I just wanted to get everyones opinon. I searched and maybe i didnt do it right but i came back with nothing. I googled and a few of other forms had the same question but I quite frankly dont trust there opinon as much as i do you guys.

Can you guys give me some info on experience going to either schools. Pros and cons.

Also managing living, working or not working while in school.

Also for those who have completed the either one what type of job were you able to land after compared to before you went to school.

People who went to UTI from what i've read on NICO regret it and say its a waste of money. I havent heard anything on WyoTech yet. The websites for both make both schools look "awesome" but that might just not be the case.

Thanks Guys and Gals...

What area of study?

Automotive Tech with NATT or something like that. Havent quite made up my mind yet. I have a general idea though of where I want to head with it.

thats exactly wat im going for and am wonering the same thing?? i even made a thread on here but ill check out some info on that other school. my friend just got accepted to the bmw-step program with UTI worth over 25k all expenses paid w/housing, food,and etc!!! he's gotta go all the way to arizona though!! i think it would be better if you had some kind of degree to start with and certifications to go along with what you know of your field. im currently doing the certify's now in hopes of getting a better chance of getting in on a full ride scholarship!!

I think Ryan (ryanawesome) went to one of those schools. He's working for Porsche right now. However, that doesn't mean its an automatic "in." There is still hard work and devotion to school to make yourself appealing to those higher tier automotive companies.

Dano and JDMFreak went to UTI...they say nay on it.

Mr1der wrote:Dano and JDMFreak went to UTI...they say nay on it.

This is what I always hear.

I'm doing engineering at a real school, but am lazy so have always paid attention to discussion on these schools.

It seems like they mostly put you in place to work for a dealership. I could have a job for Toyota right now if I wanted that, they have a community college program called T TEN that will pretty much guarantee you a spot in a Toyota shop, and costs community college prices.

If you went through it, networked and busted your *** you could probably work your self out a decent to pretty good "tech" position. Its not a replacement for an engineering degree (or anything close from what I have read).

What advantage would an engineering degree have someone who wants to work on engines(upgrading/rebuilding/ boosting etc) vs going to a tech school for mechanics?

You have a better chance actually working for Nissan, Toyota, Honda or said dealership instead of being somewhat limited to a Nissan Dealership or Hank's Mufflers

degree = the sky's the limittech school = the limit's the sky

If you just want to modify cars I wouldn't bother with an engineering degree. That would be more for if you wanted to actually design the parts you are using.

For the most part I would imagine your just looking to work in a shop that modifies cars. Go take the quickest route to becoming a mechanic and spend some years getting real experience as a mechanic. Read books on performance and fabrication and practice on your own time, and get a degree in business at nights.

Most of those shops aren't looking for engineering students to work on cars. They want people with experience and I imagine a lot of it is knowing people.

if I've learned anything from working on cars...auto engineers have never worked on cars.

go to school, get a real degree.

Engineering pays well and its fun.

Its all of what you make of it. Its like a lot of guys I know up here go to OTC ( Ohio Technical College) and complain they didn't learn anything. Then theres people I know who've gone there and learned a ton. It's all what you make of your time there, where ever you go.

Thank you guys for the helpfull information. I pretty much am thinking its a negative on both. I'm already going to college at USF and on my third year for mechanical engineering. I just was looking at doing something for a year that sparked my interest but to me it sounds as if its no differant then my local tech schools auto class besides its specialty classes and nascar program.

I think i'm gonna just stick with doing ME.

Working at a dealership all my life isnt excactly what I had in mind. I'm more wanting to learn about high performance builds, and everything that goes along with it.

dana!!im on aim!!!

I got it!!!!

hahaha

Red coupe wrote:If you just want to modify cars I wouldn't bother with an engineering degree. That would be more for if you wanted to actually design the parts you are using.

For the most part I would imagine your just looking to work in a shop that modifies cars. Go take the quickest route to becoming a mechanic and spend some years getting real experience as a mechanic. Read books on performance and fabrication and practice on your own time, and get a degree in business at nights.

Most of those shops aren't looking for engineering students to work on cars. They want people with experience and I imagine a lot of it is knowing people.

Thanks.

NICO ME's unite!!

