How are you supposed to get into college for engineering now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Purdue EA decisions recently came out, and it was shocking how selective they were. I seen kids with straight As, a 1570+ SAT, and strong extracurriculars in research, building model rockets, Eagle Scout, varsity team captains, and more who got denied. Not even deferred. Just flat out denied. It is just so frustrating that here in NOVA, just getting into these extracurriculars and being top of the class is ridiculously hard. Yet, many of these stop students can't get even get into Purdue. I honestly don't know what Ivy Leagues or schools like Berkeley and Michigan are looking for.

Go to a less selective school for engineering. Problem solved.

One thing about engineering is that there are plenty of less selective schools where you can get an excellentr engineering education.

Non-engineer here. I was under the impression it does not matter much where you go for engineering as long as it it ABET accredited. Is that true?

Depends on engineering. I recruit BS engineers. Some schools don't do enough math and physics for EE and computer engineering. Some aerospace programs are not rigorous enough in my opinion as well. Purdue is amazing so are UMD, Michigan and many others. You have to look at the requirements for the major and how much math there is and also what the options are for 400 levels as in some schools there are easy senior project courses but challenging one in others.

Waterloo is better than all of them. Go to Canada.

[Anonymous]

How about for a kid who wants to do mechanical/aerospace at a VA state school? She really wants aerospace but has been told best to do mechanical because it is most versatile. We were wondering ODU because of its proximity to NASA Wallops, Langley, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chill out and wait for RD, Chicken Little.

Omg

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purdue EA decisions recently came out, and it was shocking how selective they were. I seen kids with straight As, a 1570+ SAT, and strong extracurriculars in research, building model rockets, Eagle Scout, varsity team captains, and more who got denied. Not even deferred. Just flat out denied. It is just so frustrating that here in NOVA, just getting into these extracurriculars and being top of the class is ridiculously hard. Yet, many of these stop students can't get even get into Purdue. I honestly don't know what Ivy Leagues or schools like Berkeley and Michigan are looking for.

Go to a less selective school for engineering. Problem solved.

One thing about engineering is that there are plenty of less selective schools where you can get an excellentr engineering education.

Non-engineer here. I was under the impression it does not matter much where you go for engineering as long as it it ABET accredited. Is that true?

Depends on engineering. I recruit BS engineers. Some schools don't do enough math and physics for EE and computer engineering. Some aerospace programs are not rigorous enough in my opinion as well. Purdue is amazing so are UMD, Michigan and many others. You have to look at the requirements for the major and how much math there is and also what the options are for 400 levels as in some schools there are easy senior project courses but challenging one in others.

Please please please give up some suggestion for good engineering schools that are realistic to get into!
I would also love suggestions on college counselors that know engineering. It’s just really hard for us non-engineer parents to know what to suggest to our kids.

Hiring manager here. I am limiting my comments to local public E Schools where new grads we have hired worked out well. Other options surely exist in private or other states that we randomly have not encountered yet.

GMU is solid for EE, CompE, and CS. Great job prospects from GMU because school has great FAANG and other tech company connections. If at GMU, highly recommend living in dorms on campus at least for Freshman year.

UMBC and CNU and ODU and VCU also are good at least for EE and CompE. No experience with CS from any of these. These tend to be a bit sink-or-swim, so students need to self-advocate, go to office hours for help, attempt homework early, and so on.

Also, most E School students do not have as much free time as most other students. E students anywhere really need to focus on academics. I only took free time on Fri night, Sat night, and Sunday morning. Others might have had more free time, but not many had a lot more free time.

Can I ask …, is it easier to get into PhD programs from some of these versus others? What are your odds of getting into a good engineering PhD program from someplace like CNU versus like a Delaware?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purdue EA decisions recently came out, and it was shocking how selective they were. I seen kids with straight As, a 1570+ SAT, and strong extracurriculars in research, building model rockets, Eagle Scout, varsity team captains, and more who got denied. Not even deferred. Just flat out denied. It is just so frustrating that here in NOVA, just getting into these extracurriculars and being top of the class is ridiculously hard. Yet, many of these stop students can't get even get into Purdue. I honestly don't know what Ivy Leagues or schools like Berkeley and Michigan are looking for.

