How do you think of PURDUE UNIVERSITY?

[IVYdream]

f HELLO!

I have received the Fellowship of Civil Engineering in PURDUE UNIVERSITY and possiblely I would go there to finish my MASTER DEGREE.However, I know little about this university. I heard something about the location of PURDUE and somebody said that it is really in the middle of nowhere. This really bother me. I am still waiting for offers from better university and I want to get some information of PURDUE. How do you think of Purdue? Waiting for your opinions~

Good Luck to you guys!

[StarvingStudentYeah]

I don't know anything specifically about the university itself in that I have no personal contact with that. However, I have family in the area and can tell you that the campus is absolutely gorgeous. It's hard to explain, but the architecture, landscaping, etc just make a very nice atmosphere - great for chill contemplative strolling. LOL.

Purdue also has quite a nice reputation as a research university. I think it would have been a pretty cool place to be an undergrad. However, there is NO question that it is an island of ppl surrounded by a great deal of nothingness. The only sanctuary you can take here is that Chicago is only ~1.5 hours away. Purdue is a rural campus, and there is just no getting around that.

In my opinion, location is a big factor in choosing a PhD, but certainly far from a top-tier factor.

Hope this helps!

[sigh]

It's a very good school, but when I think of Purdue, I think of chicken. As terrible as it sounds, I couldn't bring myself to apply to "The Chicken University" as an undergrad. I doubt that helps you, though.

[IVYdream]

Thank you for your reply. Actually I like big cities better,however, I just get Purdue's offer with full financial aid,so possibely I would go there. :cry:

that is really painful~~

waiting for better universities to give offers~~~

:wink: bless me ~~~

[firecolon]

I don't plan to go to Purdue but I did visit them. I didn't get the impression that the town was really that small. In fact, the Lafayette area is really more of a small city. I don't quite understand why this scares so many people - there is going to be less traffic, you'll actually be able to sleep, there aren't as many stupid people. The difference between a big city such as Philadelphia or Chicago is that you will have one or two WalMarts to choose from instead of sixty of them, there won't be a unreliable mass-transit system to deal with, and the people have an incentive to be nice just like at any other small town (although Lafayette really isn't that small either).

The main concern with West Lafayette Indiana is the soot people have to breath from a paper factory near campus, but the students assured me that the smell is harmless and you get used to it quickly. Also the campus (just the campus) is a little crowded, not very spacious, and built with ugly concrete and glass.

I think Purdue has the best Civil Engineering program in the country, or at least one of them. Also the cost of living is ridiculously low. If you got a big enough fellowship in such a cheap place, you can afford to drive to Chicago (two hours) or Indianapolis (one hour) whenever you want to be in a big city.

[StarvingStudentYeah]

there is going to be less traffic, you'll actually be able to sleep, there aren't as many stupid people. The difference between a big city such as Philadelphia or Chicago is that you will have one or two WalMarts to choose from instead of sixty of them, there won't be a unreliable mass-transit system to deal with, and the people have an incentive to be nice just like at any other small town (although Lafayette really isn't that small either).

Sounds like someone has never lived in a city. I can't EVER remember shopping in a Wal-Mart in a city, and uh - since when is mass transit unreliable? I'll take the T, Subway, or El any day over driving a car (gas and all) all over creation.

[IVYdream]

Thank you for your advise ,firecolon.

I think it really helps me.Yes, I also think that living in a big crowded city is not that pleasant both the traffic and the environment there even if there are strong traffic system. EVERY COIN HAS TWO SIDES. You decide which side you like better. And , I really like middle size city or even small city while I can visit the big cities whenever I like. .

However, I still want to know that if there are any shopping malls and supermarket around PURDUE?. I hope that I can easily get what I need but not to be worried about where to buy my bread and my clothes ~~ :oops:

Thank you for all your reply. I hope all of you can get great offers .

GOOD LUCK~~~

[StarvingStudentYeah]

Oh hey man, I can't tell you specifically, but there are definitely stores and whatnot around campus. Where there are students, there will always be places to buy bread.

That said, it's definitely the type of place where you need a car to get places any distance away. Like all hamlets, the buses suck if they exist at all and taxi's have to be called, never hailed. Walking is ok at times, but can be bad if you need to hit the highway - not safe. You'll be fine living there, you just may need to bum a ride from a friend every once in a while. My undergrad school is in a small town, and it's driven me a bit crazy, but it's definitely doable.

[revlp]

I've been lurking at this forum throughout my application process without saying anything, but I feel like I have to defend my hometown a bit here. I grew up in West Lafayette (15 years), and I have never heard of a paper factory or any soot from such factory. There is a corn syrup factory across the river in Lafayette which does occasionally emit a strange smell, but it's very infrequent. As for getting to major groceries stores and malls, I think a car is almost essential. My friends who went to Purdue for their undergraduate degrees either had cars or access to their parents' cars. There is no real grocery store or mall within walking distance.

