scenturion

Hey all, I've been accepted to a number of tier-2 schools for mechanical engineering masters degrees, and I was wondering if you had input on the value of the "ranking" of the school/program versus the actual ability to get a good job upon graduation. I've been accepted to UCLA, UCSD, Cornell (MEng), and hopefully USC. Of these, according to US News rankings, Cornell is the highest and USC is the lowest. Now, I would much rather go to USC in warm sunny SoCal than Cornell in upstate New York, but would it reflect poorly on me if I chose the #26 ranked school (USC) over #9 (Cornell)? Do these rankings have any merit? Should I just go to the school whose program I like the most or where I feel the best fit or whose content matches my career goals? Any input would be useful in making this difficult choice. Thanks

Were you applying to the MS or the MEng?