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Tag: Finding a college

Published on Leave a comment on How To Look For An Engineering College

So you decide you want study engineering in college. Now what? Can you go to any school to major in engineering? There are several steps you should take to look for an engineering college.

What Kind of Engineer?

First you need to determine what kind of engineer you would like to become. There are many different fields of engineering such as mechanical, civil, aerospace or computer engineering. It is a good idea to first find out a bit about each field to determine where your interests and strengths fit best.

What Colleges Have My Major?

Next you need to look for schools that offer programs in that engineering major. Not all colleges offer engineering programs. In addition, not every college that has an engineering school offers degrees in every field of engineering. It is important to find out if the school offers the exact engineering major you are interested in so you are not wasting your time. Majors are listed on each college's website. Another good resource for this is US News List of Best Engineering Colleges.

How To Narrow It Down

After finding schools that have your major you should then consider the size of school you are interested in and the geographic location you would like to be in. This will help narrow down your choices. Virtual or actual tours of colleges can help you decide what size and location is best for you.

Grades and Scores

High school grades and standardized test scores play a big role in choosing a college. College websites will list the average scores they require for admission. Researching this will help you determine which schools you have the best shot of getting into, before you apply.

Tuition

An additional factor in choosing a college is cost. Individual college websites will list the tuition and other charges to attend that school. Loans, financial aid and scholarships are offered at most schools to help you pay for it. Unfortunately, you won't know if you qualify for them until after you apply to each school. Therefore, it is important to understand what you can afford before you apply.

In short, the search for an engineering school is not simple. Looking for a college for engineering takes some thought and research, but the end result will be the perfect college for you.

Published on Leave a comment on So You Think You Want To Major In Engineering

You are good at math and science so majoring in engineering in college is a great idea. Now that you have picked a major you just have to choose a college to go to. This is not as easy as you might think.

Starting The College Search

There are several things you should consider when starting an engineering major college search. First, do all colleges offer degrees in engineering? Do all colleges with engineering departments offer every type of engineering degree? Lastly, do I need to know what type of engineer I want to become? The answer to all these questions is no, no, and not always.

Does This College Have My Major?

Not every college or university has an engineering department or even offers engineering degrees. In addition, many that have engineering departments don't offer programs in every engineering discipline. If you know the type of engineering you want to study, it is important to find out if the school you are interested in has that program. For example, Union College offers degrees in several engineering fields, but does not offer a degree in Civil Engineering. Likewise University of Pittsburgh does not offer a degree in Aerospace Engineering. It would be a mistake to apply to a college and then find out they do not offer a degree in the field you are looking for.

Do I Need To Declare A Major?

Some colleges like University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign require you to declare to a specific major when you apply, while others like Worcester Polytechnic Institute  do not. This is important to know when you are considering prospective colleges. Some schools are more flexible than others. If you do not apply directly into the engineering department in some colleges, such as State University of New York at Buffalo, it is not really possible to declare a major in engineering after the fact.

Can I Change Engineering Majors?

Are you stuck with that specific engineering major once you are enrolled in college? In most cases you can switch engineering majors within a college's engineering department. It is sometimes hard to know exactly what major you will be happiest with while you are still a high school student. It is a good idea to explore the different types of engineering majors to get a better understanding of them before you start looking for colleges.  In addition, it is also helpful to look into the types of courses you need to take in that major. This will give you an idea of what you will be studying to see if it is a good fit for you.

Overall, determining the engineering major that interests you most and taking the time to research school departments will make it easy to find the right college for you.

Published on Leave a comment on College Virtual Information Sessions

Due to COVID-19 the traditional college search has changed. Since campus visits can't happen, many colleges now offer virtual information sessions. These sessions are done in different ways. Many are offered in a webinar format with interactive chat for questions. Some are prerecorded slideshows of information. Some schools offer just general information sessions, while others have general sessions and sessions on specific majors. Most also offer a virtual tour of the school so you can get a better visual of the campus. Virtual info sessions are often found on the Visit Campus Page of a college's website. In addition, many colleges look for demonstrated interest in their school from their applicants. Traditionally, this would be shown by college visits and interviews, but with today's changes, signing up for virtual info sessions are also counted. Here are links to several schools with engineering programs that currently offer virtual information sessions.

