McDaniel College for 2e kid interested in Physics & Engineering

[Anonymous]

Looking for timely advice for 2e student not ready (IMHO) for rigorous mechanical engineering program. Looking at McDaniel College because seems supportive, but Physics w/ Engineering concentration (3/2 dual degree) is fast-paced and accelerated credit load.

I’m jumping in last minute (11th grade) because his DC Mama is very ill. I don’t want his dyslexia to ruin his GPA in a humanities/reading-heavy LAC program.

So worried about her and his future (but trying not to show it to either of them.)

[Anonymous]

Also looking at McDaniel for my dyslexic 2e kid interested in stem (physics, math, chem - unsure of the specifics atm) but a year behind in only 10th rn, so curious about responses as well.

[Anonymous]

If he wants to study engineering, go to a school that offers engineering. A 3/2 program costs extra and requires that he leave his friends before senior year.

If he wants a small, supportive school with engineering, consider Rose Hulman, Clarkson, WPI.

[Anonymous]

I’m not confident he’ll be accepted to MechEng programs with 3.3 uw GPA, even though from rigorous college prep school. As a 2e learner, he’s spent much effort to get B’s in non-STEM classes while breezing to A+’s in STEMs.

He’ll be first-gen college student, so he works labor jobs while his school friends land connected Summer internships and incredible learning opportunities. His teachers are very optimistic about collegiate success. i
Hoping I can find the right fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he wants to study engineering, go to a school that offers engineering. A 3/2 program costs extra and requires that he leave his friends before senior year.

If he wants a small, supportive school with engineering, consider Rose Hulman, Clarkson, WPI.

This is not a student for WPI. The fast paced term system and lack of consistent advising support would likely be detrimental.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not confident he’ll be accepted to MechEng programs with 3.3 uw GPA, even though from rigorous college prep school. As a 2e learner, he’s spent much effort to get B’s in non-STEM classes while breezing to A+’s in STEMs.

He’ll be first-gen college student, so he works labor jobs while his school friends land connected Summer internships and incredible learning opportunities. His teachers are very optimistic about collegiate success. i
Hoping I can find the right fit.

Your son will not have a problem getting into engineering programs, especially with As in STEM classes and completion of calculus and physics C. I recommend Clarkson and suggest looking at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), which has an excellent reputation for being supportive of students with executive functioning needs. Syracuse offers another option as a larger school with a smaller engineering program that provides good support services. For larger institutions with established support systems, consider Auburn and Arizona - your son would qualify for automatic admission to Arizona. Bucknell is also worth exploring for its excellent engineering program. While grades might be a concern for Bucknell, it's still worth investigating.

Don't be overly influenced by DCUM opinions regarding ECs, summer internships, or anything beyond grades and test scores. My child had great success with engineering school admissions recently with no engineering ECs, STEM ECs, or internships. An unweighted 3.3 GPA with As in STEM courses and strong math SAT/ACT scores should provide your son with plenty of options. Will he get into MIT? No. Will he gain admission to a terrific mechanical engineering program? Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he wants to study engineering, go to a school that offers engineering. A 3/2 program costs extra and requires that he leave his friends before senior year.

If he wants a small, supportive school with engineering, consider Rose Hulman, Clarkson, WPI.

+1. Also, engineering requires a lot of reading to graduate.

[Anonymous]

RIT and UMBC are two schools with a supportive nature for all students.

My 2E child intended to double major in Physics and EE - that ended when he hit Modern Physics, so not sure starting as a physics major would help. If he doesn't want engineering as an option McDaniels would be a good option.