Which College should I choose for...

[guru]

...admission ? I want to pursue Mechanical Engineering. I am considering from MIT to Cooper Union to Stony Brooks to Polytechnic university NY. MIT and Princeton have high reputation but my family can not bear that expenditure. So I may go to Cooper Union or Polytechnic University NY, what is the repercussion of this decision ? Is there some marked difference in Education ? Whether it will effect my job prospects after my education ? If yes, how long, whether after some experience, college tag should not become immaterial ? Please help ?

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

I would come to Canada and go to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. It rocks.

[my idol is mEliSsa reyes]

just go to whatever college you feel is the best for you and which college fits you the bestbest of luck to you

[Julia]

University of Kentucky. Go Big Blue!

[hazeltine4]

You might want to check out Washington University (Wash U) in St. Louis. It has an excellent reputation for Engineering, and is one of the top schools in the country.www.wustl.edu

[HokiePaul]

Check the schools mechanical engineering rankings if thats' what you want to major in (or Engineering in general since you may end up changing). Rankings make a difference. It was pretty easy for me to find a job after graduating from the Industrial Engineering program at Virginia Tech (ranked around 10th or so i think).I imagine though that if the school is not known as a top ranked school, then the numbers matter less. But if the program is good and keeps producing good employees, then companies have a tendancy to look to that school first for new hires since it has a reputation and its less of a risk.

[kat12]

MIT would be cool and if you can get in maybe take out some loans. It would look sooooo good on your resume to have gone there.

[carolyndc3]

As long as you work hard and keep your grades up, the actual college name will never hurt you in any way. So go to the school you are able to, work hard, get an internship (also very important), and then you'll find that if you make the best of whatever university you choose you'll be able to succeed.Maybe look into NC State or Clemson as well.

[harri188]

Check out U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges:www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.phpThe list can help you compare how each school ranks up with each other, as well as how large the campus is, what type of setting it's in (suburban or urban) and other info. You can even go down to the search box on the front page and search for the specific schools you're looking at.As someone who graduated from college 5 years ago, I'm seeing now that where you went to school doesn't matter as much as other things, such as whether you had internships in college, how well you did in your classes, how tough your classes were, whether you are intelligent and represent yourself in a professional manner, etc. I think many employers understand that people often choose their college based on financial circumstances, so they don't rule out people just for going to a lesser known school. I wouldn't worry about your college choice affecting your job prospects as long as you make the most of your education whereever you go.I would pick your college based on where you think you'll feel most comfortable (big campus or small campus, far from or close to home, etc.) Tuition cost can be a big factor, but remember that financial aid and student loans can often help offset those costs.If you're going into mechanical engineering, your salary after college will probably be high enough that paying back student loans shouldn't be a huge problem if you do go to a more expensive school.

[Sammyleggs222]

You can choose any school you wish to attend, but to get admitted is another issue. If you are trying as a freshman...the deadlines have passed for the fall allocation of openings. Also, most colleges are experiencing higher than average applications for the slots available due to the 1986-1992 baby boomers reaching college age. My son is a high achiever and active in HS...many clubs local and state positions, honors, awards, National honor society, 4.333 GPA, honors and AP classes, high SAT scores, Eagle Scout, community service, HS role model student, debates, youth and government chairman in our state, church activities, leadership, conferences, etc... and he was wait listed at two top colleges (His top choice schools of Villanova and Fordham), and rejected at 4, accepted at one.I sympathize with the kids trying to get a spot at their colleges of choice. He is feeling better about things now when he sees what his friends are going through now also.....Statistics say each opening in top colleges have at least a 10-15 students applying for each open spot!!! Wow!!! It will be just as bad over the next two years when ratios peak...then a down swing is predicted by the decrease in births in subsequent years after my son's birth for the coming years until 2009.All college are good, but unfortunately, reputation carries weight and has advantages when hiring. Proving one-self and expereince and doing well in your field of expertice can be more valuable that a sheepskin from a prestigious institution of higher learning