College Choice

Michael_T

NU '26
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
692
Hello to all!

I am in search of some advice, for ROTC related university... I desire to major in Aerospace Engineering, after I graduate High School, and I've been lead down to two top schools, that I am direly interested in.

The first one is Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and the other is Purdue University. I do understand that Purdue is more well know compared to Embry, but when I've done my research on both schools, Embry Riddle seems to be more my type. I am also aware that both schools have ROTC programs, which I plan to participate in, with/without a scholarship.

I enjoy literally the fact that ERAU is like 30 - 40 minutes from Kennedy Space Center, which is of course incredible.

I just request some advice, and maybe some tips, etc.

Thank you in advance.
 
My friend's son works for Pratt and Whitney as an engineer and loved Purdue.
 
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ERAU has a fine reputation in the aviation community, which is what matters. Purdue is a fine school too, but its is more well-known to the general public because it is a Big Ten football school. Pick the school that appeals to you.
 
ERAU has a fine reputation in the aviation community, which is what matters. Purdue is a fine school too, but its is more well-known to the general public because it is a Big Ten football school. Pick the school that appeals to you.
Thank you.. I don't really look at the sports aspect, but that is something possibly to consider.
 
I cannot assess the ins and outs of any particular discipline at a given college, but as an outsider I can say that reputation-wise, Purdue has an excellent reputation in the engineering disciplines. In contrast, I don't know anything about Embry-Riddle's reputation in engineering. When I think of Embry-Riddle, I think of aviation/making pilots. Pilots can be, but of course need not be, engineers. Incidentally, Purdue also has a top-ranked pilot program.

In sum, if your focus is aerospace engineering, I'd say Purdue. If it's becoming a pilot, then I'd say either, although I'm sure Embry-Riddle has way, way more spots. Purdue is also cheaper.
 
The main engineering building at Purdue is called Armstrong Hall. In front of it is a statue of a dashing young man during his undergrad days. And next to that statue, stamped in the concrete, is a footprint depicting that man’s first step on the Moon.

Interestingly, Neil Armstrong majored in aeronautical engineering. And he purportedly chose Purdue over MIT after watching a Purdue-Ohio State football game (take note, @NJROTC-CC). Don’t know if Embry-Riddle was on his list of potential colleges.

One thing I like about Purdue is that it’s a Big Ten school but doesn’t feel like a Big Ten campus. It’s a fairly compact and closed-off campus that’s more akin to private Northwestern than the sprawling public behemoths such as Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, etc.
 
My DD will be starting at ERAU this fall. She originally was interested in Aerospace Engineering program and also had Purdue on her interest list. She liked a couple other schools better (on paper), but after touring, she fell in love with ERAU. She switched to Mechanical Engineering with a high performance vehicle focus and with ERAU's large aerospace program, she will have access to some amazing lab facilities. She felt more comfortable on a smaller campus and the FL weather is much more similar to home (TX). She loves the size of the ROTC program on campus because it is prominent and active but it won't overwhelm her entire school experience. She has been surprised by the number of people in the various engineering fields are very encouraging of her attending ERAU. They all have told her its a great school with a great reputation in the industry.
 
Both should be excellent choices in terms of the quality of your education. Pick the one that fits you best. Try to visit both schools in person if possible; and be sure to go when classes are in session. DS and I visited Purdue and liked it a lot. Beautiful campus with a great feel. He ultimately chose the "sprawling public behemoth" (@MidCakePa) that is Michigan.
 
Both should be excellent choices in terms of the quality of your education. Pick the one that fits you best. Try to visit both schools in person if possible; and be sure to go when classes are in session. DS and I visited Purdue and liked it a lot. Beautiful campus with a great feel. He ultimately chose the "sprawling public behemoth" (@MidCakePa) that is Michigan.
My DD will be starting at ERAU this fall. She originally was interested in Aerospace Engineering program and also had Purdue on her interest list. She liked a couple other schools better (on paper), but after touring, she fell in love with ERAU. She switched to Mechanical Engineering with a high performance vehicle focus and with ERAU's large aerospace program, she will have access to some amazing lab facilities. She felt more comfortable on a smaller campus and the FL weather is much more similar to home (TX). She loves the size of the ROTC program on campus because it is prominent and active but it won't overwhelm her entire school experience. She has been surprised by the number of people in the various engineering fields are very encouraging of her attending ERAU. They all have told her its a great school with a great reputation in the industry.
Thank you a lot!
 
Can't go wrong either way, but these are very different environments. ERAU is much smaller -- it would be hard to make it "big." Purdue can be made "small," but a student needs to make a serious, sustained effort to make that happen.
 
