Posted by Michael Martus. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.
Posted on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST
OK I got you started, lets heat things up a bit.
Which is the best college/university for engineering and why?
Posted by colleen. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #246, Blue Light Special, from John D. O’Byrant High School/Boston Latin Academy and NSTAR/Boston University/UTC/Raytheon/MassPEP.
Posted on 10/11/2000 9:08 PM MST
In Reply to: The BEST School posted by Michael Martus on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST:
I gotta say… no matter how much $$$ they give…
I don’t recommend BU for engineering to anyone… just not the place… for other stuff, sure (looove the campus, the city, the extracurriculars…)… but not ENG…
Posted by Matt Ryan.
Student on team #69, HYPER, from Quincy Public Schools and Gillette.
Posted on 10/12/2000 7:29 PM MST
In Reply to: …or the worst… posted by colleen on 10/11/2000 9:08 PM MST:
: I don’t recommend BU for engineering to anyone… just not the place… for other stuff, sure (looove the campus, the city, the extracurriculars…)… but not ENG…
Why wouldn't you recommend it? Not like I'm an expert in how good the program is, but when I looked at their engineering web page, it looked like BU had a pretty good engineering program (the links that worked, anyways...)Posted by colleen. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #246, Blue Light Special, from John D. O’Byrant High School/Boston Latin Academy and NSTAR/Boston University/UTC/Raytheon/MassPEP.
Posted on 10/13/2000 9:56 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: …or the worst… posted by Matt Ryan on 10/12/2000 7:29 PM MST:
eeeehhh… i thought it was good too… then I went there…
Maybe it’s just not for me…
I like a place where you can get close to the professors… where there are projects and things to do instead of just 100s of problems that seems to never help you on the exams… and, well, an encouragement on working with fellows students because something I’ve learned from working for engineers the last 3 years is that the stress is coming on ‘team engineering’ where it’s teams of engineers that tackle problems rather than just one engineer stressing over it… at BU the don’t encourage getting help from other students… nor are the other students usually too into it…
Engineering’s hard work… it’s even harder to find professors sometimes to get help… esp when you can’t ask some simple questions of fellow classmates because they aren’t around, or don’t do the work…
Of course, that’s just my perspective based on what I want in a college…and I did find some people I could work with a stuff… but I just all-around found I disliked it…
Posted by Samuel Lindhorst.
Engineer on team #240, Mach Vee, from Jefferson High School and Visteon.
Posted on 10/12/2000 12:22 AM MST
In Reply to: The BEST School posted by Michael Martus on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST:
: OK I got you started, lets heat things up a bit.
: Which is the best college/university for engineering and why?
One is Kettering. I was very skeptical when my daughter won a FIRST scholarship to go there in 1999, because it just seemed to be another small, high-priced college. But after seeing that program up close, I’m in awe. It’s not cheap, but the advantages are incredible, and my daughter has my total support in going there.
To begin with, Don Nichols is a nut about FIRST, and he awards the scholarships, 8 $20k rides in 2000. The school, founded as General Motors Institute, was specifically handed the task of preparing students for two disciplines - engineering and management. This wasn’t a school born out of academia, it was born out of a need for competent engineers with dirty hands. It produces. They love FIRST because of it’s ‘hands-on’ orientation.
When going to Kettering it is grueling, the semesters are only 12 weeks long, and they don’t cut back on subject matter because of the short sessions, they just cram more in. If you go to college to party, forget it, you will fail there. The best part is after 12 weeks in school, you spend 12 weeeks on the job as an intern. If you are a Kettering kid, it’s usually as a well paid intern. I know of several Kettering seniors that function as manufacturing or project engineers in the companies they intern with, completely performing the duties, with pay and authority to match. After this it’s back to school. The program takes 5 years, not 4, but there’s only 1 school session the last year, so most of the time the students are at work.
Upshot: on graduation Kettering students are offered positions not as entry engineers, but as engineers with experience and are very highly paid because of it.
Posted by Chris. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #308, Walled Lake Monster, from Walled Lake Schools and TRW Automotive Electronics.
Posted on 10/12/2000 7:15 AM MST
In Reply to: The BEST School posted by Michael Martus on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST:
Everyone who knows me knows my deep devotion to the University of Michigan. It’s hard to go wrong with a top - 5 undergraduate program and a 3rd ranked M.E. graduate program (which I am currently attending). When you throw in the in-state tuition, it’s a great deal for a great school.
But seriously, it’s not for everyone. If you want to have fun, go elsewhere. In general, it is a very cut-throat place and the students are very competitive. It’s more of a ‘survival of the fittest’ atmosphere than a place where everyone helps everyone else. Sure, people get together for study groups, but it seems more like the alliances on ‘Survivor’. Personally, I credit this atmosphere for making me work really hard and attaining the level that I am at. It works the other way with some people.
