Undergrad Engineering Question

[Anonymous]

*high stakes not high school stakes

[Anonymous]

I'd look for schools where he will be amongst other engineering majors, rather than schools that are less STEM focused. It's easier to find a study group and be immersed in engineering when you are with peers. Instead of discussing politics or social issues over dinner, kids will race to calculate the rate of flow through a straw or build the tallest tower with the fewest cafeteria cups. Fun weekend activities including a pumpkin chucking contest where floors built contraptions to throw pumpkins the farthest or building stadium seating for the dorm lounge so the whole floor can fit to watch a movie. Engineering becomes part of daily life.

Look for schools with engineering teams, like mini Baja, solar car, concrete canoe or snow mobile challenge teams. There will be a robust engineering culture at these schools.

Clarkson, RPI, and Rose-Hulman all fit this category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree PP, that is for OP to decide along with their student. But if they just want an engineering degree without the high school stakes, other schools can help and they will get a job.

Agree. I also think 10:52 has a good point. It takes a lot no matter where you go. I studied engg at UMCP and my kid also graduated from UMD/engineering. I am sure he would agree too.

[Anonymous]

Engineering also has its own alumni network culture. Sure, you can go to a lower pressure school and get a job. But will your career go as far? It's nice being able to shoot the shit with your boss about football or basketball of your same alma mater, step up to be the "recent grad" recruiter at the career fair at your alma mater that that your company will recruit at, etc.

[Anonymous]

DD is finishing up MechE at UMD-CP. Seems like a great program and she had loved every minute of it.

[Anonymous]

All good points. I would get back to school list. The suggestions of Clarkson and others are good, just note the male/female ratio of the school.

Others might be U Denver, U of Utah, CU-Boulder, Arizona, Drexel, ODU, Vermont.

[Anonymous]

Look for a school where the student body as a whole is happy. You can’t separate a program from the rest of campus. I’m an Auburn grad, still involved in the program. (Most) kids from our College of Engineering work hard, are well-prepared, have a vast alumni network at their disposal, and have a pretty balanced work/life balance as students. Generally, I would suggest a large school with plenty of opportunities to explore his/her interests through engineering teams and research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, I recognize engineering is hard anywhere. Lots of math and coursework generally that is difficult for most students.

That being said, can any of you discuss colleges your engineering student attended that were not the top schools or not the stress factories that others might have been?

Example:

Top schools might be MIT, Caltech or something like that (please no school comparisons). Then there are the Michigans, GA Tech, and maybe after Purdue, VA Tech, etc.

I am looking for schools below these that are not as much of a wringer. Again I know engineering will be hard anywhere. Hard work is one thing, but white knuckle environments are another matter.

Hope this description helps. My student has As and Bs in all his STEM classes and several APs, I just would like to see if we can focus on colleges where he might be the 50th percentile or higher if that makes sense. Thank you.

P.S. Bonus points if you may have even worked with your student to help them "back off" from the top schools to others and can relate that experience.

Michigan ahead of Purdue lol. Overall, yes, but the name recognition isn't there for engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, I recognize engineering is hard anywhere. Lots of math and coursework generally that is difficult for most students.

That being said, can any of you discuss colleges your engineering student attended that were not the top schools or not the stress factories that others might have been?

Example:

Top schools might be MIT, Caltech or something like that (please no school comparisons). Then there are the Michigans, GA Tech, and maybe after Purdue, VA Tech, etc.

I am looking for schools below these that are not as much of a wringer. Again I know engineering will be hard anywhere. Hard work is one thing, but white knuckle environments are another matter.

Hope this description helps. My student has As and Bs in all his STEM classes and several APs, I just would like to see if we can focus on colleges where he might be the 50th percentile or higher if that makes sense. Thank you.

P.S. Bonus points if you may have even worked with your student to help them "back off" from the top schools to others and can relate that experience.

Michigan ahead of Purdue lol. Overall, yes, but the name recognition isn't there for engineering.

