Penn State, VA Tech, George Washington, how to choose?
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Anonymous
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My child got accepted by the three schools. Engineer major. DC wants to go to Penn State and we live in VA. Is that a good decision? We, the parents, prefer VA Tech because of the campus (of course the in-state tuition too).
After graduation, which school offers the best opportunity for employment? |
Anonymous
| There's a recent 7 page thread on PSU vs VT. I don't think many would choose GW over either of those for engineering. FWIW, PSU is ranked #37 and VT #69 by USNWR. |
Anonymous
| Thanks. My DC really wants to go to Penn State. Well, guess that is it. |
Anonymous
| If money is an issue, go to VA Tech. No engineering firm in the country will care if they went to Penn State vs VA Tech. Penn State is way over ranked. VA Tech has a solid engineering program. |
Anonymous
| Tech if you live in Virginia , penn if you live in Pennsylvania. GW if you want to burn money. |
Anonymous
I agree with you about GW. The tuition is $48K/year. I prefer Penn State because it has a medical school there... |
Anonymous
| VT or PSU, then from there whichever is the cheapest. |
Anonymous
| What type of engineering? How committed is DC to engineering? I think in today's world it's becoming increasingly common for people to get a masters in engineering. So maybe the most important thing is to go to a program and do very well and get accepted a better engineering program for grad school. There's also the possibility that DC may change majors. Lots of students find they do not like engineering especially the more rigorous programs. And in many programs, the school makes the decision for the students by weeding out weaker students through an examination process. So if you think DC will change majors, maybe look into a school that has other strong programs. Another consideration is if DC falls into a category of underrepresented students and can get a scholarship. It would be a good idea to come out of school with as little debt as possible. OTOH, depending on the type of engineering and whether DC falls into one of those categories, it might not matter as much as some students who are overrepresented in engineering as far as grades go. There are quite a few people who have terrible grades and don't seem to know basic concepts and yet are able to get very good jobs because of diversity programs. All that matters for them is that they get the degree. Many of them will likely end up in higher paying management jobs where people skills are more important than technical knowledge. |
Anonymous
+1. I wouldn't even consider GWU. |
Anonymous
| Anybody who goes to Penn State after the institutional 20 year atrocity has no common sense or morality. Resume goes in the trash . |
Anonymous
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Depends on the cost differential
Penn if equal, vt if gouging to penny means a lot more debt |
Anonymous
PSU's medical school is not in state college. it's 100 miles away in Hershey, PA (yeah where the chocolate company is). |
Anonymous
what's the cost gap? Recruiting at PSU might be SLIGHTLY better. Check with career services and engineering departments to get a sense of where kids end up after graduation and who recruits on campus. |
Anonymous
I'd let DC go to Penn State. If he/she doesn't enjoy it, transfer is a possibility. Congratulations to DC on the admissions. |