Reply to Engineering: Rigor, Grading, and GPAs

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thanks for this. My dd is considering engineering majors but I am in the natural sciences and engineering is totally foreign to me. I even find it strange that you have to apply to specific programs during the admissions process (e.g., jhu and bme). How are these kids supposed to know what field they want to be in as a teenager?

BTW, I'm thankful that E schools are resisting grade inflation. Our bridges need to stand, after all. [/quote]

The vast majority of elite schools do not require applying to a specific major. Most but not all require applying to the engineering school but even then switching majors all around or switching out or into the E school is easy. No gpa-gate-keeping into majors. The hard part is getting in to these E schools. Jhu bme is the rate exception among T20 private E-programs[/quote]

What universities which offer engineering admit dont admit by major?  We have a child who doesn't know if he wants to study math or engineering, or even a science.  We are looking for schools where he just obtains school admission then has option to change the major depending on how much he likes it.  Is there a list out there?[/quote]

There are many - probably most - schools that don't admit by major. But it's usually pretty clear on the application whether a student is a likely engineering major. Not too many future sociology majors are taking Multivariable Calculus and AP Physics.

The problem with dilly-dallying once in college are the pre-reqs. Engineering and pre-med share a few classes freshmen year - and they are often weed out classes. But you need those classes to move forward. And engineering in particular has a lot of required classes. It's pretty much impossible to double major. And even a minor is likely to add a semester or two.

Lots of engineering students will change majors after the first semester or two. MIT, Cornell, Rice, CMU might move faster. But there is no such thing as an easy engineering program. It's a grind everywhere. You'll want to deal with the pre-reqs right up front. So even if you are not sure, I'd sign up for them regardless. You'll know within weeks whether you have what it takes to graduate with an engineering degree. They are not messing around. Engineering students are the hardest working students on every campus.

I think freshman year is likely the hardest. It's a shock to the system for everyone. If a student is still in exploratory mode, they'll know by  December whether this is for them. There is a lot of suck right up front. But survive it, and then you can really pursue your passions - if indeed those are your passions. Not everyone wants to build a rocket. Or build and design things generally. It's best to get that resolved in the first year. And they certainly won't be the only engineering or pre-med student changing majors after freshman year if they discover it's not for them. [/quote]

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