Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 13:07     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:I would visit Case. I think that the smaller private school experience is substantially different from the big public experience and he should see if he likes it.

I also agree that UIUC is one to visit because it stands out on your list for reputation.

Finally, assuming you are in the DMV, I would visit UMD. It’s a great school and it’s easy to get to. I think that every school you visit has an opportunity to realize “Hey, I didn’t know C mattered to me until I visited a school that had (or didn’t have) it”. So UMD gives you an opportunity to see more and maybe have that moment.

Also does he have other preferences? My kid likes cold weather. He wouldn’t pick solely on that, but if he got into such a great list of schools it might be enough for him to cross UF off. On the other hand, if your kid loves warm weather that would be a reason to visit.

Congrats to your kid on a fantastic list!
I think this is the right priority order, and for the right reasons, but there’s also a strong argument not to borrow trouble and just to let him commit to Purdue. It’s the best aero program of this strong group.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:58     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would visit Case. I think that the smaller private school experience is substantially different from the big public experience and he should see if he likes i

Also does he have other preferences? My kid likes cold weather. He wouldn’t pick solely on that, but if he got into such a great list of schools it might be enough for him to cross UF off. On the other hand, if your kid loves warm weather that would be a reason to visit.

Congrats to your kid on a fantastic list!


Thank you!
DC prefers cold, campus should have good rec centers with climbing walls and swimming pool. I feel they prefer nerdier crowd than party crowd. Not interested in parties, late nights and such, at least as of today. Very interested in strong technology advanced labs. Preferably close college town , not university dispersed within city ( like George Washington in DC, or Georgia tech in Atlanta).


Case is urban. But it is nerdier and smaller.

I toured UIUC with my kid (not for engineering). It's a very typical Midwest flagship. My kid goes to another of those. It's like Penn State/Wisconsin/Indiana/Michigan in campus layout.

I think you need to read all the sources of info you can about aerospace engineering and emphasize that over campus fit.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:55     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
GT was also the Olympic village where the athletes stayed at in 1996
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:44     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Georgia Tech is not dispersed in a city - at least not for Engineering. It has fairly defined borders with academic buildings throughout and generally bordered by dorms, dining halls, Campus Rec Center, and Bobby Dodd football field. For Mech Eng, all classes are on campus which is really nice with Tech Green and many trees and pathways. Just beyond campus is Tech Square with many small restaurants and a large bookstore and apartment buildings catering to students. That said, they are building more on campus dorms.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:39     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
You don't necessarily need to major in aerospace to pursue a career in that field. Mechanical will do fine. Aerospace is often very cyclical, and a mechanical engineering degree will likely offer more options in different sectors.

That being said this is a very good list of engineering admits. I'd look most closely at Purdue honors, UIUC, and UMD.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:39     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Case Western, VT, and UIUC would be the ones to visit.


Case had largest merit... Being one of two privates he was accepted, my gut feeling was to at least see how private campus is different.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:37     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would visit Case. I think that the smaller private school experience is substantially different from the big public experience and he should see if he likes i

Also does he have other preferences? My kid likes cold weather. He wouldn’t pick solely on that, but if he got into such a great list of schools it might be enough for him to cross UF off. On the other hand, if your kid loves warm weather that would be a reason to visit.

Congrats to your kid on a fantastic list!


Thank you!
DC prefers cold, campus should have good rec centers with climbing walls and swimming pool. I feel they prefer nerdier crowd than party crowd. Not interested in parties, late nights and such, at least as of today. Very interested in strong technology advanced labs. Preferably close college town , not university dispersed within city ( like George Washington in DC, or Georgia tech in Atlanta).


My kid is a freshman at Georgia Tech. The only other schools he applied to on your list were UIUC, UF and Purdue. Accepted to all 3 and we toured all three Of the schools your kid was accepted to I've visited, considering your criteria, I would say Purdue or UIUC.