Additional colleges offering information sessions can be found on this previous blog post.

Case Western Reserve University SUNY Buffalo
Colombia University SUNY Stony Brook
Cornell University University of Arizona
Drexel University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Duke University University of Maryland
George Washington University University of Michigan
Northeastern University University of Pittsburgh
MIT University of Rochester
Ohio State University University of Texas A & M
Rice University University of Virginia
Rochester Institute Of Technology University of Washington
Stanford University Vanderbilt University
Stevens Institute of Technology

Published on Leave a comment on What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential learning is the process of learning through experience. Relating to engineering education, this could take the form of internships, co-ops, capstone projects or research. Basically, experiential learning bridges the gap between theory and practice. It provides a hands on experience to learn and understand specific practices in engineering. For example, it is one thing to work on the textbook problem of how to achieve better flow to produce a greater output of Chemical A at processing Plant X, and another to be an intern at Plant X seeing first hand where the issue lies in the piping and raw materials and speaking to the workers involved in the production process to find the best solution to get more output.

Internships and cooperative education programs (co-ops) are learning experiences where the student actually works for a company in a given field. Internships are shorter (a summer or a semester) and could be both paid and unpaid, part time or full time. Co-ops are longer and involve a more in depth work experience. Students stop taking classes to work full time (usually 3-6 months at a time), and are typically paid. The longer work experience of a co-op can give students an edge over their peers when they are looking for jobs after graduation.

Capstone projects and research are other ways to gain valuable experience and knowledge in your field. Working on a research project is a great way to apply the theories learned in your studies and explore a topic in greater depth. Similarly, capstone projects combine theory and practical experience to solve a problem or issue.

Not all engineering programs offer experiential learning opportunities. Many have it built into their curriculum. Others do not offer these experiences and the student has to look for them on their own.

Experiential learning is a valuable way to increase your understanding and knowledge of a subject through hands on experience. In addition, experiential learning will increase the student's value in the job market upon graduation. When looking into engineering schools it is beneficial to find out if the program you are considering offers experiential learning.

Published on Leave a comment on Virtual Information Sessions

Many colleges are now offering virtual information sessions due to COVID-19. These sessions are a great way to get information about a school when you can't actually visit the campus. The sessions are often conducted in a webinar format with interactive chat so you can ask any questions you might have. Some schools offer just general info sessions, while others have general sessions as well as sessions on specific majors. Many also offer virtual tours of their campus. This is a great resource to look for to help with the college search. In addition, many colleges look for demonstrated interest in their school from their applicants. Traditionally, this would be shown by college visits and interviews, but with today's changes, signing up for virtual info sessions are also counted. Virtual info sessions are often found on the Visit Campus Page of a college's website. Here are links to a few schools with engineering programs that currently offer virtual information sessions.

Georgia Tech 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Perdue University 

Virginia Tech 

Johns Hopkins University 

University of Wisconsin 

Published on Leave a comment on Why You Should Visit Engineering Colleges

After deciding which engineering field you are interested in, it is a good idea to visit schools that have that program. Every college has its own personality and all schools do not follow the same programs of instruction. This is something every student needs to consider when deciding if that school is the one for them. When you go on some college tours, you will start to see what aspects of schools you like, or do not like. This is the best way to start narrowing down choices of schools. By going on different campuses you will get a feel of what each school is like. The size and look of the campus, what the facilities and classrooms are like, and what the class sizes are will give you an indication of what is best for you. Try to take the engineering school tour at each school, if possible. An engineering tour will give more insight into what the curriculum is like and what life as a student in their program will be like. In addition, talking to current students and speaking to administrators about the specifics of the program you are interested in will give you more information. The administrators can also provide more specifics on the requirements for admittance to their program.

If you are not sure where to begin, first start exploring colleges that may be a short distance from where you live. This is a great way to start narrowing down what type of schools you are interested in without spending a lot of time and money.