Hi all – my oldest is a freshman at Rice, so we’ve done this once before – but we want to get started on a list for her younger sister. She’s only a freshman in high school, but she has a lot of ideas about what she wants after witnessing her sister’s search. Some parameters –
Cost is not a main concern.
Kid is leaning toward a field that combines art and math – which could be industrial design, product design, architecture, etc. (Although architecture is theoretical – she’s intimidated by B.Arch and M.Arch programs.) Clemson has a package science degree that looks appealing, and they also offer a food science degree that is of interest. (Often students major in package science and minor in food science – that might be right up my daughter’s alley.) Open to suggestions on related majors that she should consider. She really isn’t sure yet, but these are her strengths – she’s hugely creative (but not a traditional art student), a strong math student and has a fantastic visual-spatial sense. She loved designing a gadget in an Intro to Engineering class fall semester and 3D printing it.
We’re in Atlanta, and she prefers a school that’s within a reasonable 5-6 hour drive, OR an easy short flight. West coast or even mountain states is too far. Very cold weather is iffy, but she’s willing to consider anywhere if the school checks enough boxes. She doesn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere – somewhere near a city or town with things to do would be good. Unsure on size of school – she hasn’t seen many. She did tour Rice with her sister and really liked the feel.
As I mentioned, she’s only a freshman, but her uw GPA is 96.75 after one semester, weighted 99.25. (She’s in five honors classes, and her school weights each 4 points.) She’s a very strong test taker – CogAT scores near perfect – so I expect test scores will be solid. She expects to take 6 or 7 AP classes (APUSH, Bio, BC Calc, Lit, maybe Gov, maybe EnviSci, maybe Latin), the rest honors classes. She’ll have math through multivariable calculus (unless she ditches that and takes AP Stats). She may be able to take a STEM seminar as a senior where she works on a year-long engineering project.
She’s in her third year of marching band (they start in 7th grade at her small private school) and applying for woodwind section leader for next year. Expects to do marching band all four years, possibly aiming for drum major senior year. Did a service organization this winter (tutoring in underserved communities, visiting assisted living facilities, etc.) and expects to do it all four years. This spring she’ll be doing costuming for the school play – she sews and likes to create doll clothes and also cosplay. I expect longevity for this activity, too, with increasing responsibility for costume design.
She’s in symphonic band at school as well, and hopes to take that all four years and audition for district band (she missed getting in by a couple of points this year). She’s also aiming for a couple of art classes (digital design and 3D studio) and a couple engineering/architecture classes. (Open to suggestions for what she should be doing in the summers that aligns with her interests – in addition to band camp. Her sister did governor’s school, but unsure if it offers a subject area that would be right for this one. Any good summer programs for exploring interest in industrial design or architecture?)
Here’s the kicker – kid would like the option of marching band in college, but she isn’t sure about a hardcore band commitment at a big football school. She’s not keen on Greek life, so her social outlet would probably be with a band. We were looking at some schools like Lehigh that have non-audition bands – the Marching 97 looks hugely appealing. In fact, Lehigh is far, but Delta flights go directly from ATL to the little airport that’s only 4 miles away in Allentown, so that’s big.
Anyone have suggestions for a school that might offer industrial/product design or something along those lines, and ALSO a chill low-pressure marching band, plus meet some of her other requirements? So far we have Appalachian State – which is probably a bit of a safety, but they have an honors college. Clemson is appealing, but their band is high commitment, high pressure. (Not a deal-breaker, but…) Lehigh looks heavily Greek, and no industrial design major, but the band seems great.
TBH she’d probably love the MOB at Rice, but besides architecture (which is a super intense program there, perhaps too intense), I don’t think there’s another major at Rice that would be right for this kiddo. Her sister was the 36 ACT, salutatorian, driven-since-birth overachiever and is thriving at Rice. This one is equally bright but completely different in personality – the rank or prestige of the school mean nothing to her as long as she likes the program, nor is she driven to be at the very top of her class, regardless of her abilities.
I know it’s a bit early to be asking – she might change her mind a million times – but thanks for indulging!
CMU has a great industrial/product design program plus a non-audition marching band (The Kilties.)
One thing to consider with product/industrial design programs (if she continues with this interest) is that they range from very art-focused (e.g. Pratt, Parsons etc.) to ones that are more engineering focused (U of MN etc.) So you have to drill down into the curriculum. It is also possible to enter the field of product/industrial design with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, with or without some additional art classes. So this broadens the schools you can consider.
The BArch may not be the best choice for someone who isn’t 100% sold on architecture. Most schools of architecture will also offer a 4 year bachelor of science or bachelor of art in architecture or design which allows more flexibility than the BArch.
In most states either a BArch or an MArch is needed in order to become licensed; however, the combination of a BA/BS+MArch is very common in architecture today. The MArch can take from 1 to 3.5 years depending on the undergraduate degree and the MArch program. There’s a lot of variation from school to school.
MArch programs admit a lot of BA/BSs in architecture, architectural studies, environmental design, art etc. They also admit a fair number of BA/BSs in unrelated fields, as long as the entrance requirements are met. These are generally an art/design portfolio, some art studio courses and some art history. Most, but not all, require some physics and some calculus. Again, there’s a lot of variation.
