Does a fourth tier college make sense?

Question

especially for engineering student

Answer 1

There are some disadvantages to 4th tier schools - that's why they are in the 4th tier! But that doesnt mean that you have no hope of getting a good education if you go there.

College rankings depend a lot on things that are not directly connected with you and your personal education. Like, in the classroom with you, are all the kids really smart and hardworking, or are there some good offs. 4th tier schools tend to have a lot of goof offs. And, how important is the physical facility? The top schools have amazing campuses with a lot of impressive buildings and big libraries and gyms and lecture halls and concert halls. You can survive without that stuff - except, if you are an engineer, you do need some decent labs to work in.
And, top schools have a lot of famous faculty with PhDs. Sometimes 4th tier schools have people with MS or MA degrees teaching, and they are not famous. But they might be good teachers who will take the time to help you.

If you have a choice, go to a higher ranked school. But if it is a matter of a big scholarship vs no scholarship and your family is not rich, then you might want to go to the 4th tier school. If you work hard and are serious about your work, then the school will be what you make it!

Answer 2

Try hard nto to focus too much on college rankings. By and large, they are not reliable in measuring a student's success. If this "fourth-tier" college feels like the right fit for you, even more so than a second or third-tier, then you should go! You may be surprised. Often times, it is the lesser-known colleges that produce the best students.