<p>I am hoping to study electrical engineering in college, however I hear many different things about applying.
Some people say that some schools give preference to female applicants for both scholarships and admission, but others have said that others see women as more of a risk in engineering programs.
I have already taken preengineering courses at school through project lead the way, so I don't see myself as a "risk", since in my transcript admissions can see that I have an interest in engineering and I have been successful with it...
So who is right with the claims?</p>
<p>If anything it is a <em>slight</em> advantage. Nothing to take to the bank though.</p>
<p>It’s a definite advantage that can help more at some colleges (like MIT) than others where it may not help much.</p>
<p>I’m not really banking on it, but I just got scared because I do know of girls who have talked to schools and been told they were seen as a risk, thus given a disadvantage of getting in…</p>
<p>My D is considering majoring in engineering. My DH, being an engineer himself is afraid that it will be difficult for her to reach high in the male world of engineering. So the way I see it, it might be a little easier to get in, but it will bite you as you get to a workforce. </p>
<p>If you are looking at schools trying to increase their percentage of female students it would be an advantage.</p>
<p>MIT is about 50/50, so I don’t think it is much of an advantage there. I have not heard that it is a disadvantage to be a female applicant to an engineering program. I am curious which schools told your friends they would be viewed as risky because they are female. </p>
<p>A few years ago the admissions rep from an ivy engineering school contacted the college counselor at our local public high school asking if there were more math and science inclined females who had not applied to his school who could be persuaded to apply, since they were looking for more female applicants. </p>
<p>@VMT While MIT may have close to equal matriculants, when you look at the number of males vs. females who apply, you see that females have a much higher acceptance rate in order to get to that equal matriculation rate.</p>
<p>Good to know!</p>
<p>It really depends on the school. It’s a really big advantage at Olin, where the female acceptance rate is several times the male one. It’s a big advantage at Mudd, MIT, and Caltech, where the female acceptance rate is twice or more the male one. At other engineering schools, there doesn’t seem to be a big difference between the male and female acceptance rates.</p>
<p>BTW, someone needs to work on their logic skills. If MIT is 50/50 but twice as many guys apply there as girls, then being female is a big advantage, no?</p>
<p>Also, many of the engineering schools with lopsided gender ratios don’t have much different admit rates for guys and girls.</p>
<p>Not to mention that being aware of the fact that it’s easier for females at MIT many less qualified females might apply and many more qualified males might be discouraged from apply as well. </p>
<p>I wasn’t aware that at MIT twice as many males apply. Thank you for clarifying. </p>
<p>@seal16 that’s one of my fears too…):
@VMT I was told more liberal arts schools with engineering programs saw female applicants as a risk. Not sure why, but just because. It was like union college, Manhattan college, and Lehigh I believe.
And to anyone thinking I’m applying to an ivy: I’m not. I visited Cornell, Dartmouth, and Yale and really felt like I didn’t fit in. </p>
<p>@PurpleTitan I wonder if the result of lopsided ratios for other schools could simply be just a lack of qualified female applicants combined with an already small number of applicants? </p>
<p>Mea- I find it hard to believe any college representative would state a female applicant (or an applicant from any demographic group) is seen as risky. I have only heard of gender preferences relative to a college trying to even out their numbers. Males have an advantage at Liberal Arts Colleges because there are more female applicants. Colleges also seek geographic diversity. However, stating that a group is seen as risky is very different. </p>
<p>If you are a solid applicant and apply to a variety of schools, I wouldn’t spend much time worrying about this. </p>
<p>@mea1997:</p>
<p>Possible. I would really look in to Olin. Seems like they have a tight student body. For guys, it’s as hard to get in to as MIT. For girls, it’s a 50% acceptance rate. You can cross-register for classes at Olin and Wellesley there.</p>
<p>There is usually a gender bias in the admission to engineering schools (Stanford is an exception though). Many top engineering schools has a male to female ratio of 2:1 to 3:1 even they have a slightly higher admission rate for girls. Merit aid may be used to attract qualified female applicants too. My D was accepted by several top 20 engineering schools and most of them offer scholarships to her too.</p>