University suggestion( UMN, A&M or DREXEL)

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Hi everybody, I need a good suggestion from you guys. I am fixing to transfer for university in coming fall, for chemical engineering. I applied in few universities. Now am in great confusion which one too choose.
1) University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Us news ranking it is 4th in chemical engineering. I got accepted but didn't get any shcolarship. Fee per semester is around 8500. I can manage for 2 semester but idk after that. I can find a co-signer for the student loan but should I take that risk.? I really like the university but it's real expensive.
2) Texas A&M
The university is waiting for my Cal II and Phys II grades for this semester, and then decide my admission. I got positive reponses so probably i will get into college with in-state fee ( 5000 per semester). Working on the summer and saving i have i might manage to pay the fee. But the problem is if you fail to mantain G.P.A, you end up paying 13000 per semester. I might choose A&M but can't rely on this because I am not accepted yet.
3) Drexel University
The co-op program is pretty nice. If I choose 2 year co-op and deduct my scholarship from total fee I end up paying 5500 per semester. I find the co-op program pretty intersting but it might take more than usual time to graduate. if there any Nepali in the university please do send me an email.
4) Texas Tech and OU
Got accepted to both, with almost similar scholarship, will end up paying 2500 to 3000 a semster. These are good universities but not as good as other three. So if there any graduated from any of the above universities, suggest me to choose one. Your suggestion might decide my future.
Thank you in advance.

tumbahamphe

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trust143_raj,

I think I was in a somewhat similar state 3 years ago . I am attending UMN and this is my last semester . This is what I can tell you about UMN. Please feel free to make additions and comments .

To start off, do not just pick a major because the school is reputed on that major. Also, the rankings are for Grads, so it might not be quite relevant for undergrads . As long as the school is in the first tier and you performe good in school is what matters at the end of the day. Make sure you like what you study because if the program is rigorous and demanding, your interest in the subject is the key that will make your life much easier.

UMN :

Pros:

The location is at a heart of the city and minneapolis (Dinkytown and Downtown) is a very vibrant place and tons of companies around if you will be looking for jobs after you graduate (But it strictly depends on your major. This could be a huge bonus when you compare TAMU or Texas Tech). Drexel is also at the heart of philadelphia, alongside UPenn . However, it is quite hard for chemical engineers , specially international students, to get a job around twin cities compared to student with Computer Science and Mechanical engineering.
Really tough programs. A lot of research opportunities if you are interested. If you want to go to grad school, this is definitely the school to go ( assuming you perform above average in ur undergrad and do tons of research). You can easily get into MIT, Stanford and Whatever school you are trying to get into. ( TAMU is a good research school )
On campus jobs are quite easy to get.
The nepalese community is quite small, like < 15 and very connected. I see it as a plus. (less distraction and more exposure)
You can get a SELF loan of about 10K every year if you have a cosigner . And the interest rate is too damn low. :) . I took it twice .
You can apply for the Need based financial aid in the last year. Almost all of us got a full ride this year :)
Very liberal people at least in the cities.. ( I assume you are from the lone star state ).
And very flexible transfer policy. I got around 30 credits transferred from my high school in nepal. Impressive huh.
Good coop, and internship programs with companies . Specially with computer science, Mech E , Electrical E and Computer science

Cons:

Quite expensive . But i saw it as an investment and i find it totally worth it. ( TAMU could be cheaper that UMN , but it depends on your transcripts and how many years you might end up going to school. But if you get a need based aid in your last year, UMN could be cheaper too. I dont know much about drexel and texas tech)
I know , the U ranks really high in Chem E, but it comes with a cost. My friends who are doing Chem E barely sleep 4-5 hrs a day.
Also, some departments have weed out mentality. Like the class size is pretty big for freshman and sophomore classes. But they have limited seats in junior and senior years so they they fail everyone except the number of students they can fit in. So be prepared. However, the weed out only applies to ChemE . I think.
(This is not a con ) Also, be prepared to compete with the brightest minds from all over the world . It takes quite an effort to even be an average student here. And the work load is very overwhelming. Like, going to school and keeping up with the school work will take most of you life.
Also, since this is a public school , there is no spoon feeding like they do in some small private lib ed schools. You have to reach out if you need anything and you will get it . It applies to research oppportunies, jobs and everything else.

Happy college hunting and good luck. Shoot me a message if you have any other questions.

Last edited: 19-Apr-12 06:06 AM

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