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How well do Columbia SEAS students do in getting into the top engineering grad schools in the country (MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Cornell, Princeton, etc) Is it similar to Cornell SEAS grad placement? Do you guys know of any reasons why someone would choose Columbia over Cornell for engineering other than the fact that Columbia is in NYC? (Im having a hard time deciding between the two)

By Fonne2 (Fonne2) on Friday, April 16, 2004 - 01:33 pm: Edit

bump somebody please answer if u know

By Fonne2 (Fonne2) on Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 09:13 pm: Edit

bump

By Soulofheaven8 (Soulofheaven8) on Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 09:19 pm: Edit

Perhaps more chances for internship?

By Sakky (Sakky) on Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 09:30 pm: Edit

Is Princeton really a top engineering graduate school? Princeton's not bad, but several other ones come to mind before Princeton - Berkeley, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Michigan, etc.

In answer to your question of who is more successful in getting into higher-end graduate engineering programs, Cornell SEAS or Columbia engineering students, the answer is Cornell SEAS students. Columbia's undergrad engineering program is not bad, but Cornell's is better. Cornell has more facilities and more research, and therefore more opportunities to do the things you need to do to get into engineering graduate school.

About the reasons for why somebody would choose Columbia over Cornell, other than location, I would say that personal fit is the best reason. Cornell's SEAS program is larger than Columbia's engineering, and some people prefer a smaller, more intimate setting.

In fact, I would generalize that point to say that personal fit is perhaps the most important factor of all. While Cornell SEAS may be more successful in sending students to top engineering graduate programs, that won't compensate for a lack of personal fit. If you just don't like Cornell's style, then you won't do well there, and if you don't do well, then you won't get into graduate school anyway, so it's a moot point.

By Wgeneral (Wgeneral) on Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 08:38 am: Edit

Just to point out you got the two mixed up. It's Cornell Engineering and Columbia SEAS

But I understood your point anyway.