Georgia Tech vs Rutgers: Aerospace Engineering Degree

[kraghunath]

I am currently attending georgia tech for aerospace engineering for bachelors but I am from NJ, I've been thinking about whether I shouldve gone to rutgers because they offered me a very generous scholarship in which I wouldve only had to have paid 1/4 of estimated expenses, should I have gone to rutgers and saved the money or is it worth it going to georgia tech where I barely get any financial aid...ur inputs would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Asphodel]

On the surface, I would think so. But I'm sure you had other factors that made you decide to go there?

 

[kraghunath]

The only other factor was that GT's AE program is really good, under MIT...

 

[tmc]

I don't know much about the AE world, so I'll just assume that GT is a very good AE school, whereas Rutgers is just an okay AE school.

The answer depends on whether you plan on going to grad school. If you are, then yes, you probably did make a mistake, since grad schools tend to care less about the prestige of the university, as long as you got a good education (which anyone can get just about anywhere provided they do the work). If you're planning on heading into industry after your bachelors, then you probably did the right decision, as it will probably help you get hired (and unless the GT tuition is stupidly expensive, you should be able to pay back the difference fairly fast with the higher salary you can hope to get).

 

[Alex6200]

Yeah, I think you probably made an alright decision going to Georgia Tech. The program will probably be more challenging and rigorous.

 

[las3rjock]

Make the most out of your current situation--there's no point in second guessing what's already done.

 

[leumas614]

If money is the only issue here, I thought GTech was a state school. After you get state residency the tuition can't be that bad. And since engineers tend to be paid pretty well, especially coming from a program like GTech, I don't think debt will be a problem.

 

[jtbell]

I don't know about Georgia specifically, but in most or all states, it's very very difficult, or even impossible, to gain in-state residency for reduced tuition for undergraduate study at a state university if you came to school from out of state. You or your parents probably have to have "permanent" residency in the state for a certain period, first.

 

[kraghunath]

yea no one gets in state tuition if they are out of state, even if my parents were to move i already looked into that haha

 

[JasonJo]

I think this is becoming a troubling trend, college students who wonder if they should go to State School A or prestigious school B in terms of financial aid. Hopefully more of the prestigious colleges can offer financial aid programs like Harvard and Yale, where families who make under a certain amount have their kids go for free.

I don't know how great Rutgers engineering is, but I certainly know that GA-Tech is one of the better schools for engineering in the country. So I don't think you made the wrong decision. You wanted to pursue AE and Georgia Tech is presumably a better place for AE than Rutgers, probably much better. Your career aspects, and grad schools aspects are probably stronger because GA-Tech has a great reputation.

I had no idea GA-Tech was public BTW.

 

[Monocles]

You can co-op to reduce costs, which you should do anyways just because work experience is a good thing to have right out of college. Though, even though the co-op program here is called a "5 year program", I know plenty of 7th year undergrads who have been here so long because of the co-op program. Only 70% of students at GT graduate in 6 years or less.