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

[Anonymous]

OP, I just wanted to point out that sometimes it's less stressful to be at a higher ranking place because you don't need to do as well to get a job.

A C student at MIT is going to have better job offers than a C student at a lower ranked school, all else equal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA engineering is a slog. My kid’s College friends did not work as hard (but still worked hard, not knocking it) and had much higher GPAs.

All engineering will be a slog.

UVa SEAS has very high rate of students starting in engineering who graduate with an engineering degree within 5 yrs. Small engineering program means students are a name, not a number. They filter on the front end - no intentional weed out classes with curves set to fail students out. The number of 3rd yrs in engineering is only slightly smaller than 1st years.

[Anonymous]

All of these are worth looking into:
Rose-Hulman, WPI, RPI, RIT, UVA, Colorado Mines, Cal Poly SLO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine chose Rice engineering for exactly this reason. Had the stats and ECs for anywhere, but really wanted a collaborative environment for engineering.

Most of the kids that had "the stats and EC's for anywhere" apply and get turned down by the "anywhere" schools. Because everyone applying has the stats and EC's but they can only admit so many. Just sayin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I just wanted to point out that sometimes it's less stressful to be at a higher ranking place because you don't need to do as well to get a job.

A C student at MIT is going to have better job offers than a C student at a lower ranked school, all else equal.

Totally agree. People argue to go to lower ranked schools where you can stand out. But then there is a ton of pressure to stand out. To extend your example, a C student at MIT will get a better job than a B student at most other places. Get a few bad grades, often through little fault of your own, and you are hosed. More margin for error at top schools. And you have a bigger, better network.

[Anonymous]

ODU Engineering has a reputation for being sink-or-swim. Diligent well-prepared students can do well, but it is not a good school for a diligent academically marginal student.

CNU is newer and smaller and has a reputation for being supportive.

[Anonymous]

My 2.7/4.0 undergrad engineering degree from a lower ranked engineering program has never held me back careerwise. I can and do solve real problems on the job, and that is what matters. On the job is always "open book", unlike the academic tests of memorization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an engineer. I think about 20% of the class failed out first year. After that, the vast majority that were left didn’t find it soul crushing. Some people just take a bit longer to figure out what they should be doing.

This - once you get into Junior and Senior years much better. That said I have engineers at University of Washington and Wisconsin who are happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do not consider Virginia Tech. As a parent, I had the rudest responses from them. I asked if it was possible -to just- plan for 5 years to complete the program. Plan from the beginning, plan to take a lighter load. Instead of explaining why not or just saying a simple no, they were insulting, berated what they thought were my DD's qualifications - based on nothing. They did not know, die not know her stellar qualifications.

That’s worrisome to hear this about Virginia tech. Anyone else have experience with Virginia tech?

My senior engineering Hokie is living her best life in Blacksburg. Has had good classes and profs, lots of friends, involved on campus, paid internships every summer, 2 years of research with a faculty member, and multiple job offers for post grad (one of which she's taken). She went to Nationals the last 2 years with her design team, and that bunch does a lot together socially, as does the small group of kids in a sport she's involved with. Serves as an ambassador for her major, as well. It's one of the smaller engineering majors so she knows a lot of her classmates. Has had no trouble getting the classes she's wanted, even in her first year. She loves the outdoorsy stuff, the off the charts school spirit, goes to football and basketball games. Her advising has been good, and it was 100% the right choice for her. She turned down some great schools including Purdue and a T10 and has zero regrets.

+100
Sounds very similar to my junior DC’s experience at VT! Absolutely fantastic place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yeah, but the kids at WPI and Rose seemed weird. High percentage of neurodivergent

Rude.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

[Anonymous]

My dad went to engineering school many years ago, and on the first day was told -- look to your left, look to your right, they will BOTH be gone by graduation.
Obviously, that doesn't work from a basic math perspective, but the point was made. I think the drop out rate literally was about 2/3.
So at least things are a little more supportive than they once were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dad went to engineering school many years ago, and on the first day was told -- look to your left, look to your right, they will BOTH be gone by graduation.
Obviously, that doesn't work from a basic math perspective, but the point was made. I think the drop out rate literally was about 2/3.
So at least things are a little more supportive than they once were.

VT has done something very similar for freshman engineering students this century.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.