DD went to Cornell (MechE) and I would not recommend it if you are concerned about this. She had a good experience overall and is now employed with lifelong college friends, but it was ROUGH and I think the experience permanently affected her self esteem. Still, if asked, she'd probably say that she would make the same choice if she had a do over...
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I will second this. My DD graduated from Cornell Engineering in 2024. They seem to take a perverse pride in the program being a grind. Was not impressed by the availability of the professors. It was good training and my daughter enjoyed other parts of Cornell but it was not fun. I think this is true at many of the top engineering programs.

Anonymous wrote:I’m an engineer. I think about 20% of the class failed out first year. After that, the vast majority that were left didn’t find it soul crushing. Some people just take a bit longer to figure out what they should be doing.

+1
This is normal. A lot of people think they want engineering until they realize just how difficult it actually is.

Ohio State

My nephew had a terrible time at Mines and transferred out for his junior year. Said it was stifling, too small, and too many of the students were odd. I’ve heard similar things from other parents whose kids looked into it, only to cross it off the list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out Dartmouth’s 2111 program. You do 2 years liberal arts at a select school, most are NESCACs, majoring in physics. Then junior year at Dartmouth taking engineering. This is at a time when lots of kids will go abroad, so not missing out. Then back to SLAC for senior year to graduate with friends. Then back to Dartmouth for a 5th year.

You get 2 degrees, a BA in physics from your SLAC and a BE from Dartmouth.

Students apply at end of first semester sophomore year. Apparently the more selective NESCACs have a very good track record for getting kids in.

5 yrs vs 4. I would not recommend this route.

Depends on what you want. If you want out and a job, makes sense to pass. If you are willing to invest more time and money in your education, it’s likely a good long term investment. The outcomes from this program are exceptional.

I’m an engineer. I think about 20% of the class failed out first year. After that, the vast majority that were left didn’t find it soul crushing. Some people just take a bit longer to figure out what they should be doing.

Anonymous wrote:Check out Dartmouth’s 2111 program. You do 2 years liberal arts at a select school, most are NESCACs, majoring in physics. Then junior year at Dartmouth taking engineering. This is at a time when lots of kids will go abroad, so not missing out. Then back to SLAC for senior year to graduate with friends. Then back to Dartmouth for a 5th year.

You get 2 degrees, a BA in physics from your SLAC and a BE from Dartmouth.

Students apply at end of first semester sophomore year. Apparently the more selective NESCACs have a very good track record for getting kids in.

5 yrs vs 4. I would not recommend this route.

Check out Dartmouth’s 2111 program. You do 2 years liberal arts at a select school, most are NESCACs, majoring in physics. Then junior year at Dartmouth taking engineering. This is at a time when lots of kids will go abroad, so not missing out. Then back to SLAC for senior year to graduate with friends. Then back to Dartmouth for a 5th year.

You get 2 degrees, a BA in physics from your SLAC and a BE from Dartmouth.

Students apply at end of first semester sophomore year. Apparently the more selective NESCACs have a very good track record for getting kids in.

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.

I’ll take things that didn’t happen for $800, Alex.

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone compare Mines vs Virginia Tech? Thank you!

11:03 again. DD dismissed Tech. I'm sure it's a great school but it wasn't what she was looking for. Mines is small. DD knows a lot of kids and professors. She's just comfortable there. It's about 45 min west of DIA. The flight home is roughly 3.5 hrs. Since IAD and DIA are both UA hubs, flights seem to go all the time. It's relatively easy to get to the airport from campus. Mines does have a football team, but football isn't a big deal. There are a few frat/sororities on campus but not an overwhelming greek culture. The town of Golden is adorable and the school and the town are tightly integrated. Many of the Mines kids went to the HS homecoming parade to cheer on the kids. DD loves to bake and there's a small shopping center across the street from campus with a Safeway. She's always running to the grocery store to pick up eggs, milk, chocolate etc. There is a kitchen in her dorm that she uses. As I said earlier, it does have a nerdy culture but it's also very inclusive. DD has felt welcomed into every activity she has tried. It helps if your kid likes the outdoors.

Mines does an amazing job with freshman orientation. It's the week before classes start and includes a 2 night overnight off campus. At the end, there is big hike. Freshman get their hardhat and the upperclassman throw paint at them as they climb. Call it the induction ceremony if you will. It creates a sense of unity and belonging. One of people DD met on the hike was the president of the university. She and he chatted. To her, he was just another adult. But she mentioned that she was interested in a specific company and a program they offered on campus. He told her to email him the next week to set up an appt to discuss it further with him. She has her summer internship lined up as a result of that conversation.

Classes aren't overly challenging. She had AP Physics, Chem, and BC. Most of this semester has been a review. She could have opted into higher level classes but chose not to. Many of her friends also chose to repeat the AP material. Freshman fall courses are fairly standard. She was given her course schedule even before she got to campus. Both programs are ABET so academically there probably isn't that much of a difference.

UAH (Univ of Alabama-Huntsville). They give generous scholarships and offer a ton of support to the students. Lots of social activities if your kid likes that, and also lots to geek out on if that’s their thing. My STEM freshman loves it.

UVA engineering is a slog. My kid’s College friends did not work as hard (but still worked hard, not knocking it) and had much higher GPAs.

DD went to Cornell (MechE) and I would not recommend it if you are concerned about this. She had a good experience overall and is now employed with lifelong college friends, but it was ROUGH and I think the experience permanently affected her self esteem. Still, if asked, she'd probably say that she would make the same choice if she had a do over...

Can anyone compare Mines vs Virginia Tech? Thank you!

Gonzaga has small engineering classes and a supportive environment.

At the more selective end of the spectrum, Northwestern is challenging but also seems to have a supportive student body.