I don’t pretend to know the first thing about engineering schools, but it does look like Olin is a darling of the tech companies. As is Mudd. That must mean something about the skill set of graduates.
I am enamored with the idea of engineers redesigning engineering education (very meta). It sounds like there is still traditional education happening alongside the projects. I agree that projects for the sake of saying you are doing project based learning isn’t good enough. But their results and ability to draw talent is compelling. They are doing something right.
The issue to me is how teeny tiny Mudd and esp Olin are. You gotta love what you are doing and be confident you will find your peeps there.