Help me decide where to go for college

Lots of good advice.  I agree, internships and extra circulars are important. 

FSAE and it's derivative electric, Baja and other programs are fantastic. If there are other things that you want to experiment, see which school supports those better.

I think WNEU/WNEC is on the smaller side, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. For what it's worth, I went to UConn which is massive, but their ME program was ~80 students/yr if I remember right. It kind of had the big enough to have interesting stuff to do on campus, and the program was small enough that you knew everyone feel.

You can also read their various press releases to see who hires at their internship and job fairs.

Springfield itself isn't a destination, but it is pretty neighborhood dependent.

Congrats on getting acceptances. Go where the total cost won't saddle you for decades into the future.

Remember that far-away schools require money and TIME to come home. A four day fall break can be reduced to two days if you have to drive (or fly, ride, etc) all day to get there.

Datsun240ZGuy said:

In reply to mtn :

The tallest building between Chicago and St. Louis is a residence hall at Illinois State University plus they have a kick ass marching band - the big red marching machine.

PLUS you can join the marching band without being a music major which is not the case at other schools. 

I don't think it's that common that a marching band requires a music major. For sure, the two schools I went to, Idaho and Michigan, don't. And at Michigan, the college with the most members is engineering. That includes the music school. 

I know nothing about those schools , 

But  try to find some grants etc to keep your "Student Debt "  down so it does not follow you for decades ,   

Good Luck

I know you don't mention it but Missouri S&T down in Rolla is the best ME program in the midwest. It's a bit of an odd duck socially as it's 85% engineering but the overall programs are challenging and very high recruitment from there. I went for my first couple years there. Loved the experience just found that engineering wasn't for me. 

Other than that, I would stay close to home. There is something about being able to go to the familiar now and then. Also with it being instate, the ROI is just so much better.

My daughters both went to our in-state university... which happens to be about a mile from our house.  The younger in particular really wanted to get away from town, but the economic advantage of in-state tuition overcame that.  In both cases, we made sure they lived on campus or a nearby off-campus apartment, so they had the opportunity to learn about being away from home, even if it was in a familiar location.  Both had high school friends who went there as well, but both made plenty of new friends with similar interests.  One graduated about 10 years ago, the other about 6 years ago.

My point being, my daughters had that "out on their own" part of the experience despite being within 5 minutes' drive of our house.  I definitely think you can get that from an hour or two away, so I would weigh the cost-effectiveness of the two programs much more heavily than the location.  There are advantages to being conveniently located to home, and just because you could come home every weekend doesn't mean you have to.

Congratulations on your successes, and best of luck moving forward!  I'm excited for you.

Thank you all for your advice. I'm still not sure where I want to go, but I am going to see if it is at all possible to visit WNEU. The concentration of racetracks there will definitely be part of my decision.

It seems like there is a really good car scene near Springfield, MA. I'll keep this thread updated, but it might be a bit before I finally make a decision. I am very indecisive. Lol.

pkingham (Forum Supporter) said:

Since you're posting here, cars are probably of interest.  I didn't search, but does either have a FSAE team/program?  

Just want to reiterate this. If you want to be an engineer and work with cars, I highly recommend this. It opens up so many doors in and out of the automotive field. 
 

as someone who went to a state college without formula sae, I wish I would've known about it sooner so I could've have attended a college without that program. Lots of people I know in racing did FSAE...and they all say it was a blast!

Springfield proper is pretty dumpy, but get 20mins outside of the city and you're in perhaps the most beautiful area of the country, in my opinion.  Palmer and Lime Rock are both exceptional racing facilities, and you still have NHMS, Thompson, NYST and a few others if those get boring (they won't).  Hartford, CT is a sister city to Springfield, and you are smack dab in the middle of a ton of Aviation/aerospace/radar manufacturing facilities, so jobs for a graduated ME will be plentiful.  

I know nothing about Illinois outside of a few visits to Chicago.  But I do know that I could definitely find worse places to live than Western Mass.  It's got a good vibe and 4 real seasons without *too* much snow usually.  Great pizza too, wierdly?  

Either way, good luck and congrats!  Enjoy every minute of the experience. 