Go to a less selective school for engineering. Problem solved.

One thing about engineering is that there are plenty of less selective schools where you can get an excellentr engineering education.

Non-engineer here. I was under the impression it does not matter much where you go for engineering as long as it it ABET accredited. Is that true?

Depends on engineering. I recruit BS engineers. Some schools don't do enough math and physics for EE and computer engineering. Some aerospace programs are not rigorous enough in my opinion as well. Purdue is amazing so are UMD, Michigan and many others. You have to look at the requirements for the major and how much math there is and also what the options are for 400 levels as in some schools there are easy senior project courses but challenging one in others.

Please please please give up some suggestion for good engineering schools that are realistic to get into!
I would also love suggestions on college counselors that know engineering. It’s just really hard for us non-engineer parents to know what to suggest to our kids.

Mines has a reputation for being easy to get into but tough to get through.

Is that Colorado school of mines?

[Anonymous]

Yes, that's right. There will be no engineers now. Not even from Purdue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purdue EA decisions recently came out, and it was shocking how selective they were. I seen kids with straight As, a 1570+ SAT, and strong extracurriculars in research, building model rockets, Eagle Scout, varsity team captains, and more who got denied. Not even deferred. Just flat out denied. It is just so frustrating that here in NOVA, just getting into these extracurriculars and being top of the class is ridiculously hard. Yet, many of these stop students can't get even get into Purdue. I honestly don't know what Ivy Leagues or schools like Berkeley and Michigan are looking for.

Go to a less selective school for engineering. Problem solved.

One thing about engineering is that there are plenty of less selective schools where you can get an excellentr engineering education.

Non-engineer here. I was under the impression it does not matter much where you go for engineering as long as it it ABET accredited. Is that true?

Depends on engineering. I recruit BS engineers. Some schools don't do enough math and physics for EE and computer engineering. Some aerospace programs are not rigorous enough in my opinion as well. Purdue is amazing so are UMD, Michigan and many others. You have to look at the requirements for the major and how much math there is and also what the options are for 400 levels as in some schools there are easy senior project courses but challenging one in others.

Please please please give up some suggestion for good engineering schools that are realistic to get into!
I would also love suggestions on college counselors that know engineering. It’s just really hard for us non-engineer parents to know what to suggest to our kids.

Mines has a reputation for being easy to get into but tough to get through.

Is that Colorado school of mines?

yes

[Anonymous]

Several Jesuit universities have ABET-accredited engineering programs and are reasonable for admission. Typically merit is offered for high stats applicants. Gonzaga, Marquette, LMU, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about for a kid who wants to do mechanical/aerospace at a VA state school? She really wants aerospace but has been told best to do mechanical because it is most versatile. We were wondering ODU because of its proximity to NASA Wallops, Langley, etc?

ODU has a strong relationship with NASA Langley and ODU Engineering School is credible. Good option if goal is job at NASA Langley.

VT E School has several deliberate weed-out classes, but likely is the best E school in the state. VT Engineering School is a tough admit, be sure to have a backup plan in likely case of not admitted.

UVa E School is much smaller and also a tough admit, but they do not have intentional weed out classes. UVa also has a strong AeroE program with good connections at Boeing, Lockheed, USAF, and USSF.

Pro tip: USAF ROTC gives preference to AeroE (and ECE and Nursing) students for full-ride 4-year ROTC scholarships. Student can choose either USSF or USAF as graduation approaches. Apply now if DC has not already done so. US citizens only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purdue EA decisions recently came out, and it was shocking how selective they were. I seen kids with straight As, a 1570+ SAT, and strong extracurriculars in research, building model rockets, Eagle Scout, varsity team captains, and more who got denied. Not even deferred. Just flat out denied. It is just so frustrating that here in NOVA, just getting into these extracurriculars and being top of the class is ridiculously hard. Yet, many of these stop students can't get even get into Purdue. I honestly don't know what Ivy Leagues or schools like Berkeley and Michigan are looking for.