But with that said, the campus is not at all covered in concrete, steel, and glass as one of the above posters indicated. The vast majority of the buildings are brick with lots of green space (open lawns, fountains, gardens, etc.). There are also many bars, coffee shops, and restaurants within walking distance. Bookstores, record stores, clothing, a movie theater, small ethnic grocery stores...all walking distance.

I currently live in Chicago, so I know West Lafayette is no big city, but living in a college town has its own perks.

Alright, end of sales pitch.

[zigazowohnow]

I would NEVER consider going to Purdue, it is literally in the middle of nowhere/Indiana, they are overly enthused about football, and their social scene only revolves around the local bars which are pitiful. I went to high school in Indiana and a lot of my classmates went there and now when I see them it's very obvious that they've been in the middle of nowhere for the past few years.

However, if you really like your program and the professors work then by all means suck it up and go, it's only a few years and Purdue is supposed to have a great engineering program.

Downtown Chicago is more like three hours away. Everyone states how short it is between the next big city and campus but they never end up going to the city.

Also, you would definitely want to have a car.

[IVYdream]

I am totally confused now~ :roll: :?:

[christina_bme]

IVYDream: What "better" offers are you looking at? I definitely don't think you should turn up your nose at Purdue just because it's in the middle of nowhere. It is very well recognized in all areas of engineering. You may find that the research there and the reputation of the school outweigh the drawbacks of being in a more rural area. And trust me, Lafayette, Indiana is NOT anywhere near as rural as some places I have lived. I consider it to be a nice small town, myself. If you are an international student I can understand you being concerned about needing a car to get around. It's true that Wal-Mart and grocery stores are definitely not within walking distance. But there are TONS of international students there at Purdue - they must all manage somehow, right?

There are a lot of us who would have loved to get an offer of admission and full ride from Purdue! Good luck with your choice.

[IVYdream]

Thank you ,christina_bme!

I am still looking forward tothe offer from University of Pittsburgh for CIVIL ENGINEERING.

I think that Pittsburgh is much bigger.

Which university do you guys think is better?

However, I maintain that better research reputation is much more important.

What about your opinions?

:?:

Thank you for all the suggestions. Hope you have a good day!

[christina_bme]

Thank you ,christina_bme!

I am still looking forward tothe offer from University of Pittsburgh for CIVIL ENGINEERING.

I think that Pittsburgh is much bigger.

Which university do you guys think is better?

However, I maintain that better research reputation is much more important.

What about your opinions?

:?:

Thank you for all the suggestions. Hope you have a good day!

Sorry, I can't tell you too much about rankings in civil engineering, since I'm in biomedical engineering. I think Pitt is a good school, but I really don't know too much about it. Pittsburgh is definitely a much bigger city. In any case, ranking isn't as important as how well the research in their department fits with your interests. Location isn't totally unimportant either. It takes years to finish a Ph.D. and you don't want to be somewhere you absolutely hate. You just have to figure out where you'll be happy spending 5-7 years and take ALL factors into account - location, reputation, research and advisor fit. Only you know what is best for you. Browse the forums and look at the Applied Sciences postings and the City Guide. The City Guide forum has threads on both West Lafayette (Purdue) and Pittsburgh.

If you're getting funded for a master's at Purdue, I think that's VERY good. Funding for a master's is hard to come by, even in engineering.

[greenpapaya]

I am an undergrad at Purdue in the College of Science. I have grown up in Indiana, so I am used to what you might consider a "simple life." There isn't a lot going on in the West Lafayette/Lafayette area, but the campus itself draws a lot of activities. There are many musical concerts and bands that come to play on campus as well as plays and musicals, if you are into that sort of thing. Not to mention many famous speakers coming to give presentations (ie: Jane Goodall and the Dali Lama, etc...). You mentioned not shopping at big grocery stores like Wal-Mart in the city. There are many little international markets in the area where you can get unique ingredients (which I personally like because cooking is my hobby!)

The campus has a lot of buildings close together, so it doesn't feel so sparse and overwhelming. There are a lot of green spaces, fountains and landscaping.

All in all, I am so pleased to have spent time at Purdue. Sure it isn't as big as a city, but Indianapolis is less than an hour away and Chicago approximately 2 hours away (in good traffic) for your city fix. I will never regret coming here.

Hope this helps!

P.S. Small town doesn't mean lack of culture. It's what you make of it! The student body is so diverse here that it's hard to say this place lacks culture or interest....