I do a lot of interviewing for TRW at U-M and the above is what I generally hear from the seniors. It pretty much agrees with my assessment.
In summary, if you are a very competitive person and like the competition, U-M is great and I would highly recommend it. If you like a more nurturing atmosphere, I would probably not recommend it.
The one thing I would say: the engineers here that come from U-M are very noticeable in the way they do their job. There is definitely a certain style in the way that they operate. The one thing you notice is that certain schools train their engineers in certain ways, and this comes through when you work with people.
In other words, each school has their own philosophy and it shows in their students. Not that any philosophy is necessarily good or bad, it’s just that it’s noticeable.
Just remember, any education is good. Good luck getting into the school of your choice.
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 10/12/2000 10:30 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: The BEST School (Go Blue!) posted by Chris on 10/12/2000 7:15 AM MST:
My rules of thumb regarding choice of schools are listed below:
Go to the highest ranked school that you can
Get into
Graduate from
Afford
Why Reputation Matters:
In theory, what matters is what you know, not where you learned it. Statics is Statics regardless of the reputation of the school you attended. HOWEVER…
In general, life is long compared to the time spent in school. You will be an alumni of school X for 60 to 80 years. Like it or not, people make judgements about your abilities based on what school you graduated from.
On an individual basis, you may have the chance to convince an employer that are every bit as good of an engineer as Joe Ivy_League even though you have a degree from P.O_Box_In_Iowa University. BUT…
It is very likely that you are never going to get the chance to make that case because someone sorted the resumes into piles and yours is in the ‘if we get desparate’ pile.
The economy will not be as heated as it is now forever. It is very likely that in the 40 years you plan on working as an engineer, there will be a time when there are 10’s of applicants for every 1 position. Going to the school with the best reputation posible is like an insurance policy against that eventuality.
As to the particular points:
#1 You have to have the test scores & the grades to get in (think about that when you are coasting through your next highschool physics class – you have to get in to play the game).
#2 There is no glory in having failed out of the most prestigeous schools. A degree is the stamp of approval that most employers look for in a candidate. Again, one on one you could make the case for your cause but without a degree from a respected instution, you will often never get to the one on one part of the application process.
#3 If you can’t afford it, you won’t get the diploma. Note that I am not advocating that you have all the cash upfront before you even apply, but I am asking you to be realistic. Take all the loans you can get (I look at student loans no differently than a mortgage on a house – you have 30 years to pay it off) but if your situation won’t let you make ends meet even with student loans, then I urge you to be realistic. Consider going to a local school for a few years and transferring to your ‘first’ choice in your junior year.
College is a huge investment. It has huge rewards. Your decision should be treated as though 100’s of thousands of dollars depend on your choosing wisely.
In actual fact, it does.
Joe J.
Posted by Andy Baker.
Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 10/13/2000 12:27 PM MST
In Reply to: The BEST School posted by Michael Martus on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST:
When I was choosing an engineering school, I went about it a different way. While I had to stay in Indiana for financial reasons, I was accepted at Purdue, Rose-Hulman, and the University of Evansville. I chose UE… While Rose and Purdue are ‘higher ranked’ engineering schools, I still had a great education and a great experience at UE. Here’s what I liked about it:
It is a small school (not like Purdue), and it has diverse programs (not like Rose). I never had a grad student teach a class. No class had over 80 students in it, and most were around 15-25 in class size. My professors were (and still are) very accessible, and they encouraged the right amount of teamwork and competition between the students.
UE also had two things going for it that I would suggest ALL engineering students participate in, no matter where they attend college:
…1. A good co-op program. I had a great co-op job with GE Plastics. That experience weighed JUST AS MUCH as which school I attended when I went interviewing my senior year.
…2. UE owns a college in Grantham, England (Harlaxton College). I went to school there for a semester my senior year. It was my best experience while in school.
No matter where you go to school, you should definitely get an internship or a co-op. Not only do you get marketable experience, but more importantly, you get to figure out what you like to do. Companies don’t just look at where you went to college, but they also look at what experience you have. I contend that a UE grad with GE Plastics experience would get a job over a Purdue grad with little or no engineering experience.
Also, while you are young, single, and poor… you should study overseas for a semester. I grew up alot during that time and my ‘world view’ changed. There I was, a 21-year-old farmboy from Hickville, Indiana… galavanting around Europe (on a tiny budget), from Big Ben to the Kremlin. Heaven knows that I will not be able to do that again until my kids are out of college.
Andy B.
Posted by Mike Sperber.
Engineer on team #175, BuzzRobotics, from Enrico Fermi High School and UTC/Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems.
Posted on 10/13/2000 2:34 PM MST
In Reply to: The BEST School posted by Michael Martus on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST:
Wow! This is a good one.
The BEST school is the one where you feel the most comfortable. It could be a top rated school, but it may not be. Maybe a better way to look at this would be, which is the RIGHT school?