Illinois students have some reciprocity (MSEP) with Missouri on tuition.  For many years Mizzou had thousands of Illinois freshman who were paying less to attend school in Missouri than their in-state tuition in Illinois.  If the tuition works out, Missouri University of Science & Technology (Rolla) might be a viable alternative for you.  Rolla does have a FSAE program, as does Mizzou in Columbia.

EDIT:  Didn't see the previous response from BMW until after I posted this.

In reply to stroker :

I also got accepted there (MS&T), and that's another school I'm considering. The only downside is the cost. My admissions counselor for that school is great, and I would have already sent in my deposit if the tuition wasn't so expensive.

mtn said:

In reply to Datsun240ZGuy :

Watterson towers. I lived there for 2 of the best years of my life. 

I sometimes wonder what I missed out on not living in the dorms. We (my mom and I) made up a story so I wouldn't have to live in the dorms my freshman year.  But my roommates older cousin was already there, so we immediately had a big friend group to hang out with. 

The police were called more than once for the parties that happened at our apartment. 

Little update.

I just got a letter from WNEU saying that I have been accepted into their 5-year Master's program and their 6 year engineering and law program. This decision is so hard.

Really, the only downside is that I'd be 16 hours away from my family. SIUE hasn't done much to inform me about different opportunities they offer, they just sent me some stickers. Lol.

16 hours is a lot. No question. However, if you completed the engineering and law program, there is pretty much no organization in the world that you couldn't help in some way – and lots of major ones that would be very eager to bring you aboard.

Just a thought.

I'll start off by saying I've coached girl's basketball for nearly 30 years.  I've had well over 100 girls go and play on scholarship in college, some as far as 1,200 miles away.  Every single one of them that went out of state, except one, transferred to a school closer to home.

I currently work as an engineer in the automotive sphere. Here's some rambles out advice. 

• Mind the bill you will have to pay off later
• If you intend to do a master's degree, very few people care where you went to undergrad once you do grad.
• Community colleges can be an excellent way to save a ton of money on general education courses. Look into places that transfer credits to the university of your choice. Online, summer, winter intersession courses...  You don't need the best university for basic classes, especially outside your major.
• Don't go to a college where you will have more distractions than you can handle. 
• Don't defecate where you eat. Make no mistake, school is your JOB, for me, I didn't drink and party with people from school. I did that with my racing friends. Worked well for me.
• FSAE is well worthwhile if you can do it and keep your grades up 
• Internships internships internships. Get work experience through internships, you get a MASSIVE boost off the line for your career.
• You aren't doomed if you miss a bit on the above, you will just have to work harder. 
• Advisors either lie or make mistakes, double check everything they tell you. (One almost added two years to my bachelor's by telling me the wrong Gen Ed's)

Whatever school you look at, check out their career center.  Check their performance on job placement at time of graduation, and what companies/industries they place in.

It may also be worth checking the strength of alumni connections.  One great example of this is VMI.  The alumni connections are unbelievable to me.  They really take care of their own.

I'm happy with how my life has worked out, but if I had it all to do again I would have gone somewhere with a warmer climate or near mountains.

Apexcarver said:

I currently work as an engineer in the automotive sphere. Here's some rambles out advice. 

 

• Mind the bill you will have to pay off later
• If you intend to do a master's degree, very few people care where you went to undergrad once you do grad.
• Community colleges can be an excellent way to save a ton of money on general education courses. Look into places that transfer credits to the university of your choice. Online, summer, winter intersession courses...  You don't need the best university for basic classes, especially outside your major.
• Don't go to a college where you will have more distractions than you can handle. 
• Don't defecate where you eat. Make no mistake, school is your JOB, for me, I didn't drink and party with people from school. I did that with my racing friends. Worked well for me.
• FSAE is well worthwhile if you can do it and keep your grades up 
• Internships internships internships. Get work experience through internships, you get a MASSIVE boost off the line for your career.
• You aren't doomed if you miss a bit on the above, you will just have to work harder. 
• Advisors either lie or make mistakes, double check everything they tell you. (One almost added two years to my bachelor's by telling me the wrong Gen Ed's)

This is such good advice, it needed to be in quoted.

One more to add to this: Network, network, network!  Make friends/allies on day 1 in every class.  Find people you want to discuss homework with, study with, trade notes, have each others backs, etc.  This took me from a C student freshman year to an A/B student later on.  Also - even if the professors aren't friendly or helpful, make sure they know your name.  Know their office hours .  If you're in a bind and need something, they'll be much more willing to help Lily rather than random student #387.  I had a few professors that I loathed, but they were usually willing to help me out when I was stuck on homework, needed advice on a project, or even helped me understand a concept I was struggling with.    

