University Of Texas or Georgia Institute of Technology Or Pennsylvania State Univesity?
Asked by sachinWhere should i go? i want to major in computer engineering...and they are all good schools for engineering...and i'm stuck!!!!!!! austin or atlanta or pennsylvania? i looked up the rankings for the best engineering schools...but they were all in the top ten NEXT TO EACH OTHER...didn't help a bit!!!! any suggestions? any info about these schools will also be useful...like how good are these schools compared to the other universities...etc... thanks a lot...
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Answered by Tony
All three have excellent programs, but you've got to realize that a number of variables go into college rankings (I assume you're looking at the US News rankings, which most colleges now consider a bit questionable), including amount of research dollars raised by faculty, which has little to do with how you as an undergrad will fair. Some things to consider: 1) Weather - Austin and Atlanta can get extremely hot in the summer but are pretty pleasant in the winter. Can't say the same for PA! 2) Job Placement - Doesn't help matters if you spend tens of thousands of your parents' dollars and you can't get a job at the end of four years (or six, which is the usual span these days for an undergrad). Ask the department chair about the undergrad job placement rate for your program. If they don't know, seriously consider another school. 3) Size of classes - Who teaches your lower level classes, fulltime faculty, adjuncts, or gta's? Are the classes large or small? 4) Computer labs - How many are available? What are the restrictions for their use? How much are you on your own versus how much help is available from lab personnel? 5) Tuition and fees - How much has tuition increased in the last five years? Is there a flat tuition rate available (UT-Austin has one; if you take over 12 semester credit hours per term, you only pay for 12 SCH)? What about fees? How many, what are they for, how much have they risen in the past five years? 6) Cost-of-living and available living space - Austin is a great city, but it's getting pretty expensive to live there. Atlanta I believe is cheaper, but it doesn't have the feel of a college town. Check out rental properties before enrolling anywhere.
All three have excellent programs, but you've got to realize that a number of variables go into college rankings (I assume you're looking at the US News rankings, which most colleges now consider a bit questionable), including amount of research dollars raised by faculty, which has little to do with how you as an undergrad will fair. Some things to consider: 1) Weather - Austin and Atlanta can get extremely hot in the summer but are pretty pleasant in the winter. Can't say the same for PA! 2) Job Placement - Doesn't help matters if you spend tens of thousands of your parents' dollars and you can't get a job at the end of four years (or six, which is the usual span these days for an undergrad). Ask the department chair about the undergrad job placement rate for your program. If they don't know, seriously consider another school. 3) Size of classes - Who teaches your lower level classes, fulltime faculty, adjuncts, or gta's? Are the classes large or small? 4) Computer labs - How many are available? What are the restrictions for their use? How much are you on your own versus how much help is available from lab personnel? 5) Tuition and fees - How much has tuition increased in the last five years? Is there a flat tuition rate available (UT-Austin has one; if you take over 12 semester credit hours per term, you only pay for 12 SCH)? What about fees? How many, what are they for, how much have they risen in the past five years? 6) Cost-of-living and available living space - Austin is a great city, but it's getting pretty expensive to live there. Atlanta I believe is cheaper, but it doesn't have the feel of a college town. Check out rental properties before enrolling anywhere.