Go for degree. More area on which to fall back.

We have a tech here who went to UTI and I have a friend from high school who went to Wyo Tech. The guy who went to Wyo Tech works as a civilian contractor now at a military missle silo in Wyoming. He went out there with intentions of building street rods and ended up in that position.

If you apply yourself and listen you will learn something. It you go into class half caulked you will interfere with the intake of knowledge. I know 2 instructors at UTI. Both say their biggest problem with newer students is the youthful know it all attitude that interferes with the lesson at hand. "Someone reads something in a magazine,disrupts the session and trys to one up the instructors all the time" Those are the guys walking out with only the knowledge of the magazine artical because they are not focusing on the course. UTI,Wyotech are not going to teach you how to boost a car. They are going to teach you how to fix the other 90+% of the populations cars.

With that said when you graduate from either school you are NOT going to make all that great pay they promise you. You are going to start out at lube tech wages most anywhere you go. You ask your self why that is. Because you dont have experiance. What you learn in school does not suppliment the trials and tribulations experinace needed to be good at it.

I have had 2 apprentices under me, one from a community college with an AA degree in automotive technology and one from Wyotech. Neither of them were capable of earning 100% of the time they work on the flat rate system. The one from the community college is more knowledgable then the wyotech guy but he worked for a state refferee for 2 yrs before coming here. He has been with our dealer for almost 2yrs now and was with the ref before, he is now just barley able to make 100% on flat rate. And the rate of pay is not that good.

NISTECH wrote:If you apply yourself and listen you will learn something. It you go into class half caulked you will interfere with the intake of knowledge. I know 2 instructors at UTI. Both say their biggest problem with newer students is the youthful know it all attitude that interferes with the lesson at hand. "Someone reads something in a magazine,disrupts the session and trys to one up the instructors all the time" Those are the guys walking out with only the knowledge of the magazine artical because they are not focusing on the course. UTI,Wyotech are not going to teach you how to boost a car. They are going to teach you how to fix the other 90+% of the populations cars.

With that said when you graduate from either school you are NOT going to make all that great pay they promise you. You are going to start out at lube tech wages most anywhere you go. You ask your self why that is. Because you dont have experiance. What you learn in school does not suppliment the trials and tribulations experinace needed to be good at it.

I have had 2 apprentices under me, one from a community college with an AA degree in automotive technology and one from Wyotech. Neither of them were capable of earning 100% of the time they work on the flat rate system. The one from the community college is more knowledgable then the wyotech guy but he worked for a state refferee for 2 yrs before coming here. He has been with our dealer for almost 2yrs now and was with the ref before, he is now just barley able to make 100% on flat rate. And the rate of pay is not that good.

That was very helpful information. Not only I but a handful of friends have been talking about those schools. Most of us already attending college or have and want to go just to learn mainly for personal enjoyment. But from what i am learning from you all and others I've spoke with that its not the way to go. Also from what I'm learning it will not get me to where I want to go with it.

I really appreciate everyones input on this topic. I've shown my friends this thread and we are currently discussing a different routes we could take to get to where we want to go with this.

It all comes down to how much effort you want to put in. I am attending Baran Institute of technology, it sucks, all of these tech schools suck. Make the best of it.

i am 90% sure i will be going to wyotech next fall at their wyoming campus in laramie, wyoming.

i have already met with reps from the college and this place seems awesome.

i am going for collision repair and refinishing.pretty much body work in laymans terms

it is a 9 month program and i will recieve an associates degree.

im am really looking forward to it.

after graduation they will help you find a job, and 98% of students end up with a job right out of the school.

it seems like a really good school!!!!!!!

OMG! How long has my mom been on here as an option? I hate you guys.

Pittsburg State University FTW! thats were im gonna be going in the fall for automotive

I went to Minnesota State. I would highly recommend their automotive program. Not sure about now, but at the time I went there, they were the only school in the country that was ABET accredited in Automotive Engineering Technology. Give it a look: http://cset.mnsu.edu/aet/

i go to uti right now at the orlando campus. So far i dont have anything negative to say about it, but as some stated what happens when u graduate if up to you, if you do good in school and tests and keep a good record and stuff youll be a good candidate. So far ive learned alot more than i knew. Everything is at an acclerated pace of learning but they instructors i got so far take the time to make sure u understand.

