Best school in or around Virginia for engineering?

Hello College Confidential community,

I am in the midst of my junior year and I am trying to find out what is my best fit for college. I want to study to be an electronics engineer and might possibly double major in chemistry or computer science. I have visited Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia so far, I know Virginia Tech has a well known e-department, but I also realize UVA is more prestigious than Tech. I live in the Richmond area so I am already quite familiar with VCU, but I still haven’t visited other schools in VA such as GMU, JMU or W&M(Which has a co-ed program w/ Columbia). I realize my math grades might be a little lack luster to apply directly into an engineering program which is why I plan to transfer from undecided into the college of engineering of where ever I go. Please look over my classes and extra curricular activities carefully and let me know what school in or around VA sounds like a good fit for me.

Originally I wished to attend CMU in Pittsburgh, but I feel that my chances are low given that my math grade keeps me from being competitive.

Pre-High School

  • Algebra I - A
  • Honors Spanish I - B

Freshman year

*Honors Algebra II - B
*Honors Earth Science - A
*Honors World History I - A+
*Honors English 9 - A
*Honors Spanish II - B+
*Introductory Computer Programming - A+
*Health and P.E. 9 - A+

Sophomore year

*Honors Geometry - B
*Honors Biology - A+
*AP World History - A
*Honors English 10 - A
*Honors Spanish III - B
*Honors Economics - A
*Honors Computer Programming - B+
*Health and P.E. 10 (Online) - A

Junior year (Grades are based on current semester grades)

*Honors Trigonometry - B
*Honors Chemistry - A
*Duel Enrollment U.S. History (College Level) - A
*AP Language and Composition - A
*AP Biology - A
*AP Statistics - B
*AP Computer Programming AB - A

Summer of junior year

*Community college Japanese

Senior year (Might drop Oceanography / Computer Science to work a job)

*AP Calculus AB
*Honors Physics
*AP US Government
*Duel Enrollment College Composition (College Level)
*AP Chemistry
*AP Computer Science Principles
*Honors Oceanography

Extra Curricular activities

*Practitioner in Taekwondo for 3 years(Red belt)
*Practitioner in Aikido for 1 1/2 years(Blue belt)
*50+ hours of volunteer work at the Science Museum of Virginia
*Member of Beta Club(Honors society)
*(Applied for National Honors Society, don’t know if I got in yet)
*(Applied for Mu Alpha Theta(Math honors society), don’t know if I got in yet)
*Member of Physics club
*Member of Computer club

The best engineering school in VA is VTech (IMO). Going from undeclared to engineering will not be easy and will probably add an extra year to your education unless you manage it very carefully. Engineering has a defined sequential path for classes and if you don’t start on them from the beginning you’ll be behind.