small engineering schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If her grades are average, engineering will be a very hard major for her. All those 'top" school are out, because there is so much competition with students whose grades are excellent. Even those students find engineering to be a very tough major. If your DD is not finding core subjects of math, physics, and math user courses like statistics fairly easy, she will find college level engineering very hard, and it will be very discouraging. Don't set your DD up for failure in college.

Agree. Freshman year will be all weed out math and science courses designed to get rid of those that can't hack it. If she doesn't have a strong call and Chen background even the first semester will be brutal. Then once they add in physics she could be sunk. Freshman year you're deriving physics formulas. It's not easy at all.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. Calc and chem.

[Anonymous]

Have her look at 3-2 engineering programs. Students do 3 years at a LAC and then 2 years at an engineering school to finish the degree. Since many engineering students take 5 years anyway, it's a deal.

It would be perfect for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If her grades are average, engineering will be a very hard major for her. All those 'top" school are out, because there is so much competition with students whose grades are excellent. Even those students find engineering to be a very tough major. If your DD is not finding core subjects of math, physics, and math user courses like statistics fairly easy, she will find college level engineering very hard, and it will be very discouraging. Don't set your DD up for failure in college.

Agree. Freshman year will be all weed out math and science courses designed to get rid of those that can't hack it. If she doesn't have a strong call and Chen background even the first semester will be brutal. Then once they add in physics she could be sunk. Freshman year you're deriving physics formulas. It's not easy at all.

Students don't need to be brilliant, though. They just need to work hard. Those classes are more about daily practice and hard work than about being brilliant. I know plenty of engineers who got average grades in high school and in engineering school. They managed to slog through it by sheet grit and hard work. It's more important to work hard, than it is to be brilliant.

[Anonymous]

You say she is smart, but her grades are average. Why is that the case? The material is too difficult? The workload is too much? Something else?

Agree that this might be an red flag for engineering but maybe there is more to the story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:General Motors CEO Mary Barra went to kettering.edu. Her comp last year was approx. $50M.

My BIL went there when it was General Motors Institute- he's had a long and storied career as a mechanical engineer. My other BIL went to Missouri at Rolla, also for ME. All the science/math smarts were used up before DH came long!

Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly know as University of Missouri - Rolla) is a terrific, smaller engineering school. It is regularly ranked as a "best value" school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If her grades are average, engineering will be a very hard major for her. All those 'top" school are out, because there is so much competition with students whose grades are excellent. Even those students find engineering to be a very tough major. If your DD is not finding core subjects of math, physics, and math user courses like statistics fairly easy, she will find college level engineering very hard, and it will be very discouraging. Don't set your DD up for failure in college.

Agree. Freshman year will be all weed out math and science courses designed to get rid of those that can't hack it. If she doesn't have a strong call and Chen background even the first semester will be brutal. Then once they add in physics she could be sunk. Freshman year you're deriving physics formulas. It's not easy at all.

Students don't need to be brilliant, though. They just need to work hard. Those classes are more about daily practice and hard work than about being brilliant. I know plenty of engineers who got average grades in high school and in engineering school. They managed to slog through it by sheet grit and hard work. It's more important to work hard, than it is to be brilliant.

100% correct. As long as she's reasonably bright (figure mathematical reasoning at the 70th percentile or better) and took real math and science classes in high school, it's all about her willingness to grind.

[Anonymous]

Another +1 for Lehigh.

[Anonymous]

A BS in any engineering field is going to be difficult and competitive at most schools. She's going to really have to want it badly to push through. Usually, the course requirements exceed those of any other major. I seem to recall at UMCP that engineering required 132 credits to complete the program even though only 120 are required to graduate. For that reason, most engineering majors I knew took 4.5-5.5 years to graduate. I don't know if those credits are still the requirements 20 years later, but I doubt the program has gotten easier.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if its been mentioned, but maybe look at Michigan Tech? It is in the upper peninsula of Michigan, isolated but really cute town. I've had family members attend who loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dame?

I was going to suggest that, as it completely fits the bill assuming she can get in and that she's OK with a Catholic school. They have a great engineering program but it's all in the context of a wider liberal-arts education. They also have a program specifically for mentoring and supporting the women in engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If her grades are average, engineering will be a very hard major for her. All those 'top" school are out, because there is so much competition with students whose grades are excellent. Even those students find engineering to be a very tough major. If your DD is not finding core subjects of math, physics, and math user courses like statistics fairly easy, she will find college level engineering very hard, and it will be very discouraging. Don't set your DD up for failure in college.

Agree. Freshman year will be all weed out math and science courses designed to get rid of those that can't hack it. If she doesn't have a strong call and Chen background even the first semester will be brutal. Then once they add in physics she could be sunk. Freshman year you're deriving physics formulas. It's not easy at all.

Students don't need to be brilliant, though. They just need to work hard. Those classes are more about daily practice and hard work than about being brilliant. I know plenty of engineers who got average grades in high school and in engineering school. They managed to slog through it by sheet grit and hard work. It's more important to work hard, than it is to be brilliant.

Engineer here and I couldn't agree more. I think that the reason many shy away from engineering and the sciences is that they think that they need to have the aptitude for it. Nope, you can be a good engineer if you want it and are willing to put in the hard work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dame?

I was going to suggest that, as it completely fits the bill assuming she can get in and that she's OK with a Catholic school. They have a great engineering program but it's all in the context of a wider liberal-arts education. They also have a program specifically for mentoring and supporting the women in engineering.

No one with grades that are anywhere near average is getting into Notre Dame.

[Anonymous]

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?169983-Kettering-University

Average salary after attending: $77,000
Average debt of co-op students: $0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dame?

I was going to suggest that, as it completely fits the bill assuming she can get in and that she's OK with a Catholic school. They have a great engineering program but it's all in the context of a wider liberal-arts education. They also have a program specifically for mentoring and supporting the women in engineering.

No one with grades that are anywhere near average is getting into Notre Dame.

Yeah, Notre Dame is all valedictorians that 'cured cancer' and 3.99 GPA rich alum kids. Period. I don't know why so many people think it's not that difficult -- maybe the football team skews perception?