Cornell vs UPenn vs USC for Engineering

[cooldw57]

So I got into Cornell Systems Engineering with Software Track (M.Eng for Software Systems Engineering), and UPenn Systems Engineering (Master of Science in Engineering). Which one is better? I came up with the following pros and cons table

but still can't make up my mind... I also got into USC MS Computer Science, but I think it's less selective and less prestigious than the two Ivies.

Cornell

Pros:

-Great engineering school

-Interdisciplinary approach on systems engineering, electives from CS, EE,

ME, AE and IEOR. For me I'll probably choose the CS track.

-Ithaca campus is beautiful

-Plenty of recruitment opportunities from large engineering firms

-Graduation projects

Cons:

-Bad location, middle of nowhere in upstate NY

-I hate cold...

-known as "Ivy doorstep"

-M.Eng is different from M.S, probably less favorable if I apply for phD

-Difficulty in switching major: unknown

UPenn

Pros:

-Could take any classes from UPenn B-School, up to 12 units, to satisfy my

graduation requirement.

-Great for potential career change to finance sector, close to 40% of SEAS

graduate students ended up in Finance and Consulting

-Easy Major switch in SEAS (thinking about switching to CS)

-Great overall school name (better than Cornell perhaps?)

Cons:

-Almost unheard of in engineering (except CS, ENIAC was built in UPenn)

-Unsafe location

-MSE (Master of Science in Engineering) isn't any better than Cornell's M.

Eng

-Not too many engineering recruiters

-Isn't any warmer than Ithaca...

I really don't plan to get a phD so M.Eng and M.S.E degree doesn't concern

me that much. But I DO plan to get an MBA from a top school several years down the road, what is the best school for MBA Admission Office? And what is a better school for job hunting?

[canuck]

Cornell is a much stronger school for Engineering than UPenn thats for sure but the M.Eng is a much weaker degree than an M.S. However since you plan to go into a business program I think that its essentially irrelevant. Both schools have strong business reputations.

[cooldw57]

umm... M.Eng is what i'm sort of worried too, although i don't think it's "much weaker" than MS. Basically it uses graduation design project instead of thesis as your exit criteria. And the 10 courses (30 units) class workload is identical to UPenn's 10 courses - 30 units MSE degree, and more than USC Master of Science's 9 classes - 27 units requirement.

I believe Cornell classify a MS/phD degree as research degree, and M.Eng, MBA etc as a professional degree.

[canuck]

From my experience the M.Eng project is considered virtually irrelevant by all those concerned and any old hack job will do, whereas the M.S. thesis is taken seriously.

[canuck]

The M.Eng is just taking a bunch of classes with a project tacked on at the end. The M.S. is basically a research degree, a primer to a PhD.

[sigh]

Penn isn't particularly unsafe (although I suppose you could call pretty much anything unsafe if you compare it with Ithaca), and it is most definitely warmer than Cornell.

Normally I'd recommend Cornell for engineering, but if you're really serious about the business thing then Penn might be your best choice. There's a very strong business/entrepreneurship culture that permeates engineering at Penn (at least the undergrads) because the business school is so prominent, which you might not get at a place like Cornell.

[cooldw57]

Grad school @ Penn is somewhat like the undergrad, I believe they offer me 3 classes @ Wharton to fulfill the graduation requirement. I'm just not sure how easy is it to get an interview opportunity from Finance/Consulting sector with a science/engineering degree@Penn

[123456789]

The rigor of Cornell's M.Eng. design project depends completely on the adviser, and I think a lot of MS theses in CS and EE tend to be more of a "design project" than research anyway, with the nontrivial difference that you have to actually defend your work to a committee.

Ithaca is a great place to spend time (especially summer), but I imagine you will have a much easier time setting up and going on interviews from Philly than you will from Ithaca. If your like me and don't even think about that stuff until AFTER the M.Eng., then it doesn't matter. But if you were really motivated and wanted to go on a bunch of different interviews, Ithaca is a bitch to get out of. 1+ hr drive to the airport. Minimum 3 hour drive to major east coast cities.

[John Zee]

Hello,

Your comments hint that you really want to study in the warmer climate. Maybe this is why you applied to USC. I have to be honest with you, I would go to USC for;

1. the beautiful L.A. weather
2. to go to trojan football games
3. to see the Trojan Marching Band
4. I heard it might be a decent education

Anyhow, have you considered Polytechnic institute of NYU?

[andandand]

Grad school @ Penn is somewhat like the undergrad, I believe they offer me 3 classes @ Wharton to fulfill the graduation requirement. I'm just not sure how easy is it to get an interview opportunity from Finance/Consulting sector with a science/engineering degree@Penn

It's really not tough at all, a lot of people in Penn engineering end up going in to finance and consulting related jobs. UPenn SEAS is more heavily recruited for that sector than actual engineering, IMO.

[wifey99999999]

Don't waste your money on U$C....

If you like suburban style, go to Cornell, if you like urban setting, go to Penn... either one is a great school, you can't go wrong with either (but it'd be a terrrible mistake if you pick U$C) but I'd say Cornell has better reputation in engineering.....

[HassE]

i'd personally pick cornell as well.

To me it has a more prestige name as some random person off the street hears University of Pennsylvania and sounds like you went to another state school. Granted you shouldnt care what some idiot thinks, but might as well have your money go as long and far as possible right?