VT vs UDelaware ME PHD

[anzu]

Hello

I got admission to Mechanical Engineering PHD program from both VirginiaTech and UofDelaware. Both offered me with TA for the first year and RA thereafter.

I am already in UD for 2 years for a MS program in biomechanics, so if I stay here, it would save me some trouble, and UD offers a little bit more money(2200 vs 1800 per month). I do like this town and have a lot of friends here, and all of them suggested me to stay in UD. But on the other hand, VT has a better ME department than UD. Considering that I will most likely go to industry and try to find a job after my PHD, so I think the question I want to know is that if I will have a better job opportunity if I go to VT. Any advice is welcome, thanks.

[Langoustine]

Hi there, I'm not a Engineering person at all but I did go to VT. For the money issue, Blacksburg is a lot cheaper than many places...when I was there a few years back you could easily get a single apartment downtown for around $500-600s, and if you have roommates it gets really cheap! I'm sure that's changed now but overall it has solid apartment/condo complexes so I would not worry about the stipend at all. As far as repute, the engineering is suppose to be amazing! I met a guy who decided to go to another in state school that is seen as being more 'high-brow' than VT and immediately regretted it. He majored in some kind of engineering and tried to transfer to VT later but he couldn't...

So obviously I am biased and I have no idea about the dept in Delaware but there is my 2 cents!