Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 20:34     Subject: small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rose Hulman or Rennselaer


RPI is very competitive, probably need to be in the top 10% of class to get in.
average ACT for Rose-Hulman is 29, for RPI 29, so I think they are comparable...
Both very gender-imbalanced though, as is WPI
My stem DD wanted a less testosterone-imbued school
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 20:22     Subject: Re:small engineering schools?
Lafayette
Trinity College in Hartford, CT
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 20:10     Subject: small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lafayette, Bucknell, Lehigh, WPI


Wouldn't consider these engineering schools.


Bucknell has several strong engineering departments


I went to Bucknell. Was not an engineering major, but the program is very strong there. There's an entire college of engineering.
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 19:51     Subject: Re:small engineering schools?
If her grades are average, she may want to go to NOVA for a year or two years then transfer to Smith. Otherwise, Smith probably won't take her given what you said about grades.
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 17:57     Subject: small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lafayette, Bucknell, Lehigh, WPI


Wouldn't consider these engineering schools.


Bucknell has several strong engineering departments
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 15:49     Subject: Re:small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore
Kenyon
Dartmouth
Harvey Mudd
Caltech

None of those makes sense given OP's comment about DD "Her grades are pretty average; she's smart, but she won't get into the most selective schools."

And Kenyon doesn't even offer an engineering major.

One alternative, though, might be to major in physics (or chem, or bio -- depending on interests) at a LAC and then do a one-year master's in engineering at a university.
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 15:41     Subject: Re:small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore
Kenyon
Dartmouth
Harvey Mudd
Caltech


None of those makes sense given OP's comment about DD "Her grades are pretty average; she's smart, but she won't get into the most selective schools."


In that case - Union and Bucknell are the only ones that come to mind.

I wouldn't recommend a big university for OP's kid. I think she would feel lost and give up.
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 15:31     Subject: Re:small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore
Kenyon
Dartmouth
Harvey Mudd
Caltech


None of those makes sense given OP's comment about DD "Her grades are pretty average; she's smart, but she won't get into the most selective schools."
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 15:28     Subject: Re:small engineering schools?
Swarthmore
Kenyon
Dartmouth
Harvey Mudd
Caltech
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 15:26     Subject: Re:small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:Olin College?[/quote

Highly competitive
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 15:22     Subject: small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're just starting the process. DD would do best in a small liberal arts school where she can get to know her professors, but she's interested in engineering. Her grades are pretty average; she's smart, but she won't get into the most selective schools. Suggestions?

Aside from some truly selective small engineering schools (Caltech, Harvey Mudd) the challenge with engineering programs at small schools is that they lack the resources (labs, professors) that an engineering program demands. I suggest that you not rule out large state schools. Look more deeply into the engineering programs and you might be surprised to find that once you get past the "weed out process," the programs have the feel of a small school within a large school.

This assumes that your DD's goal is NOT simply to earn a degree that says "engineering"

This response and the Smith / Cal Poly response were excellent. Also worth keeping in mind, depending on your daughter's grades and/or test scores, she might be able to secure admission to an honors program at a "second rate" public university with a strong engineering program (somewhere like Iowa or Iowa State, e.g.), which could supply the connected feeling she needs while pushing through the first couple years of largely lecture classes.

Some other examples here: NC State; Arizona State; Oregon State; University of Utah; University of Houston
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 15:11     Subject: small engineering schools?
I'd second Rose-Hulman
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 14:40     Subject: small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're just starting the process. DD would do best in a small liberal arts school where she can get to know her professors, but she's interested in engineering. Her grades are pretty average; she's smart, but she won't get into the most selective schools. Suggestions?

Aside from some truly selective small engineering schools (Caltech, Harvey Mudd) the challenge with engineering programs at small schools is that they lack the resources (labs, professors) that an engineering program demands. I suggest that you not rule out large state schools. Look more deeply into the engineering programs and you might be surprised to find that once you get past the "weed out process," the programs have the feel of a small school within a large school.

This assumes that your DD's goal is NOT simply to earn a degree that says "engineering"

This response and the Smith / Cal Poly response were excellent. Also worth keeping in mind, depending on your daughter's grades and/or test scores, she might be able to secure admission to an honors program at a "second rate" public university with a strong engineering program (somewhere like Iowa or Iowa State, e.g.), which could supply the connected feeling she needs while pushing through the first couple years of largely lecture classes.


keep in mind, even large public unis, when you get to 3rd year, classes are very small and you will get to know the professors very well.
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 14:32     Subject: small engineering schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're just starting the process. DD would do best in a small liberal arts school where she can get to know her professors, but she's interested in engineering. Her grades are pretty average; she's smart, but she won't get into the most selective schools. Suggestions?

Aside from some truly selective small engineering schools (Caltech, Harvey Mudd) the challenge with engineering programs at small schools is that they lack the resources (labs, professors) that an engineering program demands. I suggest that you not rule out large state schools. Look more deeply into the engineering programs and you might be surprised to find that once you get past the "weed out process," the programs have the feel of a small school within a large school.

This assumes that your DD's goal is NOT simply to earn a degree that says "engineering"

This response and the Smith / Cal Poly response were excellent. Also worth keeping in mind, depending on your daughter's grades and/or test scores, she might be able to secure admission to an honors program at a "second rate" public university with a strong engineering program (somewhere like Iowa or Iowa State, e.g.), which could supply the connected feeling she needs while pushing through the first couple years of largely lecture classes.
Anonymous
Post 09/12/2016 14:27     Subject: small engineering schools?
What about a liberal arts school with a 3/2 program? Hope College in Holland, Michigan had (probably still has) a 3/2 program with University of Michigan - 3 years of undergrad at Hope then 2 years of grad school at Michigan.