Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to UVA for Aerospace and also considered GTech. Graduating from high school I was dead set on Aero and couldn't imagine doing anything else. I ultimately chose UVA because I loved the atmosphere and wanted a well rounded college experience. The UVA program is very theoretical and you won't spend a lot of time tinkering and building projects in labs. You might not get the design/build experiences in UVA's classroom environment, but you can dive in through the engineering student groups and participate in a wide range of design projects. Check out: http://www.seas.virginia.edu/students/ and see if there are engineering clubs that interest you. If you join an existing club that covers your interests I think you will get the best of both worlds: Theoretical Engineering in the Classroom and Hands On Applied Engineering through your club activities. There is also the opportunity to study outside the E-school and you will have required electives in the School of Arts and Sciences. With a few extra classes on top of the required electives, you could minor or even double major in another subject. I ended up also graduating with an Econ major in addition to my Engineering degree, which I think has helped make me very marketable. I am now working in Defense consulting and I think the theoretical engineering curriculum helped prepare me for a career where the problems are sometimes vague with undefined parameters. Unfortunately, after four years of engineering school, I probably still can't fix a broken microwave. I should have joined the microwave club I suppose. Hope this helps.

Thank you. This is OP. It does. The other comments about parents forcing their kids into Virginia schools is crazy talk. My friends would kill to be in my position. It is so difficult to get into UVA from Northern Virginia. I was stunned that it happened to me and I'm still not sure why. From conversations with my friends I can tell you that no parents are "forcing" their kids into Virginia schools to keep them from exploring the world. That kind of talk just doesn't make sense. Most of the parents and students at my school worked together as teams trying to find the right fit and applied all over the United States and some even in Scotland and England. Most parents were upfront with my friends if they couldn't afford a certain school but hoped for financial aid, especially packages from the schools. Several of my friends didn't get into GMU or other Va schools and were devastated. The cost of all of these schools is apparent even to us kids - we understand the value of in-state tuition vs. what an Ivy costs and we know what that means for our parents or for us with debt in the future. We're not the idiots or lemmings you call us. I understand completely the difference between Ga Tech at $55K a year and UVA at $27K a year. I also know what additional grad work for a Masters' or Ph.D. will cost me in loans or my parents. You parents make us students sound like lemmings whose parents force us unwillingly into Virginia schools. You couldn't be more wrong. I think I speak for all of us saying we understand the value and are grateful. One of my friends was told she would have to go to community college . . . after getting into some of the Virginia schools but not the financial aid package needed. Her parents just can't afford it and the financial offers from privates are not great enough to cover the total need they have.. We are all acutely aware of the high cost of college and none of us are being forced to attend Virginia schools (??? I only know one other who got into UVA) so they won't see the world. We know a great opportunity. It hurts me to see some of you attack schools that many of us would either kill to get into, or are thrilled to be attending, or must attend because community college is the only way to get back into UVA (taking the two years, getting the necessary GPA and coming in junior year). Try to be a high school student going through this process. This has been probably both the best and the worst year of my life. I can tell it has not been easy for my parents either. I'm trying to make the best pick for me but be sensitive to cost and also to my uncertainty that I may find myself in a year's time thinking Tech School wasn't the right place for me. Last fall when I applied EA and got in everywhere I applied, I was sure I wanted aerospace engineering. I was also sure my dream school was Cornell (good for aerospace) but got deferred. Now I realize that wouldn't have been right for me either, especially at $75K a year with travel included from Virginia. I've seen my friends change plans again and again. I've seen them cry when they didn't get in - unfortunately, a lot of schools release during the school day so we're at school when we find it. Well, thanks for the info. I appreciate those comments from those who really tried to help.

Oh, no, Hon, no one pays for engineering grad school - they pay you.
They pay your tuition and fees and you work (very part time) helping with grading papers of helping with research and they pay you a yearly stipend.
Something in the $20,000 -$29,000. range.
Back to reading...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to UVA for Aerospace and also considered GTech. Graduating from high school I was dead set on Aero and couldn't imagine doing anything else. I ultimately chose UVA because I loved the atmosphere and wanted a well rounded college experience. The UVA program is very theoretical and you won't spend a lot of time tinkering and building projects in labs. You might not get the design/build experiences in UVA's classroom environment, but you can dive in through the engineering student groups and participate in a wide range of design projects. Check out: http://www.seas.virginia.edu/students/ and see if there are engineering clubs that interest you. If you join an existing club that covers your interests I think you will get the best of both worlds: Theoretical Engineering in the Classroom and Hands On Applied Engineering through your club activities. There is also the opportunity to study outside the E-school and you will have required electives in the School of Arts and Sciences. With a few extra classes on top of the required electives, you could minor or even double major in another subject. I ended up also graduating with an Econ major in addition to my Engineering degree, which I think has helped make me very marketable. I am now working in Defense consulting and I think the theoretical engineering curriculum helped prepare me for a career where the problems are sometimes vague with undefined parameters. Unfortunately, after four years of engineering school, I probably still can't fix a broken microwave. I should have joined the microwave club I suppose. Hope this helps.

