Should I go to Virginia Tech or Penn State?

Look at Christopher Newport. They have graduate programs in applied physics as well so there’s that assuming you graduate. They went to D3 nats as a team a couple years ago.

Blacksburg is a dump and state college is cold af and snows too much.

VT > PSU on almost every dimension except football, and number of hours to drive to NYC. If neither the quality of football or approximate distance to NYC matter, then VT is your choice. Both schools suck for distance/XC running, so that should not be a deciding factor.

The kid I’m talking about ran 15:4X on the typically very slow PA state course. Top 30 at footlocker. You don’t think Penn States mediocre distance program would want that? I’m not lying homie, you just don’t know everything you think you do. Life will be a lot easier when you admit this.

Fwiw; I’m recommending the OP go to VT

Schools have limited roster spots. If you can’t place at conference, you aren’t helping if it is a bad team.

Max,

I coach at Stonebridge in SE Virginia, so I only get to see you a few times a year at the state meets. First of all, let me say congratulations on a great running career and on getting accepted into 2 great 4 year institutions.

Let me also share something. In the midst of your triple at the indoor state meet this year, I was walking by and you had 2 younger elementary or middle school kids run up to you. I have no idea of the relationship between you and the kids or if you had ever met them before. It would have been easy to blow them off and get some rest between a grueling schedule or to go hang out with your teammates, but you answered all of their questions and showed interest in them. It was a truly classy move.

So based on my very limited observations of you, you probably have a good enough head on your shoulders to make the right college decision without the LRC's advice. Good luck with your decision and in your future running and academic careers.

I go to a school very much on the level of CMU and Hopkins and, by God, you sound like such an arrogant POS. VT is a very good engineering school. You basically just said "the best engineering school in your home state that offered you in-state tuition sucks. You should go to this crazy expensive private school instead." He also just named two schools he got into. Maybe he didn't get into Hopkins, because it's hard to get into Hopkins. Besides, if he plans on staying in Virginia to work, Virginia-based employers probably see VT to be on level pegging with CMU, kinda like Texas employers see UT as Ivy-equivalent.

I agree. Please don't let anyone throw shade on either school.

And telling you to apply to CMU, in March, shows some people aren't in tune with your schedule.

So first, Congrads for getting into both, they are both very good engineering schools!

I went to PSU for grad school and one of my undergrad roommates went to VT for grad school in engineering. I don't think you could go wrong with either. You might find it very difficult to run Div 1 (assuming you can walk on) and do engineering, I barely survived this in Div III (though I'm sure you are a better student and runner), so don't make that a deciding factor.

Cost is really something to consider and as others indicated, it might drive you towards VT. I was only there once for my roommate's wedding and its a beautiful place, but PSU is a great college town and campus.

If you got into the honors program at PSU then I think you should consider this harder, you get kind of the best of both worlds, huge campus and faculty and more of a smaller program with more attention. Classes can get large for the first two years otherwise.

Good luck!

Wow. I agree with coach!

ThatAverageRunner wrote:

The kid I’m talking about ran 15:4X on the typically very slow PA state course. Top 30 at footlocker. You don’t think Penn States mediocre distance program would want that? I’m not lying homie, you just don’t know everything you think you do. Life will be a lot easier when you admit this.

Fwiw; I’m recommending the OP go to VT

The kid you are talking about then is faster than the OP as his PR on a known short course is not as good as a 15:4x on a slow course, so he is not slower than the OP as you stated. The OPs other times are not really Big Ten quality times either. If he were all on board with doing everything he could to get better, then my advice would be to go for it but understand that he might not make it. As it is, he didn't say anything about doing all he can do to get better, only that he wanted to focus on academics. A guy like that with a 9:28 3200 PR should go to a less competitive D1 conference or D3 or decide to run club.

I'm telling you that he definitely is not guaranteed to be able to walk on at PSU and that if he wants to run in college, he should consider going elsewhere. He should probably talk to the coaches about the possibility of walking on and then if they allow him to, what is the possibility he would be cut.

+1.

If you’re torn, the answer is clear - pick VT. Unless you’re abundantly sure you want PSU, pick VT. The cost difference is huge. Don’t overthink.

The one advantage PSU has is the alumni network. But if you want to live in the Washington area, may not be as big of an advantage.

Walking on at PSU wouldn't be automatic with your PRs. You could join club and have way more fun and way more time to study.

What did the Petrucelli Brothers say? Are they going to hire you as a runner between Pittsburgh & Richmond?

[/quote]I also have to laugh at PSU or VT are considered good schools. Yeah, I guess they are compared to a community college or something. Given his running ability, given STEM, and given that he wants to focus on academics, he's 100% better off at a Hopkins or a CMU than to be the 15th man in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a bunch of in-state morons.[/quote]

Both are great schools. What makes you think they aren't?

Which one has less shootings?

Hmmmm? wrote:

I also have to laugh at PSU or VT are considered good schools. Yeah, I guess they are compared to a community college or something. Given his running ability, given STEM, and given that he wants to focus on academics, he's 100% better off at a Hopkins or a CMU than to be the 15th man in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a bunch of in-state morons.[/quote]

Both are great schools. What makes you think they aren't?[/quote]

Because they're public schools that normal, non-elites go to. See the use of "in-state morons" in the last sentence.

I second this. Max is a class act, great racer, and shows better sportsmanship than even a lot of professional & collegiate runners. Ignore the trolls Max!

If your a pole vaulter go to VaTech. If your a 800m runner go to Penn State. Other than that FLIP A COIN...........

"non elites"

That says everything about you. Either you're a troll or trash. Either way, it would be waste of time to continue conversing with you. Have a good one, bud.

Thanks bro!

And thank you to everyone who has provided their input, friends and strangers alike. I will definitely take to heart your words of advice and caution regarding my decision.