#Tufts vs. UConn

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

trail palm
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Major: Chemical Engineering (but open to switching to other engineering disciplines)

Tufts University
Pros:

  • Fit (love the student culture), focused on undergrads
  • Smaller class sizes
  • Strong alumni network/support from faculty to get resources (like internships, co-ops)
  • Well-rounded (get both engineering + humanities education)
  • Undeclared major until end of 1st year (more time to explore different fields)
  • Location (near Boston) --> lots of biotech opportunities, I can walk everywhere

Cons:

  • Cost (estimated 25k/yr, probably not changing much)
  • Scholarship displacement 😟, can’t reduce cost at all
  • Housing not guaranteed for junior + senior yr (worried about housing security)
  • Not that strong in engineering?
    **
    University of Connecticut **
    Pros:
  • Strong, small chemical engineering program
  • Concentration in biomolecular engineering
  • Cost (don’t know yet bc FASFA sucks, but predicted 17k/yr if I remain salutatorian, 34k/yr if I don’t)
  • Scholarships will reduce cost (!)
  • Honors college (1st pick of classes, dorms, etc.)
  • Good job placements after grad (large job fairs, engineering job fair)

Cons:

  • Large campus and student body
  • Competitive bc size (less internships + research opportunities)
  • Dorms seem kind of bad ngl
  • In state… 😟

Tiebreaker Considerations:

  • If Tufts’ job placement/career fairs for eng grads is really good, I will probably go
  • If I receive UConn’s Presidential Scholarship as salutatorian, I will probably go
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Tufts vs. UConn

trail palm
surreal basin
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I would imagine that UCon being big in general shouldnt hurt internship chances for a small major program, since it's not like there are only X number of jobs for UCon grads
Idk how big of a deal cost is for you, but the scholarship displacement is a bit icky

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I'll look to see if I can find Tufts engi job placement stats

pine tartan
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@waxen bison

waxen bison
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Hi! Current tufts student. We also have job fairs just for engineering as well, a job fair each semester (for everyone), and an engineering networking night where you can talk to alumni who work in your area of interest

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I have a few Chem E friends who all seemed to have found internships as sophomores for the summer in Boston. I can talk to them more about that this weekend as they know more than me

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We’re also a research university so if that’s something you’re interested in, it’s not hard to get involved. Typically ppl just reach out to professors and they either have the connections or have a lab themselves

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I also wouldn’t stress too much about the housing security. From what I’ve seen everyone ends up with housing even if it’s off campus.

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Final note is, you do have to declare second semester of your freshman year (usually in February). This is just so you’re on track to finish the major on time. You do also get first dibs on math, science, and major specific classes just not housing like uconn

pine tartan
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@trail palm

viscid pond
waxen bison
trail palm
trail palm
trail palm
waxen bison
# trail palm ohh okay. is it generally more expensive to get off campus housing than to stick...

To reply to both: I'm sure the chem e job market should get better, you have a good 2-3 years before you have to really stress out about it, but I also don't know much about the major so I'm probably not the right one to speak on this.

Regarding you're other question about housing, I believe it's a little more expensive to go off campus especially if you wanna be really close. I also believe that if you have financial aid, they'll refund you the price of housing (if that's what you get off) so you can use that refund to pay for rent and utilities

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Also, if you have a good group of friends it will make finding housing easier. Lot's of ppl find a house and just pull in people so there are tons of opporotunities. Another thing you can do (a lot of ppl don't know this) is if you didn't get housing on campus and you cant find housing off campus you can email the housing diractor for help. This worked for 2 of my suitemates and they were able to secure their rooms that way. Housing always has rooms laying around

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I actually just switched my housing for next year and I was given 3 options to choose for (despite me not being able to pick those places when I chose in November).

pine tartan
trail palm
brittle dune
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so is 25k/yr excluding loan?