for all the good information, and I’ll definitely keep it in mind for my visit.
I’ll reach out about this and see how many NROTC students are at WPI and go over to Holy Cross. I know some schools will have transportation methods in place if they have enough students enrolled. But definitely a good point to consider that if it’s not many students at WPI it may be challenging transportation and/or social wise.
I heard this from someone else too which was comforting. It’s not “weird” to be in the Corp at VT since its so big, and essentially everyone around campus is familiar with it. Its also nice because professors are familiar with it, and saying you have an NROTC/Corp of Cadet committment likely makes more sense to them than it may at WPI.
I reached out to a bunch of people making sure that I could still do the IQP and MQP while at WPI and in NROTC (especially because its one of the key attractions for me). Everyone I spoke to says it doesn’t really interfere with it and you can schedule around NROTC (like take an extra NROTC class one term so you don’t have to when you’re doing IQP). I’ll definitely confirm that before enrolling however. @hokiemama24
This is definitely something to consider, and something I’ve thought about. I wouldn’t be able to afford WPI if I didn’t do NROTC, however I could afford VT (in-state). I think I sort of brushed past it because I’m obviously not planning to leave the program, and don’t want to give up the opportunities at WPI on the possibility of not liking the program. However, I do suppose it would be easier to transfer VT → WPI, then it would be WPI → VT. Especially since if I don’t like NROTC after the first year, I can leave the Corp and just be a regular ME student at Tech. It’s definitely an important, challenging factor to consider.
Thank you so much for all the good advice and things to consider.
FWIW, while the NROTC program may be at Holy Cross, there is an Army ROTC program at WPI, so it’s not like ROTC itself is totally unheard of. The Army ROTC office is it’s own building, right behind two of the larger freshman dorms and I know my son had at least one guy on his freshman hall doing ROTC (I don’t know which, but I’m guessing Army ROTC). I say all this to note - I don’t think the fact of ROTC alone would make you stand out as weird. It certainly not as present as the corps of cadets (same son, has on of his best friends from high school in the corps at VT so we’ve heard a lot about it) and I suspect it’s a very different experience, since at WPI you aren’t living with your colleagues.
Either way, I think you’ve got some great choices.
Hypothetically, one can even stay in the Corps and be in the “Citizen Leader” track without the military commitment, although I imagine it would be unusual for someone who liked the Corps that much to give up the scholarship and commission.
I haven’t spent time on Virginia Tech’s campus, but WPI’s campus is small. I’m almost wondering if it would take you any longer to get from WPI to HC than it would to get across VT’s campus. I’d say it’s less than 10 minutes.