Comment Liberal Arts (Score 1) 991
I went to a liberal arts school for my CS and engineering degrees. It was #1 in the nation two years while I was there, and has never been out of the top 3. For whatever US News rankings are worth. Not much in my eyes, but people seem to value it. And I wouldn't change my decision to go there. It has opened a lot of doors for me.
But choice of school depends on what you're looking for. Despite being strongly math/science oriented, I want to take classes in other disciplines. I wanted to be surrounded by smart people (mission accomplished), and, frankly, I wanted to have a top school on my resume.
The advantages of a liberal arts degree are enormous, particularly if you go to a well-regarded school. The most important thing you will learn in college, regardless of your degree, is how to think critically and communicate effectively. And there's not a better place to go to learn that than a liberal arts school. That's what a liberal arts education is.
And if you're concerned about employers looking down their nose at you for not goign to a tech school, don't be. Coming out of college, they know you're not going to have much, if any, experience, regardless of where you go. For entry-level positions, they primarily want someone smart with the appropriate degree. Beyond that, they'll teach you what you need to know to work for them.
If you want a more tech-oriented school, but with a good range of liberal arts opportunities, look at Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd, and other similar schools.
And also consider whether you'll be an engineer your whole career. I think liberal arts is best because it prepares you for a broad range of careers. If you want to specialize, you can do it by choosing the right jobs, or by getting advanced degrees.
But the bottom line is, any school is primarily going to be what you make if it. You can get a great education at a mediocre state school, if you word hard. And you can get a crap education at Harvard, if don't do anything.
Pick the school that fits you best, not what you think other people will want to see on your resume. You have no idea what they want, and you're the one that has to spend 4 years there.
But choice of school depends on what you're looking for. Despite being strongly math/science oriented, I want to take classes in other disciplines. I wanted to be surrounded by smart people (mission accomplished), and, frankly, I wanted to have a top school on my resume.
The advantages of a liberal arts degree are enormous, particularly if you go to a well-regarded school. The most important thing you will learn in college, regardless of your degree, is how to think critically and communicate effectively. And there's not a better place to go to learn that than a liberal arts school. That's what a liberal arts education is.
And if you're concerned about employers looking down their nose at you for not goign to a tech school, don't be. Coming out of college, they know you're not going to have much, if any, experience, regardless of where you go. For entry-level positions, they primarily want someone smart with the appropriate degree. Beyond that, they'll teach you what you need to know to work for them.
If you want a more tech-oriented school, but with a good range of liberal arts opportunities, look at Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd, and other similar schools.
And also consider whether you'll be an engineer your whole career. I think liberal arts is best because it prepares you for a broad range of careers. If you want to specialize, you can do it by choosing the right jobs, or by getting advanced degrees.
But the bottom line is, any school is primarily going to be what you make if it. You can get a great education at a mediocre state school, if you word hard. And you can get a crap education at Harvard, if don't do anything.
Pick the school that fits you best, not what you think other people will want to see on your resume. You have no idea what they want, and you're the one that has to spend 4 years there.
