Tech. UGA both on Top National Universities list 2012

[ecmom3]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

Graduating (or "gettting out" as those associated with GT refer to it as) means something. It used to be that only 60% of those entering the school would graduate. Only the cream of the crop would survive and the diploma meant more because of it. Surviving that attrition is something to be proud of. Many very smart people never made it through GT. That is a gauntlet that many schools don't put their students through.

I don't think it is uncommon at other universities for kids to drop out of engineering. I graduated from the University of Florida with a BS and Masters in engineering (UF is "only" #19 on the list, but still an excellent public university with a fairly low acceptance rate). I knew students who changed majors from engineering because of the rigorous pre-engineering curriculum. In my opinion, only graduating 60% of accepted students indicates a problem. Either too many unqualified applicants are being accepted, or professors are not doing a good job of teaching.

I don't have anything against Tech, but if I had to do it all over again I would still choose UF. I preferred the smaller college town atmosphere and the diversity of majors offered at UF. I have worked with a lot of good engineers who went to GT, however I never had a problem keeping up with, or outperforming, the Tech grads I worked with. I've also seen some GT grads fired for poor performance and not understanding how to apply what they were supposed to have learned to earn their degree. They were not spared because they graduated from a top ranked school.

As a resident of Georgia, I think it is great having multiple public universities that are highly ranked. My oldest two kids want to go to college out of state, and thinking about the tuition cost is painful. They are gong to need to consider an in state option as well, and I'm glad to have a couple of highly ranked public schools to consider. As a Gator, I hate the thought of my kids going to UGA, but if it saves me $100,000 per kid in tuition, I'll get over it.

[RainyRainyDay]

I like ecmom3's comments.

My kid is a high school senior with early acceptances from both Tech and UGA Honors. A prospective science (not engineering) major and currently an A student in Tech's Distance Calculus program, she's leaning more to UGA. Tech's higher ranking appears to have more to do with the outstanding research that goes on there, than with the quality of undergraduate teaching. UGA projects less of a "sink or swim" atmosphere (although my kid would likely be a swimmer at Tech, she doesn't enjoy high stress competition).

At any event, it's excellent that we have such good choices of public universities in Georgia. We can only hope they continue to be adequately funded.

[aries4118]

Per ecmom's and Rainy's comments--

Based on commentary on people I've met in life, my own observation, and my own experience, I will not hesitate to say that it may be better to be an engineering/hard science/math major at a place like Auburn, Clemson, University of Florida, UGA, etc...but then Georgia Tech is great if you are a social science or business major.

I can get into more detail later (not much time now)--but, really is just means having the best of both worlds.

In a nutshell...

Engineering/science major, but with overall exposure to broader ideas, people, and concepts.

Social science/business major, but with the benefit of focused technological/mathematical exposure and expertise.

[ecmom3]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

Tech's higher ranking appears to have more to do with the outstanding research that goes on there, than with the quality of undergraduate teaching.

Bingo!! I agree with this statement. And congratulations to your daughter for her early acceptances to UGA Honors and Tech.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by ecmom3

Bingo!! I agree with this statement.

It clearly isn't that simple. Sure the research is good, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The caliber of the average student is beyond that of any other engineering school in the southeast. If anything, the USNWR rankings devalue research.

Another college ranking list, which puts more emphasis on research, has Georgia Tech ranked #10 Engineering and Technology University in the World and #24 overall. Their ranking system is as follows:

Teaching — the learning environment (worth 30 per cent of the overall ranking score)
Research — volume, income and reputation (worth 30 per cent)
Citations — research influence (worth 30 per cent)
Industry income — innovation (worth 2.5 per cent)
International outlook — staff, students and research (worth 7.5 per cent).


Georgia Tech is much more sink or swim than the other colleges listed. However, that is one of the reason that recruiters value the GT degree more than those of those other universities. WSJ ranked Georgia Tech as the #1 Engineering school by professional recruiters and #7 school overall in the country (College Rankings - Wsj.com). If making it through the curriculum and getting a degree in engineering is the aspiration, then the other schools would be better choices IMO. If the aspiration is greater than that, I would suggest Georgia Tech. Believe it or not, in these fields the school prestige really does matter (at least early in the career): Engineers, Accountants Say School Matters - WSJ.com

I'm not saying that some don't excel out of these other schools. That would be ridiculous, but on average, the statistics show that GT is ranked higher and the graduates are more heavily recruited for a reason.

[MathmanMathman]

But then again, from my experience and other GT grads I know. You use very little of what you learned at GT in the real world.

I recall one class in physics I took at GSU. That class taught me more about engineering and how to think like an engineer than all the classes I took at GT. Which is odd in that GSU doesn't offer engineering.

What you learn at GT is how to work and study hard. It pushes you more than most other schools do.

[ecmom3]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

The caliber of the average student is beyond that of any other engineering school in the southeast.

How does one determine that? Is there data out there comparing college of engineering students at various universities?

I know nothing about the recruiting side of things, but I'm sure engineering and tech schools do get more attention from engineering recruiters. All I can tell you from my own experience working in engineering firms, and my husband's as well, is that the GT grads we've managed and worked with are no more capable and successful on the job than engineering graduates from other good universities in the southeast.