Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul

[Anonymous]

Auburn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at University of Rochester

URochester is excellent. Also gives you a group that is "less nerdy" than many other engineering schools.

We also liked wpi and CWRU.

Did not like rpi--very nerdy, school has financial issues etc

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:WPI seemed almost joyful when we visited, although with the fast paced quarters, kids still work hard. Rose Hulman has small classes, even freshman year, which helps foster relationships with professors, which is protective against stress.

The 4x7-week quarter system is a crush though. Every 3.5 weeks you either have midterms or finals. You have finished the course when your friends at other engineering schools are approaching mid terms. You have to be a fast learner.

Not sure I would recommend going to a school that is on the quarter system to study engineering.

For some students, quarter system might not work as well as semester. If one falls behind for any reason (eg illness) on a quarter system, there just is not enough time to recover.

+1

My kid had wpi as their top safety. Seriously considered it along with all their other acceptances, they liked it that much. But ultimately ruled it out for the fast pace quarter system. My kid is very smart but loves to procrastinate, and smartly realized the 7 week system might not be the best for them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:WPI seemed almost joyful when we visited, although with the fast paced quarters, kids still work hard. Rose Hulman has small classes, even freshman year, which helps foster relationships with professors, which is protective against stress.

The 4x7-week quarter system is a crush though. Every 3.5 weeks you either have midterms or finals. You have finished the course when your friends at other engineering schools are approaching mid terms. You have to be a fast learner.

Not sure I would recommend going to a school that is on the quarter system to study engineering.

Cal Poly SLO is also a quarter-system school

a normal quarter system is very different from wpi 7 week system. Very different

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd really warn here against the advice of going to an "easier" engineering school for a less 'soul-sucking' process. Yes, the introductory classes are a grind, but just like any other step in your kids' education, think about the peers they'll be surrounded by. You want them to be intellectually challenged and with kids on their level.

Yes, engineering majors usually end up employed but the ranking of your program does matter for what companies recruit at your school. Just like any other field. And the reputation of your undergraduate program does affect graduate school admissions, for those considering post-grad education and training.

But you can go to a cwru or u Rochester and have less stress and be surrounded by very smart and motivated kids but who are also collaborative

You also can major in whatever you want and switch it up easily. So if you get a c in calc 2 or 3 you are not removed from your desired major

[Anonymous]

Engineering is just plain hard. It's a grind. You have to really want it. No matter what school you pick, just be prepared. I wish someone had told me this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Auburn

Good school, but does not fit OP's specific criteria.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you're going to study engineering, do it in California. Cal Poly SLO has some of the happiest students I've ever seen. At least you're slogging through a rigorous program and not having to battle seasonal affective disorder at the same time.

Cal Poly SLO is at least worth a look see. Great placement into Silly Valley tech jobs.

Don't know if it meets OP's criteria.

The more important question is: what is OP's kid's criteria?

Not soul-crushing. No intentional weed-out classes. Want high rate of graduation - with an engineering degree - of students who start out in engineering.

High is maybe 90+%...

So programs with lower graduation rates with an engineering degree of students who start out in engineering are not a fit.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you're going to study engineering, do it in California. Cal Poly SLO has some of the happiest students I've ever seen. At least you're slogging through a rigorous program and not having to battle seasonal affective disorder at the same time.

Cal Poly SLO is at least worth a look see. Great placement into Silly Valley tech jobs.

Don't know if it meets OP's criteria.

The more important question is: what is OP's kid's criteria?

Not soul-crushing. No intentional weed-out classes. Want high rate of graduation - with an engineering degree - of students who start out in engineering.

High is maybe 90+%...

So programs with lower graduation rates with an engineering degree of students who start out in engineering are not a fit.

Your kid said this?

[Anonymous]

Any preference on size of school? Do you have an idea if he cares/will care about gender ratio of students?

[Anonymous]

This is OP. People are basically stating it correctly in follow-up. Kid's smart, hardworking, not overly committed, I'm trying to see if he can get into the field without being obsessed with success despite any level of pain.

(Compare this to another interest, architecture, which upon discussion here and elsewhere, is nothing but misery in the working world. I was happy to read that on the boards and know in advance.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. People are basically stating it correctly in follow-up. Kid's smart, hardworking, not overly committed, I'm trying to see if he can get into the field without being obsessed with success despite any level of pain.

(Compare this to another interest, architecture, which upon discussion here and elsewhere, is nothing but misery in the working world. I was happy to read that on the boards and know in advance.)

I'm an engineer from Notre Dame. Great engineering school, with very collaborative and supportive environment. If your kid can get in and would be willing to live in the midwest, put it on your list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. People are basically stating it correctly in follow-up. Kid's smart, hardworking, not overly committed, I'm trying to see if he can get into the field without being obsessed with success despite any level of pain.

(Compare this to another interest, architecture, which upon discussion here and elsewhere, is nothing but misery in the working world. I was happy to read that on the boards and know in advance.)

I'm an engineer from Notre Dame. Great engineering school, with very collaborative and supportive environment. If your kid can get in and would be willing to live in the midwest, put it on your list.

What is the graduation rate with an engineering degree of students who started in engineering?

That might be the key question on this thread for any engineering program.

[Anonymous]

Why is everyone recommending private schools for engineering that cost $90k a year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Major tech companies are not just recruiting at top 3 publics. Most big tech companies also are recruiting at these regional public engineering programs like GMU, UMCP, UMBC, UVA, VCU, and VT.

I am sure they also recruit at other publics, but I know it is true for those publics.

Pushing "top ranked" is a DCUM thing across this forum. It is not reality for engineering degrees. ABET sets a high floor and most employers know this. A more supportive engineering program without the weed out classes also meets the standards and is NOT usually lower quality.

+1

Calc 1/2/3/4 and Physics 1/2 all cover the same material. If it's ABET accredited program, you will do well.

In reality, attending a school that is collaborative and whose goal is not to "weed out 40%" is much better IMO. Yes there will always be "weed outs" as the courses are difficult and some kids might realize "heck, engineering is not for me". But there is a difference between 50%+ flunk out and 25% do and also huge difference between the "average on a Chem 101 exam is 65/70 versus 30%".