A Good Problem to Have...

[freeper]

Fellas, I really could use some opinions here. My son is about to graduate from high school. He is highly intelligent and has been accepted at Penn, Notre Dame, Rice and Georgia Tech. He hopes to become an aerospace engineer one day. We just completed a college tour which pretty much eliminated Penn. It may be Ivy League but the facilities and campus left a lot to be desired. Just waaay too urban for a boy from Nevada.

In any event, I'm looking for thoughts and opinions on the remaining schools, Georgia Tech, Rice and Notre Dame. Finances are always a consideration and my boy really hates the thought of taking on debt but he also understands that there is a "return on investment" for a marketable degree from a school with a reputation as an elite university.

Final consideration is that he has a full academic scholarship here at Nevada, and while it is a good engineering school, their specialty is mining, not aerospace. I've been around this board for years and I know that there are a lot of really intelligent folks around here with some great insights on college so I'm hoping to gain some new perspective as we face decision time later this month. Thanks in advance...

 

[thedawg27]

Congrats to your son. I too am just about to graduate high school. Not sure where he should go for aerospace, but I would think Rice would be a good option since NASA is right there. The unfortunate part is that he would probably take on debt at any three of those schools

 

[cwillfromdatx]

Nevada is not a bad school to go to AND it's home. Rice is a great school to attend but it's in the heart of Houston (which is not a bad problem, well to me). Choose wisely as this is a hard decision to make but I you guys are crossing your T's and dotting your I's.
Personally, I would choose Reno. County life but a small city setting (slow environment).

 

[FlourBluffHorn]

Rice, not everyone can go to Rice plus all the connections with NASA and other Giants, only smart peeps go to Rice

Good luck to your son!


Old Texas cheer for Rice game

What comes out of a Chinaman ass Rice, Rice!.. lol


Hook'em

 

[speedstrength]

Georgia Tech or Rice. Rice is probably the only place I would leave my current institution a for.

 

[freeper]

Nevada is not a bad school to go to AND it's home. Rice is a great school to attend but it's in the heart of Houston (which is not a bad problem, well to me). Choose wisely as this is a hard decision to make but I you guys are crossing your T's and dotting your I's.
Personally, I would choose Reno. County life but a small city setting (slow environment).

cwill...yeah, Nevada is not a bad place to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Our problem is that Nevada wasn't even a consideration 4 months ago. Even though he had a lot of scholarship money to attend there, he really felt like he wanted to go out of state. Then he got rejected by Stanford, (so did the other 14 students in his class who applied there, even two legacies) and it seemed like he started to get a lot of peer pressure to stay home. Now he has a couple of friends who are going to remain in state, they are very bright and like him, have full rides to Nevada, but they are looking at medicine not engineering. He also has the xbox and pizza friends who are trying to keep him home and those are the one's he is talking about rooming with.

Long story short, we are juggling with a lot of considerations and I welcome all input and perspectives. One nice thing about Georgia Tech and Rice, they are both in the heart of Atlanta and Houston respectively, but you would never know it while on campus. Both schools have done a great job of making you feel far removed from the big city. Penn did not do that at all. Little to no green spaces and just waaaay too crowded on the pathways. Students at both Rice and Georgia Tech seemed really approachable and friendly.

 

[clob94]

Penn..... I get it..... Philly is a bit of a sh!thole.

Ivy is Ivy. Rice does work with NASA on several project, more than the others, but it is right downtown-- georgia tech is as urban as it gets.

Notre Dame is arguably the most beautiful campus in America. It just is. People hate on the Irish, but you can't hate on their campus. There's just no comparison. It is a true college town with all four seasons.

Rice is elite, hot as hell in the summer, traffic sucks balls, rent off campus is astronomical, but damn-- there's tons to do-- great food everywhere, hotties all over the area---

Rice vs Notre Dame would be my pick. Honestly, you can't go wrong...... except for the poon options. I've never met a hot chick with a ND degree.

(I know you think that is irrelevant but it isn't. Most ppl meet their wife in college and you don't want your grandkids to be ugly as fvck, do you?)

 

[RoboCocks21]

Not a bad choice of field for aerospace engineering I can actually give some info on this subject. I to was going into aerospace engineering and The University of Texas has a great engineering school and highly ranked. I decided to stay on the mechanical side of things since I don't think like an engineer. There are many stories of the mechanics and engineers butting heads, but I will not get into that. I still got my bachelor's in aviation but in aviation management with a mechanical emphasis.

When I was in mechanic school there was a very intelligent guy that had just graduated from UT aerospace engineering school and he decided why not get his airplane mechanic license. So if you break it down he knew how to design an airplane and also get his hands dirty and fix them and work on them as well. Smart decision on his end because many doors have opened for him and while he was in school with me he decided to get his elements for avionics as well. So he could wire, design, and repair or install parts on a whole airplane. He is also not limited on just airplanes either there is much more he could with all that education.

