Definitely worth looking at 3/2 engineering programs. Three schools that are known for being on the receiving end (the 2 year engineering part) are Washington U in St Louis, Columbia University, and Penn State. Many of affiliated schools (the 3 year part) are solid but not especially selective LACs. (I went to one, and majored in physics which had significant course overlap with 3/2 engineering students.)

http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/combined_plan_affiliates_2014-15_by_state.pdf
https://engineering.wustl.edu/prospective-students/dual-degree/Pages/affiliated-schools.aspx
http://www.engr.psu.edu/students/dual-degree-program.aspx

OP, what year is your daughter? Has she done a summer engineering program for high school students? Those can be very helpful, both in terms of helping students test out their interest in engineering, and in terms of demonstrating ability for purposes of college applications.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

My DS considered this, but found that there were very few programs that offered this option at the graduate level, and even the few that exist are pretty limited in scope. Engineers and engineering profs he consulted all encouraged him to get an undergrad engineering degree, rather than a physics degree.

Anonymous wrote:Case Western in Cleveland?

Good suggestion! Tufts also has good engineering but competitive. Might be easier for girls to get into college of engineering, not sure.

OLIN - use to be free

Colorado schools of mines

I grew up near WPI and had several female HS friends attend. They were "normal" people - had interests well beyond engineering - and they enjoyed it and have done well professionally. It's a pretty social school, or at least it was a billion years ago - I seem to recall fraternity parties? It has a nice reputation for strong academics in MA, not sure how that translates.

Nova for a year would be a throwaway year. She wouldn't be getting the necessary prerequisites for the engineering program and would still likely need 4 additional years to graduate. Many engineering programs are very picky about what can transfer in.

I know someone who went to bucknell engineering a few years ago. She really loved it and it had a special initiative for female engineering students. She went on to a top phd program. I think her grades were better than average. Also know someone that went to Union for engineering and loved it. Don't really know how hard it is to get into either, but engineering tends to be a niche market. Being female will be a huge plus--still aren't many girls going into engineering. Also know people who liked RPI but I think that has less of a liberal arts feel and more of a techie feel.

I think we need more info to help. If her grades are average but has higher math scores, she will obviously have some more choices. Many of the schools listed are excellent schools that she will not get into without proven math ability. What level math is she in? What level science classes? Has she taken ap physics and ap chem?


Stevens
Rpi
Wpi
Union
Rochester intstitute of tech
Olin
Rose hulman

Are excellent but competitive. For many of these schools, the math scores are outstanding, but the English brings down the test score average.

These are difficult schools and I second the recommendation to maybe try nova for a year and then see about transferring.

Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh, Villanova all have good and small engineering but like the above list, are hard to get into. The thing that might be good about these schools is that if she doesn't like engineering, she has other majors to pursue. But again, average grades will not gain you entry.

FIT might be a good place to start. I have also heard good things about George Mason but not so sure about admission difficulty.

Case Western in Cleveland?

Anonymous wrote:Lehigh.

This.

Olin

How about Colorado School of Mines?

Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore
Kenyon
Dartmouth
Harvey Mudd
Caltech

Anyone can list elite schools. She's not going to any of these.