Thank you. This is OP. It does. The other comments about parents forcing their kids into Virginia schools is crazy talk. My friends would kill to be in my position. It is so difficult to get into UVA from Northern Virginia. I was stunned that it happened to me and I'm still not sure why. From conversations with my friends I can tell you that no parents are "forcing" their kids into Virginia schools to keep them from exploring the world. That kind of talk just doesn't make sense. Most of the parents and students at my school worked together as teams trying to find the right fit and applied all over the United States and some even in Scotland and England. Most parents were upfront with my friends if they couldn't afford a certain school but hoped for financial aid, especially packages from the schools. Several of my friends didn't get into GMU or other Va schools and were devastated. The cost of all of these schools is apparent even to us kids - we understand the value of in-state tuition vs. what an Ivy costs and we know what that means for our parents or for us with debt in the future. We're not the idiots or lemmings you call us. I understand completely the difference between Ga Tech at $55K a year and UVA at $27K a year. I also know what additional grad work for a Masters' or Ph.D. will cost me in loans or my parents. You parents make us students sound like lemmings whose parents force us unwillingly into Virginia schools. You couldn't be more wrong. I think I speak for all of us saying we understand the value and are grateful. One of my friends was told she would have to go to community college . . . after getting into some of the Virginia schools but not the financial aid package needed. Her parents just can't afford it and the financial offers from privates are not great enough to cover the total need they have.. We are all acutely aware of the high cost of college and none of us are being forced to attend Virginia schools (??? I only know one other who got into UVA) so they won't see the world. We know a great opportunity. It hurts me to see some of you attack schools that many of us would either kill to get into, or are thrilled to be attending, or must attend because community college is the only way to get back into UVA (taking the two years, getting the necessary GPA and coming in junior year). Try to be a high school student going through this process. This has been probably both the best and the worst year of my life. I can tell it has not been easy for my parents either. I'm trying to make the best pick for me but be sensitive to cost and also to my uncertainty that I may find myself in a year's time thinking Tech School wasn't the right place for me. Last fall when I applied EA and got in everywhere I applied, I was sure I wanted aerospace engineering. I was also sure my dream school was Cornell (good for aerospace) but got deferred. Now I realize that wouldn't have been right for me either, especially at $75K a year with travel included from Virginia. I've seen my friends change plans again and again. I've seen them cry when they didn't get in - unfortunately, a lot of schools release during the school day so we're at school when we find it. Well, thanks for the info. I appreciate those comments from those who really tried to help.

I was trying to decide between UVA and W&M back in the day...and I couldn't get past the wearing sports jackets to football games.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years from now, do you want to be an upper level aero space engineer or do you want to manage the engineers? That's your answer.

This is OP. That is exactly what someone who studied aerospace engineering at UVA said to me when I toured. I do like business, economics and poly-sci as well STEM. Thank you everyone for your posts. I have been reaching out to some of the faculty on both campuses and trying to talk to them after I get home from school. Thank you for all your views.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years from now, do you want to be an upper level aero space engineer or do you want to manage the engineers? That's your answer.

This is OP. That is exactly what someone who studied aerospace engineering at UVA said to me when I toured. I do like business, economics and poly-sci as well STEM. Thank you everyone for your posts. I have been reaching out to some of the faculty on both campuses and trying to talk to them after I get home from school. Thank you for all your views.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years from now, do you want to be an upper level aero space engineer or do you want to manage the engineers? That's your answer.

This is OP. That is exactly what someone who studied aerospace engineering at UVA said to me when I toured. I do like business, economics and poly-sci as well STEM. Thank you everyone for your posts. I have been reaching out to some of the faculty on both campuses and trying to talk to them after I get home from school. Thank you for all your views.

This isn't accurate at all. Not one bit.

Anonymous wrote:I agree. I only let my DD apply to a single in state school as an emergency financial backup. Luckily nothing happened and my DD was able to pick the OOS school she preferred. She is thrilled there and we are very happy for her. Still perturbed she didn't pick GT like I wanted her to but she made the right decision for herself and I respect that. People in Va do not want their kids to explore the world but to stay close and follow their footsteps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years from now, do you want to be an upper level aero space engineer or do you want to manage the engineers? That's your answer.

This is OP. That is exactly what someone who studied aerospace engineering at UVA said to me when I toured. I do like business, economics and poly-sci as well STEM. Thank you everyone for your posts. I have been reaching out to some of the faculty on both campuses and trying to talk to them after I get home from school. Thank you for all your views.

This isn't accurate at all. Not one bit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years from now, do you want to be an upper level aero space engineer or do you want to manage the engineers? That's your answer.

This is OP. That is exactly what someone who studied aerospace engineering at UVA said to me when I toured. I do like business, economics and poly-sci as well STEM. Thank you everyone for your posts. I have been reaching out to some of the faculty on both campuses and trying to talk to them after I get home from school. Thank you for all your views.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Very different social scenes. Ga Tech is 70% male and many internationals. UVA seemed the opposite. I got into engineering because I'm finishing my pilot's license and love flying. I'm good with calculus but don't "Breath it" so am concerned I'm not nerdy enough for Ga Tech. Where did you, 14:21, go to school?

Well, UVa is more about the math and the theory behind things. GA tech would have more applied classes that might interest you more.

Don't worry about the class makeup. I was a gal in engineering grad school with mostly foreign students 20 years ago and I really enjoyed it. Foreign students are actually human beings as well and I enjoyed their company very much.