No dog in this fight but that's definitely not true. Purdue has a good engineering program but no one (except PP) will put Purdue engineering before UM engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, I recognize engineering is hard anywhere. Lots of math and coursework generally that is difficult for most students.

That being said, can any of you discuss colleges your engineering student attended that were not the top schools or not the stress factories that others might have been?

Example:

Top schools might be MIT, Caltech or something like that (please no school comparisons). Then there are the Michigans, GA Tech, and maybe after Purdue, VA Tech, etc.

I am looking for schools below these that are not as much of a wringer. Again I know engineering will be hard anywhere. Hard work is one thing, but white knuckle environments are another matter.

Hope this description helps. My student has As and Bs in all his STEM classes and several APs, I just would like to see if we can focus on colleges where he might be the 50th percentile or higher if that makes sense. Thank you.

P.S. Bonus points if you may have even worked with your student to help them "back off" from the top schools to others and can relate that experience.

Michigan ahead of Purdue lol. Overall, yes, but the name recognition isn't there for engineering.

No dog in this fight but that's definitely not true. Purdue has a good engineering program but no one (except PP) will put Purdue engineering before UM engineering.

Except employers. But I guess if you only care about USNWR, sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, I recognize engineering is hard anywhere. Lots of math and coursework generally that is difficult for most students.

That being said, can any of you discuss colleges your engineering student attended that were not the top schools or not the stress factories that others might have been?

Example:

Top schools might be MIT, Caltech or something like that (please no school comparisons). Then there are the Michigans, GA Tech, and maybe after Purdue, VA Tech, etc.

I am looking for schools below these that are not as much of a wringer. Again I know engineering will be hard anywhere. Hard work is one thing, but white knuckle environments are another matter.

Hope this description helps. My student has As and Bs in all his STEM classes and several APs, I just would like to see if we can focus on colleges where he might be the 50th percentile or higher if that makes sense. Thank you.

P.S. Bonus points if you may have even worked with your student to help them "back off" from the top schools to others and can relate that experience.

Michigan ahead of Purdue lol. Overall, yes, but the name recognition isn't there for engineering.

No dog in this fight but that's definitely not true. Purdue has a good engineering program but no one (except PP) will put Purdue engineering before UM engineering.

Except employers. But I guess if you only care about USNWR, sure.

That's not true either. But whatever. You do you. No point in arguing.

[Anonymous]

Stay on topic! OP has asked for names of schools that are less intense for engineering, not a UM/Purdue grudge match! Give him or her less intense engineering schools!


List:
U Denver
Drexel
RIT
Maybe Lehigh but hear it's still tough and a little isolated
U of Florida
LMU or maybe U San Diego
U of Arizona

Here's the thing - not 100% of the time but at least sometimes if you go to a small school there are fewer research opportunities and fewer professors to network, and likely fewer sub-specialties to explore. That is why I though of Florida or maybe some other school with some size, good weather and school spirit to help mitigate some of the white-knuckle feelings you mention. The work will be hard anywhere, but maybe this helps.

[Anonymous]

I like some of the schools here - Denver, Cal Poly, ODU, U of Utah, Drexel all interesting. I will say about RIT and some of the others that you need to be OK with the male percentage of 60%-65%. That does impact social scene. U of Rochester for example - not sure it's quite as good as RIT but at least closer to 50/50 male/female.

[Anonymous]

My son is majoring in engineering at Santa Clara. He is enjoying it but says all he is doing sophomore year is sleep, workout, eat and study. He says most engineering majors have below a 3.0 GPA. His physics class seems to be a weed-out class. I’ve hired him tutors for physics and math. That said, he’s having a good time. I think the warm California sunshine helps. He has a very nice friend group and is getting interviews for summer internships. Overall, we’re very happy with SCU.

[Anonymous]

P.S. His friends in the school of business are always trying to get him to party on weeknights. Luckily he has the fortitude to decline their invitations.