Georgia Tech is a highly ranked school higher then Texas and Rice. Texas is also higher ranked then Rice in aerospace. If it was me I would choose Georgia Tech being a highly ranked school and the name says it all Georgia Tech. Quick info Georgia is a great state for aerospace if you don't believe me read for yourself.

http://www.georgia.org/industries/aerospace/

 

[LongfellowDrew]

Sounds like a great problem to have Freeper! Good luck to your son!

 

[CAHorn47]

Penn..... I get it..... Philly is a bit of a sh!thole.

Ivy is Ivy. Rice does work with NASA on several project, more than the others, but it is right downtown-- georgia tech is as urban as it gets.

Notre Dame is arguably the most beautiful campus in America. It just is. People hate on the Irish, but you can't hate on their campus. There's just no comparison. It is a true college town with all four seasons.

Rice is elite, hot as hell in the summer, traffic sucks balls, rent off campus is astronomical, but damn-- there's tons to do-- great food everywhere, hotties all over the area---

Rice vs Notre Dame would be my pick. Honestly, you can't go wrong...... except for the poon options. I've never met a hot chick with a ND degree.

(I know you think that is irrelevant but it isn't. Most ppl meet their wife in college and you don't want your grandkids to be ugly as fvck, do you?)

Rice is most definitely NOT "right downtown". You make some good points re: weather, cost of living, etc., but it's a beautiful campus, typical for private residential university

 

[BringBackRoyal]

We just completed a college tour which pretty much eliminated Penn. It may be Ivy League but the facilities and campus left a lot to be desired. Just waaay too urban for a boy from Nevada.

Understandable. Not everyone wants to sleep with a gun under their pillow for four years.

I'd vote for GT or Rice. He can always visit the "pizza and xbox friends" during the holidays if he wants.

Congrats to you and your son!

 

[clob94]

Rice is most definitely NOT "right downtown". You make some good points re: weather, cost of living, etc., but it's a beautiful campus, typical for private residential university

No, you're right it's not "right down town". But that area is as packed as any in houston. West university, main, rice village, the medical center..... its all a cluster fvck.

 

[GuaranteedFresh!]

Take a look at Embry Riddle as well if he is certain that Aero Eng is what he wants to do. They have a campus in Daytona Beach Fl & Prescott AZ.
Not exactly the prestige of an Ivy but pretty highly reguarded within the industry. Like Robococks, I started down the Eng path and decided to get my A&P.

 

[FlourBluffHorn]

Send him the Naval Academy, they love engineers,allthat workings on Subs, got a friend son and he does Engineering at Conn Sub Base all these new high tech ships and it's a walk into the Private Zone after the Navy and the Gov pays for it


Hook'em

 

[freeper]

Send him the Naval Academy, they love engineers,allthat workings on Subs, got a friend son and he does Engineering at Conn Sub Base all these new high tech ships and it's a walk into the Private Zone after the Navy and the Gov pays for it


Hook'em

Bluff, I tried for years to convince him that the Naval Academy was the way to go. He just didn't take to the idea. Now that he is seeing the costs of an education, ROTC might appeal a little more.

Thanks for all the input fellas, keep it coming. @clob94 I know exactly what you meant about the poon factor. Funny thing, our student host at Notre Dame was a pretty blonde. Not drop dead gorgeous but cute. The girls at Rice seemed about the same as the ones at Notre Dame. Lots less women at Georgia Tech but plenty in the metro Atlanta area. If he goes to Rice, we have a pretty good support systems in place of friends in the area. I have some friends in Georgia and Indiana but not at the same level as the Texas connection.

 

[2300 Nueces]

Go where they are willing to pay for a full ride. Graduating with no debt eases the demand of finding the perfect job and opens up other opportunities.

 

[ekal48]

Been a long time since I graduated, and the cost of an education was a lot less back then.

Really don't know what a Rice or Ga. Tech would cost for 4 and quite possibly 5 years of undergrad study.
I've known some pretty smart people that took 5 years to complete engineering degrees. I don't know how much you will be able to help him financially, but taking on that much debt when you are just starting out is really something to consider.

If he does well in school he will be able to get a job no matter where he graduates from. After you get your 1st job that's when the networking begins.

I sure wouldn't rule out the full ride at Nevada.

 

[LongfellowDrew]

Been a long time since I graduated, and the cost of an education was a lot less back then.

Really don't know what a Rice or Ga. Tech would cost for 4 and quite possibly 5 years of undergrad study.
I've known some pretty smart people that took 5 years to complete engineering degrees. I don't know how much you will be able to help him financially, but taking on that much debt when you are just starting out is really something to consider.

