They want me to do business but I don’t think that is where my “spike” is. Honestly I want to combine them.
2 Likes
This thread keeps going round and round. Still confusing, lots of moving parts. The OP sounds like a strong student. Best of luck with applications.
4 Likes
Spike as in strength as an applicant or spike as in that’s what you are interested in studying and perhaps making a career in?
1 Like
You want to combine business and engineering?
OP you reported that finances are good. All you can do now is apply. Good luck!
3 Likes
If you’re wanting to combine business & engineering, have you looked at programs that offer an industrial engineering degree, which I have read as the intersection of business & engineering? I’m not even sure what schools are on your list right now (despite the fact that you just posted a day or so ago), but based on several of your recent comments, you might want to take a look at these schools’ programs:
- Case Western
- Lehigh
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- U. of Pennsylvania
1 Like
This
Is their recommendation that you apply as a business major and switch to engineering? Or apply as a business major and remain a business major?
If the former, that is often difficult to do, depending on the college’s policies. You would need to research your options on that regard. If the latter, would that make you happy?
2 Likes
Not trying to convince you to apply to USC. It is a school that I know about so I am using it as an example. USC offers a CS + Business joint degree and a new AI for Business joint degree.
The Marshall School of Business has several minors which are open to all majors. Likewise, the Viterbi School of Engineering has ITP minors open to any major on campus. Other colleges may have similar programs. Look for them.
2 Likes
My god - now you are switching gears. So study MIS - Bama is high ranked. Arizona - cheap for you - has historically been near to top.
Or look at Bama STEM to MBA - you’ll study both simultaneously - engineering and business.
Both Bama and Auburn are very solid B schools. Less so UAH - but you are going to school, not your parents. Many engineers will ultimately end up in business and given their ability to process and analyze info, are very sought out. I forget the # but most engineers don’t end up long term in engineering roles. But as my son told me, they want people who think like engineers.
Yes it’s a fun thread but you have to get control of your life. You and not your parents is what matters in picking a major you desire.
3 Likes
I think what might be behind this is that the OP has posted in the past that he has created and run a successful business in high school. Perhaps his parents want him to leverage that background as a spike to try to increase his odds at the more selective schools.
And that may work for the schools that don’t admit by major, like the Ivies. And he could then switch to a major he prefers if he is admitted to a college that doesn’t admit by major.
Just guessing here, of course.
1 Like
It is really difficult to combine engineering with another degree, unless you plan to do extra years in school. Many years ago a friend in engineering wanted to explore other subjects, not a major or minor, just take classes outside engineering, so she planned for 5 years in undergrad. My daughter’s boyfriend’s major was construction management which was sort of a combination of engineering and business, but he then got an MBA (so 2 more years). Also, his degree is not in engineering.
At any of the schools you are considering, look at all the requirements for Mech E. It’s likely there will only be about 15 credits of non-engineering courses (2 English, a civics, a history). If you get credit for any of those from DE or AP, then great, you can take another elective. If you get advance placement in a math or science, that may free up some room in your schedule.
Most students find if they want engineering, or think they want it, they should start in engineering and if that doesn’t work out, switch to another major. It is harder to switch into engineering because of course sequencing.
5 Likes
You are correct. My son started Bama as a 2nd year with AP but still took four years. Did one minor and fell two classes short of a second which he could have done with effort. He did have one friend graduate in 3.5 years. But it’s a rigid major in general.
1 Like
This might be unpopular opinion. An undergrad degree in business is frankly not worth it. If you are thinking of Engg + Business, you should overindex for the best engineering education, and take business courses of interest if time permits. Its much better to have a solid engineering undergrad and add an MBA down the line after you gain 2-3 years of real world work experience.
8 Likes
Major dependent I’d say. But yes. MIS, accounting, supply chain etc all good. Finance too. But eng ultimately gives more options. But obviously if you want to be an accountant, then engineering isn’t for you etc.
You don’t need to major in business to work at a business.
With an engineering major you can work for a company then switch to a more management role - some companies will even pay for your MBA in that case. There’s of course Industrial Engineering and Packaging, 2 majors that have a lot of “business type” classes.
I stand by my suggestion upthread: look into various majors - the classes they require, rhe background nd interests they entail, etc - start by conparing CS, CSE, EE, and MechE. (Just look at UAlabama to see where they differ).
Btw, a degree from UAlabama with a high GPA + good professional experience can lead to MBA at Harvard or similar (though you’d have to pay for it in all likelihood.).
Finally, most Ivies don’t have a business major -they want students who acquire critical skills through a more traditional major, use their career center judiciously for internships and jobs, then return for an MBA after a couple years of experience.
The obvious exception here is Penn. They have Wharton AND they even have the Jerome Fisher program, which selects 50 exceptional applicants per year only, ll students who have demonstrated that they can handle 2 programs at once - in this case, they’ll have to handle Business at Wharton+ Penn Engineering.
Cornell also has business/business type programs: Dyson, ILR.
7 Likes
What do you want to do? You initially said CS, then CS and business, then engineering - probably mechanical engineering. Now business.
It’s you who has to go through four years of college, and it’s your career. So what do you really want to do? And if you’re not sure that’s ok too - but don’t pick a major that your parents want (unless they have told you they won’t pay for anything else, but I don’t think that’s the case?).
8 Likes
Probably not.
Which major do YOU want, and are you planning to go with it? It’s ok if you do not know, but I do hope that the decision is yours.
If you are feeling additional stress during a time that is already stressful, I am sorry.
2 Likes
In most places, it’s better to start in engineering as it has one of the highest level, if not the highest level of non completion. Studies show 40-60%.
Many transfer to business. And often early when they realize the rigor in engineering is for real and not just spoken about.
Not always but typically it’s hard, if not impossible to do the reverse. So your best bet is to start in engineering as it’s unlikely you can get back.
Either way you can find a business career if that becomes an end goal.
2 Likes
Actually, his original title was CS + business (someone changed it a few days ago). The third line in his first post says CS and business. It is the respondents on this thread who focused on the CS (or ME) part.
Post #9 by @aquapt included suggestions for several combined programs.
Your post #10 offered suggestions for Stevens business + tech and NEU CS+ bus
3 Likes