Anonymous
12/11/2025 13:00
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
Consider the University of Dayton.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 12:58
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
Anonymous wrote:DD is at Colorado School of Mines. Could not be happier. She's involved in the nerdy engineering culture and the sporty snowboarding/hiking culture. It's such a supportive, collaborative environment. She's in a learning community so she has built in academic support on her floor. The school is small enough that she has upperclassman as friends and they provide practical guidance about the classes and how to survive. She's on a team preparing for the engineering competitions in April, is on the dive team, and is taking a leadership role in the jewish organization on campus. I could not have wished for a better fit for her. Some of her friends are a bit goofy but no more so than any late teen, early 20s kid. DS is on the spectrum so she knows what ND is. She is not and has found a great group of friends.
This is encouraging, as a while back Mines seems to have had a reputation for being a grind. My in-state junior has Mines on the list and is more likely to end up there than the more selective schools on her list. In fact, she has been looking for schools that have learning community options for dorms, as an older sib has had a good experience with that sort of format, so that's great to know.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 12:52
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
Anonymous wrote:RIT in Rochester NY
Decades ago when I was visiting colleges; RIT was friendly and students with smiles. All the other schools - the kids looked stressed or were self-absorbed.
The school must had a monumental leader setting this culture up.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 12:36
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
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?
Anonymous
12/11/2025 12:31
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
Colorado School of Mines
Anonymous
12/11/2025 11:44
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
Usc
Anonymous
12/11/2025 11:42
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
I don't have personal experience like 11:03, but for the last few years I've kept an eye out for schools with a "smart + kind" vibe, and have seen Colorado School of Mines come up a lot. Would definitely check it out.
I've heard great things about the engineering honors program at Oregon State as well, and lots of people love Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
I've heard great things about the engineering honors program at Oregon State as well, and lots of people love Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 11:41
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
University of Rochester, Case, lots of state flagships in the Midwest if he wants a big and sporty school.
Another idea that my kid who sounds like yours considered-major in physics at a SLAC with one of those university affiliations where students study engineering at a big school during junior year (instead of studying abroad.) I believe then they come back for senior year then graduate and then go for one more year at the university to complete the engineering coursework.
Another idea that my kid who sounds like yours considered-major in physics at a SLAC with one of those university affiliations where students study engineering at a big school during junior year (instead of studying abroad.) I believe then they come back for senior year then graduate and then go for one more year at the university to complete the engineering coursework.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 11:39
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
DS is freshman at UMd engineering. His 2 engineering classes this semester are both project based. That seems to help foster a collaborative feeling.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 11:14
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
My kid loves Computer Engineering at Brown. Really great professors, lots of design elements in class and he has time for club sports, F1 racing team and was able to do study abroad last year. Classes are challenging but it doesn't seem to be a grind.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 11:03
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
DD is at Colorado School of Mines. Could not be happier. She's involved in the nerdy engineering culture and the sporty snowboarding/hiking culture. It's such a supportive, collaborative environment. She's in a learning community so she has built in academic support on her floor. The school is small enough that she has upperclassman as friends and they provide practical guidance about the classes and how to survive. She's on a team preparing for the engineering competitions in April, is on the dive team, and is taking a leadership role in the jewish organization on campus. I could not have wished for a better fit for her. Some of her friends are a bit goofy but no more so than any late teen, early 20s kid. DS is on the spectrum so she knows what ND is. She is not and has found a great group of friends.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 10:54
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
Duke has historically been less of an engineering pressure cooker than other TT schools since it is more integrated with the rest of the university. Though I think that stress levels at Duke as a whole have gone up so engineering has gone up with them.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 10:42
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
My son's gf chose Santa Clara for non-soul-crushing engineering and is very happy with her choice.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 10:39
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
The Jesuit schools with engineering programs; Marquette, slu, Gonzaga, etc. or the mid tier schools like Miami u, cincy, Dayton, etc. for engineering I’d chase a degree and post graduation job placement network, rather than undergraduate prestige.
Anonymous
12/11/2025 10:27
Subject: Engineering schools that won’t crush my child’s soul
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.
Yeah, but the kids at WPI and Rose seemed weird. High percentage of neurodivergent
Welcome to engineering.
Right?! 😊