You should select a school based on a number of factors, including (but not limited to):
Each person will look at the same school in a different way.
I can’t tell you what is the BEST school, and why. But I can try and give you some things to do, and look for:
VISIT as many school as you can. Don’t just rely on pictures, videos, and the internet. The more schools you visit, the more comfortable you will be visiting others. You never know what school you will like.
TALK to as many undergrads as possible. They are the most qualified people on campus when it comes to knowing about undergrad life. Make sure you don’t just talk to those in your possible major.
GO to the engineering department and SPEAK with the dean and various professors. KNOCK on their doors, and introduce yourself. You may be surprised how willing they will be to talk to a prospective student.
WALK around the campus. Try and see every little corner. Make sure to check out the engineering labs and facilities. (While you are there, ask one of the grad students who are stuck in the lab to explain what they are doing.)
ASK questions. Ask anybody and everybody questions. Don’t just rely on the admissions officer to answer your questions. They have a lot of answers, but not every answer.
The STUDENT COMMONS/UNION is a great place to sit and go through the school’s information packet. Not only can you get in some good reading about the school, but you can see the real students, not just the students shown in the pictures. Plus it is a great place to TALK to the students (see above).
TRUST your gut. The most underutilized resource in selecting a school is your gut. You will know the moment you walk onto a campus whether you like it or not. You will know if you are destined to spend your college days at the school. But, if it doesn’t feel right, don’t give up on the school. Still take the time to TALK, WALK, and ASK, it may be the right school after all.
One more thing… One of the major differences I have noticed between schools is what they prepare you for, after graduation.
Some schools do a great job preparing you to enter industry (the real world). Others do a great job preparing you to go to grad school.
Just some thoughts.
Good luck.
-mike
(Univ. of Rochester BSEE’94, MSEE’95)
Posted by Jon.
Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Posted on 10/15/2000 1:15 PM MST
In Reply to: The BEST School posted by Michael Martus on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST:
I have to say i’m having a great time with WPI… There are a ton of opportunities to try different things considering the size of the enrollment.
i decided to come all the way out here because i (really) wanted to try a different environment and there are lots of choices as far as technical education is concerned. the fact that there’s a FIRST team definitely helped my choice.
My major is now Management Information Systems and i’m pretty sure i’ve found my niche.
So for me, WPI has been the best school.
Posted by Matt Leese.
Other on team #73 from Edison Technical HS and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Posted on 10/18/2000 7:42 PM MST
In Reply to: The BEST School posted by Michael Martus on 10/11/2000 7:17 PM MST:
So far I’ve been enjoying myself at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). I’ve only been here for about 6 weeks though. RIT’s engineering program is much more focused to what industry needs than other schools (or so they tell us and that what it seems like to me). As Dr. Joe said, it’s important to have a name as a school and I know that RIT has enough of a name to get many recruiters here (I’ve seen quite a few while I’ve been here alone). RIT also manages to have some really nice facilities, particularly the clean room (stays about one step behind industry due to the fact that we get equipment when they upgrade). I also know our VLSI lab is pretty nice (I just spent about two hours there tonight). The emphesis on Coop here is pretty large. They start talking about it your freshmen year (at least they did in my Intro to Computer Engineering). BTW, I am a Computer Engineering student so my comments are much more focused in that direction. We also have a football team that’s been undefeated since 1978 (bonus points to people who understand that comment).
Matt, who needs better things to do with his time…
Posted by Lora Knepper.
Other on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / BC High and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks, Analog Devices.
Posted on 10/18/2000 10:46 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: The BEST School posted by Matt Leese on 10/18/2000 7:42 PM MST:
You had to bring up the ‘undefeated football team’ huh?? =)
~Lora
Posted by Matt Leese.
Other on team #73 from Edison Technical HS and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Posted on 10/19/2000 5:08 PM MST
In Reply to: football posted by Lora Knepper on 10/18/2000 10:46 PM MST:
Of course I had to bring it up, it’s one of our biggest selling points. 
I bet I’m just confusing a bunch of people now…
Matt
Posted by Mckinley.
Student on team #368, Kika Mana, from Mckinley High School and NASA Ames.
Posted on 10/23/2000 4:44 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: The BEST School posted by Matt Leese on 10/18/2000 7:42 PM MST:
RIT doesn’t have a football team that’s why, right?
Posted by Matt Leese.
Other on team #73 from Edison Technical HS and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Posted on 10/23/2000 5:22 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: The BEST School posted by Mckinley on 10/23/2000 4:44 AM MST:
: RIT doesn’t have a football team that’s why, right?
Ooooh, you get a cookie (go to kitchen, go to cookie jar, remove cookie, eat). 
They were advertising RIT Football t-shirts the other weekend by saying Undefeated Since 1978. I thought it was funny.
Matt