Son got accepted to both and went to Purdue. He visited both and chose Purdue right away. The thing is the Purdue (if you are interested) is a more collegiate type of place. While I can't tell if male to female ratio is 50/50 at Purdue, Embry Riddle is like 80% male. He and my wife felt Embry was a more sterile environment, more regimented as so many of the students are in Rotc. Everyone will have a different opinion and feel about the place. My younger son's friend with to Embry Riddle in Arizona and wasn't crazy about it. He transferred to the one in Florida and really liked it. Obviously, go visit both places and see. My sons major was aviation. Purdue is a huge school. However, since the Aviation program is small, the aviation community at Purdue is tight and you get all of the advantages of going to a small school and a big school. AS for the engineering school, my son's best friend majored in aerospace engineering. It is a tough program. Their initial engineering classes are very hard and they use them to filter out those who won't be able to hack the major. That is why it relatively easy to get into the Purdue Engineering school, but not easy to stay in it. My son's friend got his degree in engineering and then went to law school so that can combine law and engineering together. basically a patent lawyer
 
The main engineering building at Purdue is called Armstrong Hall. In front of it is a statue of a dashing young man during his undergrad days. And next to that statue, stamped in the concrete, is a footprint depicting that man’s first step on the Moon.

Interestingly, Neil Armstrong majored in aeronautical engineering. And he purportedly chose Purdue over MIT after watching a Purdue-Ohio State football game (take note, @NJROTC-CC). Don’t know if Embry-Riddle was on his list of potential colleges.

One thing I like about Purdue is that it’s a Big Ten school but doesn’t feel like a Big Ten campus. It’s a fairly compact and closed-off campus that’s more akin to private Northwestern than the sprawling public behemoths such as Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, etc.
He also got a down/pink sheet (failed a flight in Navy flight school). Humans, amirite?
 
Hello to all!

I am in search of some advice, for ROTC related university... I desire to major in Aerospace Engineering, after I graduate High School, and I've been lead down to two top schools, that I am direly interested in.

The first one is Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and the other is Purdue University. I do understand that Purdue is more well know compared to Embry, but when I've done my research on both schools, Embry Riddle seems to be more my type. I am also aware that both schools have ROTC programs, which I plan to participate in, with/without a scholarship.

I enjoy literally the fact that ERAU is like 30 - 40 minutes from Kennedy Space Center, which is of course incredible.

I just request some advice, and maybe some tips, etc.

Thank you in advance.
recommend you visit both schools. Outline lists of the strengths and perceived weaknesses of each school. Stay overnight with midshipmen, cadets, go to classes with them, and ask the questions on your mind - for the answers, apply the 5 why’s (keep asking why and keep probing to understand these details and perhaps why that matters) - Including, why does that point maybe matter less than it seems? Make your own list, but here’s a couple of examples. Feel welcome to come back to the board for validation of your impressions and to share what you learned with others.

Examples:

Is Purdue academically Stronger. Better reputation, higher ranking? Better Alumni network?Yes, IMO but it matters less. if you excel in AE, get a high GPA, and come out with a few years of military officer experience, an AE degree, and Nasa internships, strong experiences, you will be highly sought after for a career with a degree from either school.
Is Purdue in bumble Indiana?(you can fill this one out)
Weather matters to mePalm trees, beach time, Orlando, Disney, golfing year round, hopper flights to the Bahamas, daytona speedway races, etc. Not happening in Lafayette Indiana often unless you like golfing in the snow with bright orange balls for months a year. But crisp fall nights, season changes, Big-10 sports are not happening at ERAU.
Is ERAU all dudes?Yes, actually, mostly - it mostly is. But there are thousands of woman to meet from around the country -other colleges, Disney interns - with a little ambition your experience could be filled with beach cookouts, pool parties, etc.
Embry is near NasaYes, and has lots of internships and on-campus involvement. Fair warning though - you’re involvement with ROTC means you won’t be available for an immediate hire after college. They know this. So your attractiveness for internships from Boeing, Nasa, the Airlines, et al. goes lower vs your fellow students who can join them out of school - Just stating the facts. But an internship at Nasa can happen, and agree would be awesome.
What if I want to change my major?No question Purdue has a wider variety of majors to choose from should AE not work out. But if you’re locked in and succeed then again I think both are viable.
Where do you feel most at "home" ? where would you have the most exciting experience for what's important to you? Note this, pay attention to it, and ignore placing "ranking" over this feeling.
 
recommend you visit both schools. Outline lists of the strengths and perceived weaknesses of each school. Stay overnight with midshipmen, cadets, go to classes with them, and ask the questions on your mind - for the answers, apply the 5 why’s (keep asking why and keep probing to understand these details and perhaps why that matters) - Including, why does that point maybe matter less than it seems? Make your own list, but here’s a couple of examples. Feel welcome to come back to the board for validation of your impressions and to share what you learned with others.

