LSchicago

If you had your choice of these 2 schools for engineering, which would you pick and why? (And not because one is closer!)

Jeff®

MIT.

Stanford has an engineering school.
MIT is an engineering school.

When people hear MIT, they think "World class engineer."
When people hear Stanford, they think "PAC 10 also ran."

Another top engineering school to consider is CWRU.

SmootHHR

Whichever school offers the better scholarship! As an engineering recruiter, I can honestly say, that schools mean 0 when it comes to getting a job. Yes, I'd choose MIT if I could based on prestige, but after looking at resumes all day long, they may as well be the same. It's all about the experience that you get and what you do with the degree that you do earn...no matter what school.

AJochum

I agree with the scholarship route, which includes looking beyond those two schools. My daughter was second in her high school class and we looked at some of the top named schools including Columbia and Wake Forest, Amherst, etc. We then had a couple of "fall-back" schools. Truth is, to Columbia (my father's Alma-Mater), she's just another "A" student. Baldwin-Walace wanted a good "A" student and offered her a full-ride. She then looked at Law Schools four years later and did the same thing and Cleveland-Marshall offered her a full scholarship.
She graduates in a month and received 9 job offers from nationally known law firms. She's in the same position as someone from Harvard and comes out of seven years of education with to no debt.
Truth is, while the name is important a lot more is what you did and how well you did it. On the other hand, if you're paying, then the name might be a deciding factor.

LSchicago

He also got into Cooper Union on a full scholarship. Stanford tuition and all fees are right at $58,000 a year. They will waive everything except $4,400 a year including the dorm. He is at MIT right now. They flew him out there Thursday, and he is staying til Sunday. He is waiting to hear their offer! He pretty much has it narrowed it down to MIT or Stanford.

SmootHHR

Congrats! When you are talking schools of that caliber, you really can't go wrong...especially if they offer to pay :)

LSchicago

Thanks for the replies. He really worked hard to get where he is today. His real dad died when he was 2 in a work accident, I've been there for him ever since. His mom died when he was 15 from cancer. He is one of a few students still getting straight a's in double honors classes in the second senior semester. I am very proud of him!

AJochum

Wow - Very sad, but really uplifting story. He's on the right path and I'm sure a ton of it is because of you. Any choice is a good one in this case. Keep us informed.

LSchicago

Will do!

c2vette

Obviously they are both excellent schools, I personally tend to be more impressed by MIT grads even though we have several Stanford grads in our family. I also believe that upper management looks with more favor on those who are graduates of the same college they attended, so if you know which companies you would truly love to work for, check that out.

Finally, for others not on a full scholarship who are truly looking at quality of education and not just the perceived status associated with an MIT or Stanford diploma, consider a state university like Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (for example). Invest the money that would have gone to tuition and/or graduate with little or no debt.

All indicators show a severe shortage of engineers in the future (a long story of why, including lazy students, uninvolved or absent parents, and skilled math teacher shortages), so study hard do well and you have a virtually guaranteed chance of success.