Go to a less selective school for engineering. Problem solved.

One thing about engineering is that there are plenty of less selective schools where you can get an excellentr engineering education.

Non-engineer here. I was under the impression it does not matter much where you go for engineering as long as it it ABET accredited. Is that true?

Depends on engineering. I recruit BS engineers. Some schools don't do enough math and physics for EE and computer engineering. Some aerospace programs are not rigorous enough in my opinion as well. Purdue is amazing so are UMD, Michigan and many others. You have to look at the requirements for the major and how much math there is and also what the options are for 400 levels as in some schools there are easy senior project courses but challenging one in others.

Please please please give up some suggestion for good engineering schools that are realistic to get into!
I would also love suggestions on college counselors that know engineering. It’s just really hard for us non-engineer parents to know what to suggest to our kids.

Hiring manager here. I am limiting my comments to local public E Schools where new grads we have hired worked out well. Other options surely exist in private or other states that we randomly have not encountered yet.

GMU is solid for EE, CompE, and CS. Great job prospects from GMU because school has great FAANG and other tech company connections. If at GMU, highly recommend living in dorms on campus at least for Freshman year.

UMBC and CNU and ODU and VCU also are good at least for EE and CompE. No experience with CS from any of these. These tend to be a bit sink-or-swim, so students need to self-advocate, go to office hours for help, attempt homework early, and so on.

Also, most E School students do not have as much free time as most other students. E students anywhere really need to focus on academics. I only took free time on Fri night, Sat night, and Sunday morning. Others might have had more free time, but not many had a lot more free time.

Can I ask …, is it easier to get into PhD programs from some of these versus others? What are your odds of getting into a good engineering PhD program from someplace like CNU versus like a Delaware?

Admission to grad programs in engineering are more about the student, student's grades, and the quality of the faculty recommendation letters than about which undergrad engineering school one attends.

In many cases, grad students in engineering will be funded by their department - provided student works either as a TA or as an RA. The amount of funding for a grad student varies with the specific college, but often tuition reduction (or free tuition) is coupled with a small stipend.

Both Navy and Air Force sometimes will direct commission a student who just graduated with a Masters degree or PhD in Engineering. They also often will contribute towards any student loans. Not sure how it works with Army.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purdue EA decisions recently came out, and it was shocking how selective they were. I seen kids with straight As, a 1570+ SAT, and strong extracurriculars in research, building model rockets, Eagle Scout, varsity team captains, and more who got denied. Not even deferred. Just flat out denied. It is just so frustrating that here in NOVA, just getting into these extracurriculars and being top of the class is ridiculously hard. Yet, many of these stop students can't get even get into Purdue. I honestly don't know what Ivy Leagues or schools like Berkeley and Michigan are looking for.

Go to a less selective school for engineering. Problem solved.

One thing about engineering is that there are plenty of less selective schools where you can get an excellentr engineering education.

Non-engineer here. I was under the impression it does not matter much where you go for engineering as long as it it ABET accredited. Is that true?

Depends on engineering. I recruit BS engineers. Some schools don't do enough math and physics for EE and computer engineering. Some aerospace programs are not rigorous enough in my opinion as well. Purdue is amazing so are UMD, Michigan and many others. You have to look at the requirements for the major and how much math there is and also what the options are for 400 levels as in some schools there are easy senior project courses but challenging one in others.

Waterloo is better than all of them. Go to Canada.

Waterloo is very strong in CS and CompE/EE. Microsoft heavily recruits from there. Not sure about their other degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS was rejected by Purdue EA. Sure, it's a bummer, but now he doesn't have to go to Indiana.