If he does well in school he will be able to get a job no matter where he graduates from. After you get your 1st job that's when the networking begins.

I sure wouldn't rule out the full ride at Nevada.

I'm paying for everything for my kid and it's very expensive and yes it could take her 5 years to complete her degree. I'm with @2300 Nueces if he has a full ride and can get into Aero Engineering take it and have him apply for internships when he can. My brother in law works for an engineering firm and he said we want college students with experience as well as the paper but experience helps tremendously.

 

[Metcalf #2]

Of those 4 I'd say ND is the only non urban school. Can't go wrong there. If not for the urban factor I'd say Georgia Tech. Really can't go wrong with any though. Like you said, good problem to have.

 

[westx]

Congratulations Freeper. From a parent's (my oldest is 25) point of view and all other things being equal, I would add a little weight to what is closer to home and ease of visiting. So, a major airport close by and less time zone changes make travel for you or him easier. Especially, the first year where it is the hardest adjustment (even for boys). In addition, the 1st year doesn't make a lot of difference since he is getting basics as long is it is a good school and it isn't where his party friends are going. They mature so much after the 1st year and things begin to be a lot clearer with their direction. My biggest regret was not making more trips to Austin his 1st year. He told me a couple years after how that year was a big adjustment and he wasn't liking it (I took it as "code" for homesick).

 

[freeper]

I'm paying for everything for my kid and it's very expensive and yes it could take her 5 years to complete her degree. I'm with @2300 Nueces if he has a full ride and can get into Aero Engineering take it and have him apply for internships when he can. My brother in law works for an engineering firm and he said we want college students with experience as well as the paper but experience helps tremendously.

Internships and co-ops are a very important consideration. Georgia Tech really shines in that regard, they kind of expect aerospace engineering students to do both and extend their studies by a year. The payoff is job connections, practical experience in the field and the potential to earn up to 20k to put towards your education. Rice also has a lot of internships available but it is a much less structured system of availability than at GT. They also have a ton of positions available for Tech students who are excelling. When I look up the return on investment and starting salaries for the respective schools, Georgia Tech and Rice are slightly ahead of Notre Dame and miles ahead of Nevada.

 

[clob94]

Let your kid go off to school. Ya, it sucks and you'll miss your child. But, it's about your child. I think you get that. Going away from home, far away, teaches self reliance. Of course, at first it will feel as though they're on an island, but that forces the child to adapt. I swear to god I wished texas was further away from home than it was for me. I loved my folks, but I needed to grow up and become self reliant. And, of course, every time my folks came to town to visit, while it was comforting on one level, it was uneasy on another.

"Hey! Great to see you guys!"
"Wait, why are you here again? Do you think I'm a tard that can't do this on my own?"

It's a weird dynamic between longing for that safety net, and pushing through challenges that shape you as a person.

If I ever have children, assuming they don't suck ass at athletics, in which case they'll go to Texas, I'm sending my kids to a university on Mars, if available. They'll whine, bitch and moan........ but only at first.

 

[clob94]

Edit..... if they DON'T suck ass

 

[2300 Nueces]

Internships and co-ops are a very important consideration. Georgia Tech really shines in that regard, they kind of expect aerospace engineering students to do both and extend their studies by a year. The payoff is job connections, practical experience in the field and the potential to earn up to 20k to put towards your education. Rice also has a lot of internships available but it is a much less structured system of availability than at GT. They also have a ton of positions available for Tech students who are excelling. When I look up the return on investment and starting salaries for the respective schools, Georgia Tech and Rice are slightly ahead of Notre Dame and miles ahead of Nevada.

Albert Einstein famously stated: “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it... he who doesn’t... pays it.”

You might run the roi on each school next to a repayment schedule of the assumed debt.

 

[HornsRuleU]

Your son should consider that he might:

• Change his mind about aerospace, vs. another type of engineering or even an entirely different career. What goes in one end can look very different coming out the other. That's part of what the college experience is about, if you do it right.
• Fail to get into the desired program (gasp). Despite how brilliant he is, he may find it challenging to get accepted into the AerospaceE program. Would he be happy with his choice of school if he ends up in, say, aeronautical engineering or mechanical instead? Look for a good plan B at each school. It's not a lack of confidence, focus or drive; it's wisdom.
• Miss his family and Nevada so very much, that he decides to change schools, anyway.

Even if he's gone to prestigious private schools so far, he's faced a far lower level of competition than he will at a top university. Until now, he may have always felt like the brightest person in the room. Inevitably, though, he'll meet others who are just as bright, or brighter. He may have never had a truly challenging class, yet become faced with a GPA with B's or worse. For electives, he'll be in competition with students who focus on that topic (e.g., writing essays vs. English majors). This experience can be disconcerting. It can lead to doubts about the major, too, as well as lower the chances of such a career.

