When should prestige be a deciding factor for Engineering ungrad??

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

I am a high school senior based in Miami, FL and I am deciding between University of Miami and WPI. I am sure I want to do engineering but I am not sure which discipline. I’ll most likely major in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering. Based on the comparisons between the two schools, I feel like I would personally fit better at University of Miami. Here are my reasons:

-It’s in a city
-I can interact with other majors (I go to an arts high school, so I know what it’s like to be around one type of person all the time. It becomes really suffocating after a while)
-it’s small, so I can get personal attention from all of my professors
-It’s not too far from home (even do I wish to go farther, staying close is better than paying for travel expenses)

However, I feel like it would be better for me to go WPI based on my major. Not only that, but I feel like I would have a better opportunity to find a job in the Northeast (where I want to be) or farther. With UM, I feel like I’m limited to the Southeast. I know objectively WPI would be the best choice, but I don’t want to make the wrong decision. I plan to visit the school next week to see if my feelings change.

For engineering, it is best to put my feelings aside for recruitment and resources?

2

“Prestige,” whatever that is, has little value in engineering education. Prime example; there are 7 Ivy League engineering schools. Yet in the traditional engineering disciplines none are considered equal to U of Illinois, California-Berkeley, U Michigan, U Minnesota, Texas A&M, u Washington, Northwestern or Virginia Tech.

Your instincts about engineering recruiting/employment being regional are correct. As a newly minted engineering graduate, it would be relatively easier finding a job in the northeast with a degree from WPI in hand, as opposed to UMiami. Of course, in this economy and at most other times you will be required to hustle to get an internship or a permanent job.