Son interested in Rose Hulman - good or bad

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the potential decision of a student to attend Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, specifically for a major in Mechanical Engineering (ME). Participants share their perspectives on the school's reputation, programs, campus culture, and financial considerations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the strong programs in science and engineering at Rose Hulman, noting the availability of detailed information on campus recruitment.
  • Concerns are raised about the high tuition fees, with one participant expressing a personal unwillingness to pay $40,000 per year, despite the availability of scholarships and financial aid.
  • Several comments address the gender imbalance at the school, with participants noting that the majority of engineering students are male, which could impact social dynamics.
  • One participant mentions the small size of the school and questions its recognition outside of Indiana, comparing it to other institutions like Carnegie Mellon and Purdue.
  • Another participant suggests that while Rose Hulman is a good school, it may not carry the same weight as more prestigious institutions like MIT or CalTech, although they acknowledge that work experience may ultimately be more important than the school name.
  • Experience with Rose Hulman graduates is shared, with one participant stating that they find graduates to be highly competent, even ranking them among the top 10% of engineers from midwestern schools.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of positive and negative views about Rose Hulman, with no clear consensus on its overall value compared to other institutions. Concerns about gender ratios and financial implications are common, but opinions on the quality of education and graduate performance vary.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the school's reputation in relation to its size and focus on engineering, as well as the implications of attending a specialized institution versus a larger state college. The discussion reflects a range of personal experiences and perceptions that may not apply universally.

westase1
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My son is interested in attending Rose Hulman in the fall of 2012
any comments good of bad would help. His field of study would be
ME. Thanks in advance for you help.
 
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From what I hear, it has good programs in science and engineering. They also have an economics major and many "humanities" offered as minors. One thing I found very appealing with them is that they actually have complete lists of all companies that recruit on campus on their websites! All of them are there and all one has to do is filter them out by ticking boxes. (filter by major, type of job - i.e, internship, co-op or full time, etc)

I find the fees expensive and I personally would never pay 40k/year for a degree...even if I had that kind of money. They do give out scholarships/financial aid to their students though, so make sure your son has applied for scholarships or financial aid.

This might be of interest to you: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/rose-hulman-institute-technology/

You might also want to check out their parents sub-forum. Amidst all the "Chance Me" and related BS threads, there are some good posts and I guess that searching through all that mess for some kind of information/opinion is better than nothing at all! I also noticed that only recent threads are displayed on the forums BUT Google searches return old threads as well. So, try that.

There's also been a few posts on here about RHIT and you might want to look into those as well. Andy Resnick and Tom Mattson, if my memory serves me right, have both attended RPI, another good 'tech school. If your son is applying there as well, I think those two might be able to give some insight. (they did go there in the 90s though)
 
They don't have many women there. My alma mater didn't have many either and it was kind of a bummer.
 
Benja said:
They don't have many women there. My alma mater didn't have many either and it was kind of a bummer.

That's most likely because Rose Hulman is primarily an engineering school, and engineering as a whole is still very much a sausage fest. Something like four out of every five engineering majors are male. Quite regrettable, in my opinion.
 
Benja said:
They don't have many women there. My alma mater didn't have many either and it was kind of a bummer.

Which college is that? Were there no other places near the dorms/student accommodation where you could meet girls? A bar or something?

Angry Citizen said:
That's most likely because Rose Hulman is primarily an engineering school, and engineering as a whole is still very much a sausage fest. Something like four out of every five engineering majors are male. Quite regrettable, in my opinion.

And the female, 4 times out of 5, is Asian? :smile:

For what it's worth, the real sausage fest, imo, would be Deep Springs College. The only women in proximity would be either part of the staff or part of the brothel which is an hour's drive from the "campus"...
It looks like a great place to be, mind.
 
He has been accepted, we went for a visit last weekend. All the people we met
were nice (mostly football players and coaches) the players did mention the lack of girls
as a draw back. IUS is just down the road.My concern is the small size of the school
how well Know is it outside of Indiana. He also applied to Carnegie Mellon - Purdue-Vandy-Louisville- Kentucky. I am having trouble with the high cost compared to in state tuition at
Louisville and Ky. Does a degree from a engineering only school carry more weight than a
state college.The cost will be 2 or 3 times as much.I thought the insight of working engineers would be helpful to him making a choice. Thanks
 
There are really only a few name schools that really turn heads, such as MIT and CalTech. And even then, a few years after graduation, work experience will be more important than where he got his degree.

Rose-Hulman is a good school, but not really a head-turner. If he has his heart set on it and you can afford it, fine... but a good state school would probably do just as well in the long run.
 
I have worked with 4-5 Rose-Hullman graduates of various degrees (EE, ME and Optical Engineering) over the past 20 years or so. I find them to be as good as or even better than most engineers from other mid-western schools and I'd place them in the top 10% of my many co-workers.

In Optical Engineering/Optics, I have worked with graduates of the top optics schools, Rochester, Arizona, CREOL, Huntsville and Rose-Hullman. I would hire anyone from R-H over anyone else hands down. No, I am not an alumni, so I can look at this without being biased.
 
Thanks - It will be his choice, i just wanted to get as much info as I could so I can offer him some informed advice.
 

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