Thank you! This is very helpful
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:37     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Case Western, VT, and UIUC would be the ones to visit.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:36     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Many kids drop engineering and change from. So I would lean towards the best overall school which is then UVA


DC realizes they may change from aero to another area, but definitely within engineering. They spent a few years working with fuels and building some basic rockets sending them up.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:35     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would visit Case. I think that the smaller private school experience is substantially different from the big public experience and he should see if he likes i

Also does he have other preferences? My kid likes cold weather. He wouldn’t pick solely on that, but if he got into such a great list of schools it might be enough for him to cross UF off. On the other hand, if your kid loves warm weather that would be a reason to visit.

Congrats to your kid on a fantastic list!


Thank you!
DC prefers cold, campus should have good rec centers with climbing walls and swimming pool. I feel they prefer nerdier crowd than party crowd. Not interested in parties, late nights and such, at least as of today. Very interested in strong technology advanced labs. Preferably close college town , not university dispersed within city ( like George Washington in DC, or Georgia tech in Atlanta).


My kid is a freshman at Georgia Tech. The only other schools he applied to on your list were UIUC, UF and Purdue. Accepted to all 3 and we toured all three Of the schools your kid was accepted to I've visited, considering your criteria, I would say Purdue or UIUC.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:29     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would visit Case. I think that the smaller private school experience is substantially different from the big public experience and he should see if he likes i

Also does he have other preferences? My kid likes cold weather. He wouldn’t pick solely on that, but if he got into such a great list of schools it might be enough for him to cross UF off. On the other hand, if your kid loves warm weather that would be a reason to visit.

Congrats to your kid on a fantastic list!


Thank you!
DC prefers cold, campus should have good rec centers with climbing walls and swimming pool. I feel they prefer nerdier crowd than party crowd. Not interested in parties, late nights and such, at least as of today. Very interested in strong technology advanced labs. Preferably close college town , not university dispersed within city ( like George Washington in DC, or Georgia tech in Atlanta).


Have you ever visited GT and spent time on campus. Not dispersed in the city at all. Only the extreme very East end which is Tech Square which is intentional because well it's "Tech Square". Still it's own area there. Most times I've walked on GT's campus I'm not even aware we are in or near the city. Beautiful nature areas and landscapes all over campus. But you want fun, kids visit the east side for restaurants etc.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:28     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Many kids drop engineering and change from. So I would lean towards the best overall school which is then UVA
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:24     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:DC applied for engineering /aerospace, got accepted in several good universities.

Assuming below are same price tag, which would make sense to visit for admitted events if DC visited one so far ( first in the list) and ready to commit.. We think it makes sense maybe to do at least one or two other visits just to see more than one?

Purdue Honors
UMD
Ohio State
Case western
Uflorida
UVA
VTech
UIUC



Awesome. Congrats on your DC's Acceptances! Those are some great choices. Strictly from an Engineering perspective, I think UIUC, Purdue are at the top on that list for me followed closely by UMD, Va Tech, OSU. But they are all great schools.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:23     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:I would visit Case. I think that the smaller private school experience is substantially different from the big public experience and he should see if he likes i

Also does he have other preferences? My kid likes cold weather. He wouldn’t pick solely on that, but if he got into such a great list of schools it might be enough for him to cross UF off. On the other hand, if your kid loves warm weather that would be a reason to visit.

Congrats to your kid on a fantastic list!


Thank you!
DC prefers cold, campus should have good rec centers with climbing walls and swimming pool. I feel they prefer nerdier crowd than party crowd. Not interested in parties, late nights and such, at least as of today. Very interested in strong technology advanced labs. Preferably close college town , not university dispersed within city ( like George Washington in DC, or Georgia tech in Atlanta).
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:18     Subject: Engineering, several acceptances
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My son got also accepted at UMD and Purdue. Not sure why anyone would pick Purdue over in-state UMD. Both are great schools bit cost difference is significant. I would be interested to learn the rationale.


Op here, UMD is oos for us. UMd about $2k more than purdue for our situation


$2k more but hundreds of miles closer and with an urban campus.
Also, not sure about your son's APs, but double check what's Purdue policy. UMD accepts them and many kids graduate 1 semester earlier saving about 14k in tuition, dorm and food costs. Just my 2 cents