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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DS is a junior, not sure what he wants to do yet. Possible interests have been business and IR, but now he's realizing he may want to explore engineering. He likes and is good in math and sciences, likes building things too. We have been targeting liberal arts colleges for him, both because the smaller size would suit him well, and also to allow some time for exploration before declaring a major. Most of these schools have some type of path for engineering, such as a 3-2 program, or a pre-engineering advisor, and some say that students major in a field like physics then apply to a master's program in engineering.

Does anyone have experience with engineering or pre-engineering at a liberal arts college?

And yes, I'm aware that there are more traditional engineering programs, but DS is just starting to explore this. He's not going to be in a position to lock in and apply to an engineering program in less than a year. We just want it as a viable option in college. [/quote]

Generally, an engineering major isn't something you dip your toe in and explore. It's a pretty rigid and demanding major. Like if you dilly dally freshman year and don't take the pre-reqs and weed out classes, you probably will have to add an extra semester or two to graduate with an engineering degree. You should be ready freshman year to get going with the Chemistry and Calculus pre-reqs. Better to start as an engineering major and then drop it and change majors if it's not for them. I don't know about the SLACs, but generally engineering programs are super competitive. Make sure they get through at least Calculus BC in high school if considering an engineering major.   [/quote]

Well that is the thing. How are these high school kids supposed to be so sure that they want to major in engineering before they even graduate from high school? And yes he's taking Calc BC and AP Chem now so that part won't be a problem.[/quote]

The vast majority of E School undergraduate applicants in the US have decided on engineering in HS and they applied directly to the E School at whichever universities.  Many already had a specific engineering department or degree in mind when applying.  This is quite the "normal" path for HS students, not unusual at all.

One thing to keep in mind: There are no "easy" E Schools or engineering majors. The various E degrees do vary a bit in rigor, but any engineering degree at any E School will require a lot of hard work from every student.  No one accidentally gets an engineering degree; each student has to really want the degree to put the amount of effort needed. This is not to scare anyone, but it is approximately the reality. [/quote]

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