Quite a few schools of architecture & design sponsor summer career exploration programs for high schoolers. In the south you might look at Georgia Tech, Auburn, Tulane, U of Miami, Virginia Tech, U of Tennessee. There are many others all over the country.
I don’t have any first hand experience with product design or marching band, but your D sounds an awful lot like my relative. She’s had her own tools since she was a kid helping her Dad around the house. She has been happily 3D objects designed through CAD since high school. (they have a 3D printer at home - ME Dad).
Her favorite activity in HS was helping the theater classes (she doesn’t act) design and build the sets. That would be her dream job. She also was in the HS marching band since 8th grade.
She’s an ME at Virginia Tech and a Marching Virginian. Football and basketball. She’s also a member of their Baja car team. She about as far from a sorority type as you can be, but a very cool kid. Looking at their website, it seems to need to audition, but the time commitment isn’t terrible. 1/3 are engineers
She’s also a strong student, but not a math genius. She didn’t have any calculus before college. She did fine and I believe is on track to be magna cum laude.
While I am not familiar with schools in your area, if her goal for marching band is to be Drum Major see if there is a Drum Major Academy program that comes to your area. I am an alumni of that program as well as the marching band at UMass Amherst (also a great school for engineering and marching band). The Academy helps you with the skills to lead not only in the band but in life as well.
@Kerrie_W thank you for this! It looks really fun and informative. They’re doing one this summer in Charlotte, which is only a few hours from us. Is this a program a rising sophomore would do, or would you wait until rising junior or senior?
@momrath Thank you for your explanation! I’d always wondered about the various architecture paths but hadn’t looked into it.
Looks like GA Tech has a great two-week summer program where she could explore either industrial design or architecture. You have to be a rising junior, so possibility for next summer.
A follow-up question – I see that some schools offer a general design major – NC State calls it Design Studies, and Tulane calls it just Design – but it looks to be an interdisciplinary major that touches on all aspects of design, from fashion to architecture to industrial to interior, and maybe even UI or UX design.
I think something like this would be perfect for my kid – but is it a waste of time to get such a general degree? I guess she could always take extra courses in the area that interests her and minor in it, or go on to grad school.
I think you can do it any time. I did it as a rising junior and senior. When I started at UMass I volunteered at it for two summers. One of the lucky ones who worked with George Parks.
I think the take-away is that there are a lot of paths to a career in architecture. The BArch, which requires a commitment from day one of freshman year, is just one of several. Your daughter may or may not eventually choose architecture, but she shouldn’t feel that she needs to make that decision before she’s ready to.
The major caveat to the broad liberal arts foundation is that the MArch can be a costly degree, at least in relationship to architecture salaries which can be comfortable, but not on the level of Medicine or Law for example. I don’t mean this as discouragement; just advice to consider the financial ramifications of the various paths.
Best I can tell from their website NC State’s Design Studies is not meant to be an entree to a career in design or architecture. From their website
They explain that the degree could lead to a career in non-profit arts administration, education in design theory & criticism, museum practice, entrepreneurship, marketing or other broadly design related fields.
Tulane’s BA Design does include three studio segments, along with several academic courses offering a general though intellectual exploration of the creative process, more abstract than hands-on.
I would describe both as programs better suited for people who would prefer to talk (or write) about the process, history and impact of art/design than actually create.
I don’t mean to be condescending. They both sound compelling to me (I love to analyze), but may be less suitable for someone who wants to make or build something tangible.
NCSU does offer design studies, and it is easier to get into than the studio majors. I think you’d need a masters for a design career after that, though. They do have a summer design camp program. One version offers an overview of all the design disciplines that they teach with daily mini projects. The other is field intensive in one design discipline and intended to conclude with a portfolio-worthy project. My student went to the first this year, and it was helpful in clarifying field of interest. For what it’s worth, NCSU does have a decent marching band for a school that doesn’t have an intensive music major. I believe they only took 18 industrial design freshman last year, so sounds extremely competitive.
For my kid, we spent a week this summer visiting design programs in the northeast: Pratt, Drexel, RIT, Syracuse, Cornell (architecture). Mine liked Drexel because of the focus on co-op opportunities and RIT because of the campus vibe. Did not like Pratt, mostly because if you want to do design and nothing but design, it’s awesome, but the school doesn’t really offer anything else.
Somehow I missed this thread earlier in the year, and I don’t know if @SpreadsheetMom (love the username!) is still following, but one school that popped to mind is Thomas Jefferson in Philadelphia. The first caveat is that I don’t think it has marching band, but perhaps being in Philadelphia, there might be some other musical organization that she could join that would be of interest?
Thomas Jefferson was formed by the merger of two universities, and my sense is that it may be a fit school. But it has a lot of things that interest your daughter, and even on its academics overview page, it talks about having majors that intersect lots of interests which might be a way for your D to explore a lot of her interests and then get into (or make) a major that fits.
Even if Thomas Jefferson isn’t a fit for 4-years of college, its summer programs may be of interest as your D explores possibilities that she may want to pursue further.
Thank you for the info on the NCSU summer design camps! That might be the ideal way for my daughter to narrow down what she’d like to focus on.
She isn’t drawn to SCAD for the same reason your kid didn’t like Pratt – there are really no activities or campus life to speak of. And marching band is becoming more important to her, so it will have to be a bigger school with a football program by default, I guess.
@AustenNut thank you for the suggestion – I’ll take a look!