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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My daughter is a junior at Cornell Engineering, majoring in computer science.  I would not call the College of Engineering cut throat.  Its not like the students try to undermine each other.  She has friends with whom she has formed study groups and they help each other.  However, the program is intense for multiple reasons: 1) the students are top-notch so its a lot of work just to be average; 2) the workload is huge; 3) there are not enough slots on the project teams so it is competitive to get onto a project team.  There is a sink or swim culture; not a lot of hand-holding.  The teaching is ok, but at least in CS, classes are huge and its hard to get near a professor.  Being able to teach yourself is key.  While the program is intense, I think the students graduate able to perform at a high level.  Might be a better experience for other majors.  She had a friend that majored in material science, which is a smaller department in which they seem able to pay more attention to the undergraduates.  For my daughter, it is a 4-year grind.[/quote]

Why would anyone want the experience you describe? All for 80k+

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People that actually want to learn and push their academic abilities to the fullest

You know, like 1st/2nd gen immigrants who people love to deride [/quote]

You honestly think people can't learn and push their academic abilities to the fullest at a school not in the T20?  You think attending a T20 where the teaching is just "ok", the classes are huge and a "sink or swim culture" is the best way to learn?  I'd much prefer a school ranked 40-60 (or 40-100) where the teachers teach well, classes are smaller, kids have access to the professors, kids can get into the extras (ie project teams like groups) and kids don't have to self teach themselves 95% of the material.

You’re 100% correct. The teaching quality and class sizes at most T20s is abysmal. Lots of smart kids teaching themselves for 80k/yr
The smaller universities (Lehigh, Tufts) and top LACs do a much better job. Shame how so many parents and kids delegate their college selection process to USNWR

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