However, I applaud him on being accepted by such fine schools, I assume, and his wisdom on visiting each beforehand. At least one school is no longer in the running.

Yes, this is a good problem to have, but he can always transfer if he makes a choice now that he later regrets.

 

[LongfellowDrew]

Your son should consider that he might:

• Change his mind about aerospace, vs. another type of engineering or even an entirely different career. What goes in one end can look very different coming out the other. That's part of what the college experience is about, if you do it right.
• Fail to get into the desired program (gasp). Despite how brilliant he is, he may find it challenging to get accepted into the AerospaceE program. Would he be happy with his choice of school if he ends up in, say, aeronautical engineering or mechanical instead? Look for a good plan B at each school. It's not a lack of confidence, focus or drive; it's wisdom.
• Miss his family and Nevada so very much, that he decides to change schools, anyway.

Even if he's gone to prestigious private schools so far, he's faced a far lower level of competition than he will at a top university. Until now, he may have always felt like the brightest person in the room. Inevitably, though, he'll meet others who are just as bright, or brighter. He may have never had a truly challenging class, yet become faced with a GPA with B's or worse. For electives, he'll be in competition with students who focus on that topic (e.g., writing essays vs. English majors). This experience can be disconcerting. It can lead to doubts about the major, too, as well as lower the chances of such a career.

However, I applaud him on being accepted by such fine schools, I assume, and his wisdom on visiting each beforehand. At least one school is no longer in the running.

Yes, this is a good problem to have, but he can always transfer if he makes a choice now that he later regrets.

Great advice!

 

[freeper]

Your son should consider that he might:

• Change his mind about aerospace, vs. another type of engineering or even an entirely different career. What goes in one end can look very different coming out the other. That's part of what the college experience is about, if you do it right.
• Fail to get into the desired program (gasp). Despite how brilliant he is, he may find it challenging to get accepted into the AerospaceE program. Would he be happy with his choice of school if he ends up in, say, aeronautical engineering or mechanical instead? Look for a good plan B at each school. It's not a lack of confidence, focus or drive; it's wisdom.
• Miss his family and Nevada so very much, that he decides to change schools, anyway.

Even if he's gone to prestigious private schools so far, he's faced a far lower level of competition than he will at a top university. Until now, he may have always felt like the brightest person in the room. Inevitably, though, he'll meet others who are just as bright, or brighter. He may have never had a truly challenging class, yet become faced with a GPA with B's or worse. For electives, he'll be in competition with students who focus on that topic (e.g., writing essays vs. English majors). This experience can be disconcerting. It can lead to doubts about the major, too, as well as lower the chances of such a career.

However, I applaud him on being accepted by such fine schools, I assume, and his wisdom on visiting each beforehand. At least one school is no longer in the running.

Yes, this is a good problem to have, but he can always transfer if he makes a choice now that he later regrets.

HornsRuleU,

That is sound thinking and one of the reasons I pushed him to apply to Notre Dame and Rice. He had strictly been focused on tech schools but I have always seen in him, a real passion for history, like his father. If he goes to Georgia Tech, (he is already admitted to their Aerospace Engineering Program) and decides it isn't for him, there is no real backup in history. Notre Dame and Rice both have exceptional history departments. Of course Aerospace is marketable, history, except for a very few, is not going to pay off the student loans in a hurry...

 

[clob94]

University of Kiev has some phenomenal co-eds. Just........ sayin.....

 

[elcapitan009]

Internships and co-ops are a very important consideration. Georgia Tech really shines in that regard, they kind of expect aerospace engineering students to do both and extend their studies by a year. The payoff is job connections, practical experience in the field and the potential to earn up to 20k to put towards your education. Rice also has a lot of internships available but it is a much less structured system of availability than at GT. They also have a ton of positions available for Tech students who are excelling. When I look up the return on investment and starting salaries for the respective schools, Georgia Tech and Rice are slightly ahead of Notre Dame and miles ahead of Nevada.

But your return on investment ($0) for Nevada will be miles ahead of the other schools?

I went Aerospace at UT. It was a good gig and opened up other doors outside the industry to me. Applied to GT, Purdue & ND and realized state school was for me once I got the tuition costs (I did not receive scholarships to those schools). My priority was getting the cheapest quality education possible, and trusting myself to create opportunities.

Sister went to ND. Beautiful campus but holy bejeezus is it expensive. Also, South Bend has some stark lines of poverty around the campus and the living situation is tenable. That said, their alumni network is Ivy League level. I don't think that is the case for any of the other schools you mentioned.

Living in Houston now and Rice seems like it would be a good spot. Prestigious, work with NASA, secluded if you want but have access to a big city.

No idea on GT as I never actually visited.

 

[ekal48]

This is a pretty interesting thread.

I hope you let us know his choice.