East Coast LACS with Engineering

[Anonymous]

Starting to kick off the college search for DS who is a junior. We have visited 10 or so colleges while on vacation/when he travelled for sports so he is now getting a sense of what he thinks he would like. So far DS liked Lehigh and Lafayette and as of now he is looking for a LAC that is mid-sized that also has engineering. Looking for a somewhat walkable campus / not one where you have to take busses to most classes, and is open to non LAC schools, but would want a somewhat contained campus. He is also very outgoing, likes the outdoors, but not a skier. He is not planning on playing college level for his sports but would like a campus where he can do intramural/club.

Is there a list out there that I can send him to get started? Any good suggestions?

He has a 3.92 UW GPA in a magnet school. Currently taking most rigorous courses. Looking for the full range from reaches to perceived safeties.

TIA!

[Anonymous]

Bucknell
Union
Rose Hullman
Colorado Mines
Not SLACs but Hopkins, case, CMU, Loyola Md, Villanova are smallish schools with engineering close enough to visit just to see what he thinks.
Also, Pitt, though large, has pretty self contained engineering school, making it seem smaller.

[Anonymous]

Union is an engineering focused LAC.

What about LACs does he like? Most liberal arts schools are focused on the liberal arts, which does not traditionally include engineering. There are some schools that offer 3/2 programs. There are other schools like WPI that encourages a liberal arts-y like brradth to the engineering curriculum. There are other schools like Rose Hulman that are the size of many LACs.

[Anonymous]

Lehigh and Lafayette are a good start.
I would agree with the Union suggestion.
He might also add Dartmouth as a reach -- feels more like an LAC. Possibly, U Rochester. And, Olin -- really small and creative in consortium with Wellesley and Babson (assuming guys can take the Wellesley classes).

WPI, Manhattan and York might make good likelies.

[Anonymous]

What makes these LACs?

Rose Hullman
Colorado Mines

Because they have low population and don't have large research labs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What makes these LACs?

Rose Hullman
Colorado Mines

Because they have low population and don't have large research labs?

I suggested Rose Hulman because, like LACs, it doesn't have a graduate school. But it really depends on what elements of "liberal arts" the OP's child wants.

[Anonymous]

OP here - So far he has liked the size of the LACs he visited - liked that they were smaller contained campuses, you did not need a car or a bus to get around, and could easily walk to classes.

For the ones we visited they seemed like a "better" mix of students as opposed to it being a 70/30 ratio of men to women and everyone is just STEM focused. That was the first thing that jumped out at him at RIT.

As of now he things he wants to do engineering, but likes that fact that if it is not an engineering school he has options. That is something weighing on his mind since many of his older cousins pivoted once they got to college.

My DS is a very outgoing person and has been a leader, so he would like to have some emphasis on being well rounded and gain basic skills that will help him if he takes on a managerial role later.

[Anonymous]

That was the appeal of Union to us. SLAC, but with some decent engineering options. Worked out well and ended up getting masters in engineering at T20 school afterwards and had a good exposure to future finance bros at Union and brilliant tech bros in the grad school.

[Anonymous]

OP again - other response was cut off. He also likes LAC since they tend to have smaller classes from the start and less lecture hall type classes and can more participate in research / projects a bit easier than state schools that focus on graduate students.

[Anonymous]

Swarthmore has an accredited engineering degree. I do not recommend 3+ programs as acceptance into the engineering school portion is not generally guaranteed.

[Anonymous]

Trinity in CT

https://www.trincoll.edu/engineering/

But I might prefer the aforementioned Union.

[Anonymous]

Swarthmore. Very difficult admit if not hooked.

[Anonymous]

Lehigh and Lafeyetee both have amazing engineering programs. Trinity is smaller, but a great underrated school.

[Anonymous]

Lehigh is not a LAC, though as a university it has a college of arts and sciences among its five colleges (health, business and education in addition to engineering and liberal arts). Lafayette is a LAC.

[Anonymous]

UDenver