We're all rooting for your here. Wishing you the best. 

In reply to Scotty Con Queso :

Excellent points.  If you have struggles, engage help SOONER rather than later. Professors have a lot more compassion for someone they SEE working, rather than someone struggling in silence and coming to them in the 11th hour. 

Practicing networking is important. Networking is what makes the world go around career wise. 

Apexcarver said:

In reply to Scotty Con Queso :

Excellent points.  If you have struggles, engage help SOONER rather than later. Professors have a lot more compassion for someone they SEE working, rather than someone struggling in silence and coming to them in the 11th hour.

From my vantage point on the other side of the desk, this is certainly true. Students who show up on week 13 asking about extra credit, failing because they have done little all semester, have not earned the same opportunity for assistance as students who have been demonstrably working hard from the beginning. I encourage students to communicate regularly, even for simple things like clarification of the syllabus or help understanding something said in class. Definitely email your professor any time you are going to miss class; this common courtesy alone will set you apart from the majority of students who seem to think the world operates on their schedule.

I never worked financial aid in the state Illinois but most states that I have worked with have several Stem scholarships many of them the deadline is soon (start applying now). Another way to walk away with little to no debt is the National Guard ING scholarship, which they take care of your tuition and fees, and you can apply to the Fry Scholarship for housing. Otherwise everyone has solid advice. I took a different path I went to CC then the cheapest 4 year institution that was commuter friendly so I could also work. Good Luck to you.

Have you checked out Bowling Green State University ? I know their construction engineering program is solid, but don't know about their ME program. We visited a few weeks ago with my son (HS senior) and we were pretty blown away with how nice the school was. He has a friend who's in the aviation program there, and he was raving about the school as well. It struck all of us as a nice town/school, and a really good value.

I think having the opportunity to live in MA for half of the year for four-six years would be great, but it would definitely be rough for my first semester away from home. I'm going to see if it's possible to visit WNEU to get a better idea on my other passions. 

I am a big music person, I have only ever been first chair in band and I get the highest scores on auditions in my choir. I know SIUE allows non-music majors in their ensembles, but I'm not sure if WNEU does. I think I'd go insane if I couldn't participate in a choir.

Another pretty big deal for me is autocross. If you know my dad or I, you know that I am really into autocross. I know the St. Louis region is insane for autocross, but I'm guessing Springfield, MA is pretty good too because of all the racetracks.

Also, if anyone in the area has any thoughts on living in either area as a low income young adult, please feel free to share. I am by no means a party person, but I can be very outgoing. I'll go insane if all I can do is sit in my dorm all day.

Thank you all for the advice! I have been reading everything, and you all have contributed to my pro/con list! Lol.

Regardless of where you decide to go, Make sure you get a good review of your financial aid situation for each school before making the decision. There are a lot of grants and aid out there that may not all be published that changes the cost structure. 

An example with my nephew, We submitted everything and got the initial estimate for all the schools he was interested in and then sat down with an advisor. We asked the simple question of there were any changes that would trigger more aid. Turns out that if he got 1 more point overall on the ACT then he would get $2500 more a semester in aid. He retook the test and got 2 more points and he was all set. 

Good luck with everything. It's an exciting time for you.

The_Lily said:

Another pretty big deal for me is autocross. If you know my dad or I, you know that I am really into autocross. I know the St. Louis region is insane for autocross, but I'm guessing Springfield, MA is pretty good too because of all the racetracks.

Around here, there are two groups that run consistent Autocross I know of with CART CT, and NE-SVT although LimeRock hosts some themselves.   Cart is a great group of people, but their lots often aren't the best.  I know they have a new one down at the Casino, but I haven't gotten down there myself.   I haven't made it up to the Devins site with NE-SVT, but I hear good things.

It's actually the opposite, I think.  There's so many good tracks around and cheap track time thanks to groups like MassTuning Trackfest that a lot of people (like myself) don't bother with autocross so much.  I know I'm guilty of it, I used to be an avid autocrosser, but since I moved to CT in 2012, I think I've only been to 3.  I can get to three tracks with equal or less travel time than an autocross for most of those events.