The msat programs are hard to get into. Instructors say no its not hard but in reality it is. We all kno bs happens and in order to get into a msat u need 90 percent attendance or better, and for jobs at bmw and porshce and stuff u need 97-98 attendace rate. You also need a good driving record meaning no reckless driving and speeding tickets within a 3 year time frame. I may be already azzed out because those of u who kno i crashed my car about 3 weeks ago in rhe middle of the night. Well i was knocked unconcious and i was charged with reckless driving, went to court and i didnt know wat i was being charged with. Basically i had the choice of fightin it but that would mean i miss more time from school and obviously i need good attendance to make anything out of this school and i cant miss more than 2 days or i would attendance fail and repeat the class. So i opted to plead no contest to the charge even though i couldve fought it. In doin that i think itll appear on my record and that wont look good for me come time for msat, but shizz happens.

Other than that uti looks good to me, even though i dnt see myself working as a mechanic all my life.

Scuffed_ChukiCoupe wrote:i go to uti right now at the orlando campus. So far i dont have anything negative to say about it, but as some stated what happens when u graduate if up to you, if you do good in school and tests and keep a good record and stuff youll be a good candidate. So far ive learned alot more than i knew. Everything is at an acclerated pace of learning but they instructors i got so far take the time to make sure u understand.

The msat programs are hard to get into. Instructors say no its not hard but in reality it is. We all kno bs happens and in order to get into a msat u need 90 percent attendance or better, and for jobs at bmw and porshce and stuff u need 97-98 attendace rate. You also need a good driving record meaning no reckless driving and speeding tickets within a 3 year time frame. I may be already azzed out because those of u who kno i crashed my car about 3 weeks ago in rhe middle of the night. Well i was knocked unconcious and i was charged with reckless driving, went to court and i didnt know wat i was being charged with. Basically i had the choice of fightin it but that would mean i miss more time from school and obviously i need good attendance to make anything out of this school and i cant miss more than 2 days or i would attendance fail and repeat the class. So i opted to plead no contest to the charge even though i couldve fought it. In doin that i think itll appear on my record and that wont look good for me come time for msat, but shizz happens.

Other than that uti looks good to me, even though i dnt see myself working as a mechanic all my life.

Sorry about the crash I had one that was totaly my fault 3 years 2 weeks ago But i just had 2 within 2 months last fall but either one I wasnt ticketed for. Does that count?

Are you planning on using your experance at UTI for personal enjoyment? Or using it twards a career for a while? If i was going it would be just for personal enjoyment and better understanding. But i'm hearing so much neg i'm not sure. I wish I could walkin on classes and talk candid with the current students to get the real inside story on this school before I drop 25 grand just for fun if you know what i mean.

I had no idea they were that tight about the attendance rate, but i guess it does make sence. I guess there is no room for taking vacations.

i locked your poll and removed the retarded choices, also added the correct choice

if you want to work in a dealership as a technician dont waste your time or money on a tech school.

<- UTI graduate.

Since you are doing this for fun. I would suggest checking out your local community colleges. See if any of the instuctors are current techs in the feild. Alot of the instructors do the teaching as a moonlighting job at those schools where as at UTI and Wyotech they are carrer instructors and have not actually worked in the field for some time. Those instructors working currently in the field tend to be more up to date with real world diagnostics not book diagnostics. You are more likely to gain something useful from those classes, not tomention they are usually at night allowing you to have a regular day job while going to school. It does take a little longer going this route but the benifit is worth it.

As far as learning to boost a vehcile. In all the courses I have ever takin in the technical trade,both college and manufacturer training we never discussed creating fuel maps or spark curves. The only time anyone of my corses ever touched on fuel maps was in one of my state smog courses at a community college. Even then it only breifly discussed how to make the OEM computer self learn new fuel maps. If you want to learn programmable fuel maps and spark curves there is really only 2 ways to do this, either major in automotive engineering at a 4 year college as mentioned above or find a good tuner shop that will allow you to watch and ask alot of questions. Note your buddy with a JWT replacement ecm and a laptop he plays with it on is not the equivilant of a tuner shop.