DS is already accepted to Penn State Engineering at University Park.

He has plenty of options though: Marquette; Dayton; Ole Miss; LSU; Penn State

Villanova was a deferral, so that too was a bummer, but not rejected yet...

And we wait on JMU, UVA, and VT...

Just because Purdue or another school rejects, it's not the end of the world. Lots of opportunities out there for all kinds of students.

I mean, it’s not like Pennsyltucky is an upgrade.

[Anonymous]

Regular decision will be okay! I know it’s hard to wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about for a kid who wants to do mechanical/aerospace at a VA state school? She really wants aerospace but has been told best to do mechanical because it is most versatile. We were wondering ODU because of its proximity to NASA Wallops, Langley, etc?

ODU has a strong relationship with NASA Langley and ODU Engineering School is credible. Good option if goal is job at NASA Langley.

VT E School has several deliberate weed-out classes, but likely is the best E school in the state. VT Engineering School is a tough admit, be sure to have a backup plan in likely case of not admitted.

UVa E School is much smaller and also a tough admit, but they do not have intentional weed out classes. UVa also has a strong AeroE program with good connections at Boeing, Lockheed, USAF, and USSF.

Pro tip: USAF ROTC gives preference to AeroE (and ECE and Nursing) students for full-ride 4-year ROTC scholarships. Student can choose either USSF or USAF as graduation approaches. Apply now if DC has not already done so. US citizens only.

Thank you SO much for this info! I am a non-engineer parent trying to learn as much as I can. So, just so I understand, ODU could lead maybe to a job at Langley, but not really private such as Boeing or Lockheed, as you mentioned for UVA? Or, could one work for Langley for a few years and then apply for jobs at places like Boeing and Lockheed, much like folks in DC work on the Hill first and then rotate to private lobbying and such?

She is likely not going to get in to UVA because she does not want to do four years of a language. She is dyslexic and will have theee years of ASL (common accommodation for dyslexics) but it taps out after junior year. She wants to take another science or math for senior year instead of beating her head against a brick wall trying to take year 1 of some other foreign language.

Lastly, we think dyslexia also makes her ineligible for ROTC, though she really has wanted to do it for many years until we realized that. She has been in Civil Air Patrol since 7th grade. Is it true that dyslexia makes you ineligible for ROTC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purdue EA decisions recently came out, and it was shocking how selective they were. I seen kids with straight As, a 1570+ SAT, and strong extracurriculars in research, building model rockets, Eagle Scout, varsity team captains, and more who got denied. Not even deferred. Just flat out denied. It is just so frustrating that here in NOVA, just getting into these extracurriculars and being top of the class is ridiculously hard. Yet, many of these stop students can't get even get into Purdue. I honestly don't know what Ivy Leagues or schools like Berkeley and Michigan are looking for.

I forget where I saw this (I'm an alum so get various emails) but, if I recall, Purdue had announced they were going to pare back acceptances this year because of over-enrollment last year. They have had space issues

https://fox59.com/news/purdue-university-aiming-to-significantly-lower-admissions-rate-citing-historic-enrollment-housing-strain/

Purdue University President Mung Chiang explained in a social media post that the fall 2024 undergraduate admissions rate was the lowest in school history, aiming for 300 fewer freshmen to enroll than the typical target number. However, 1,600 additional high school seniors unexpectedly committed to Purdue.

“Next year, new dorms approved last year will complete construction. And we will significantly further reduce the admissions rate, simply because housing and city capacities don’t grow as fast as demand for Purdue education,” Chiang said over social media. “But now, in addition to the hard work by many colleagues in securing many more beds throughout town as a first-resort answer since late May, we must further refine housing solutions to all Boilermaker students this Fall: new ones as well as returning students. All units at the university are working extra hard today, to come up with a better and the best answer.”

This is exactly it. I work at Purdue but nowhere near admissions. Purdue received far more acceptances last year than anticipated and it really put them in a bind. They’re trying to right size and balance out.