Examples:

Is Purdue academically Stronger. Better reputation, higher ranking? Better Alumni network?Yes, IMO but it matters less. if you excel in AE, get a high GPA, and come out with a few years of military officer experience, an AE degree, and Nasa internships, strong experiences, you will be highly sought after for a career with a degree from either school.
Is Purdue in bumble Indiana?(you can fill this one out)
Weather matters to mePalm trees, beach time, Orlando, Disney, golfing year round, hopper flights to the Bahamas, daytona speedway races, etc. Not happening in Lafayette Indiana often unless you like golfing in the snow with bright orange balls for months a year. But crisp fall nights, season changes, Big-10 sports are not happening at ERAU.
Is ERAU all dudes?Yes, actually, mostly - it mostly is. But there are thousands of woman to meet from around the country -other colleges, Disney interns - with a little ambition your experience could be filled with beach cookouts, pool parties, etc.
Embry is near NasaYes, and has lots of internships and on-campus involvement. Fair warning though - you’re involvement with ROTC means you won’t be available for an immediate hire after college. They know this. So your attractiveness for internships from Boeing, Nasa, the Airlines, et al. goes lower vs your fellow students who can join them out of school - Just stating the facts. But an internship at Nasa can happen, and agree would be awesome.
What if I want to change my major?No question Purdue has a wider variety of majors to choose from should AE not work out. But if you’re locked in and succeed then again I think both are viable.
Where do you feel most at "home" ? where would you have the most exciting experience for what's important to you?Note this, pay attention to it, and ignore placing "ranking" over this feeling.
Purdue. it can be very cold in the winter. My son didn't have much of an issue with it but his friend who started a year early had a miserable first year because of the weather. Either the winter wasn't as bad the following years, my son can handle it better or his friend was a wuss about it. Both boys are from Southern California, so neither had ever experienced real cold. They have a saying in Indiana and to be honest it is said in many other places, but it goes like this, "if you don't like the weather right now, just wait 5 minutes, it will change" Obviously Florida weather will be a lot better. Lived in Miami for 5 years and outside of California, you can't beat it (no humidity in CA). In terms of big cities, you have Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. If you go to Purdue, you have Indianapolis and Chicago. Not that my son ever went to either place when he attended

It has been 7 years since my wife and son visited ERAU in Dayton, so things may have changed. They thought the area was grungy and not very nice. West Lafayette (Purdue) isn't Beverly Hills either but the city was built around the University and they have been doing a lot of construction there. West Lafayette is part of the main city of Lafayette and just like any other city, some parts are better than others. Everything around West Lafayette revolves around the University. Outside of the admin and teachers, the city is basically run by college students for college students.

If you like sports, then Purdue has D1 sports. My son's freshman dorm had the Football Stadium behind him and the Basketball stadium to his side. Bought him a universal pass (freshman year) to any game on campus which he used once and never bought it again.
 
Lafayette, Indiana has a White Castle so you no longer have to drive an hour and a half from Purdue to Indy if a midnight craving hits.

Road trip with four. Leave Thursday night skipping Friday/Saturday classes. Drive to beach in Florida in the middle of winter. Be back in time for Monday morning class with a sunburn.

Will never, ever miss walking to final exams in December from the dorms wearing two coats and two sets of gloves with temps of 20 below without wind chill factored in and fingers being numb just walking from dorm to the street to begin the walk.
 
Lafayette, Indiana has a White Castle so you no longer have to drive an hour and a half from Purdue to Indy if a midnight craving hits.

Road trip with four. Leave Thursday night skipping Friday/Saturday classes. Drive to beach in Florida in the middle of winter. Be back in time for Monday morning class with a sunburn.

Will never, ever miss walking to final exams in December from the dorms wearing two coats and two sets of gloves with temps of 20 below without wind chill factored in and fingers being numb just walking from dorm to the street to begin the walk.
Eh... Doesn't sound too much like my forte.
 
Hi Michael,

In my opinion, with in-state tuition that I assume you would have, Purdue is a tremendous value. Plus, an aero engineering degree from Purdue is well-respected by alumni of the other "sprawling public behemoths," which extends the professional network. I no longer work in the industry but at least one that I know of with 30+ years (he's watching TV at the moment) would agree.

But, FL would be a nice change of scenery for you! :)
 
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