Essentially for chem eng, but kid liked the sounds of materials at CSM also. CSM offers enough money for these options to be essentially interchangeable, but it is possible that Uminn will be shorter based in credit for the IBD/APs. I wonder how coming in with credit or testing out successfully works in a school as small as Mines, in sequencing? Can a student or parent comment? Thanks.
CSM is only a state away, that is very appealing. The outdoor stuff is terrific. The reputation within industry is not wasted. I am looking at this clinically from parental budgetary perspective. If CSM is going to threaten the likelihood of a 4 yr graduation to a well prepped student I would really like to know now. Thanks.
I am a Colorado parent, and materials scientist by training. You should call Mines and go over this in detail with them, after studying their credit program on their website. Most kids here who work hard can get the Chem E degree in four years. Kids that take longer are usually repeating some classes, as they dropped classes in mid semester due to lack of study and organization skills. U of Minnesota has very strong programs in chem e, ranked very high nationally, for their research, and are more focused on industries like 3M. (the Scotch Tape company) Mines recruiting in chemical engineering is focused on petroleum industries and wind and solar energy, with good research opportunities at National Renewable Energy lab right in Golden (A Department of Energy Lab) . There is some movement to get more chemical engineers and materials scientists at Mines to be recruited by semiconductor firms in Colorado or Texas or Arizona. Mines may be a little weaker in the associated electrical department, than Minnesota, but Mines is like a private education, given the size and also the dedicated teaching faculty, very rare at larger state schools. Mines has two tracks for faculty, a research track and a teaching track, very unusual, and means the Mines education is fantastic, at a good price.
Thanks, I have gone over it and DS has emailed, a couple of standouts in the curriculum are mandatory PE (a little hard to swallow at over $1000 per credit hour) and the philosophy class which any IBDC kid aimed at engineering might baulk at (4 hours, so with PE there is an extra 6 which might explain some differential with other engineering schools credit reqs). It really looks as if (that might be a big if) he passed the placement tests there isn’t much left in year one or free electives. On paper, he should be able to do it in 3 yrs if the placement tests work out and CSM don’t throttle his incoming credits. Hopefully he will get a swift reply.
My son is finishing his freshman year there. They were very generous between accepting his AP credits, dual enrollment credits, and non-degree seeking credits at our local public school. He was able to challenge out of the other classes (seems to have a pretty reasonable passing bar). He will be able to graduate in 3 years. He is thinking of doing the 5 year Masters in 4 years. He is OOS but received a scholarship that brought price down to almost in-state costs.
Will they let him use the 4th year of the scholarship for the masters? Unfortunately the 56K scholarship does not bring DS near instate rates. I am not sure if he would have qualified to better scholarships had his application been processed promptly.
I am not sure how the scholarship will work but I feel we are getting such a good deal for the undergraduate education that paying for the one year or just part of it will still be a good deal. Another option is to double major or just graduate in 3 years.
Alfonsia, did he decide on Mines or U of M? One reason the gym classes are required at engineering colleges is to provide the student with some balance. Formal exercise on a schedule. Some kids needs this to stay sane. It is important, and i would not think about it “per credit hour” but think about it as a four year education for the price. He may be able to handle a heavier load per semester, if Mines allows that, so you will get your moneys worth, as its the degree you are paying for in the end, not individual courses, even thought they seem to charge for credits at state schools. Its like a private education at Mines for a public school price, with his scholarship. Good luck!
He decided on Uminn, for the chem eng, which is the same price, if slightly cheaper, guarantees recognition of his IB diploma, and for chem eng, is probably stronger, his feeling is that at CSM would have meant he ended up doing petro. Honestly if CSM hadn’t messed him about and he had been in the running for better scholarships, he would easily have ended up there. The scholarship they gave him seems to be the standard they give out that merely smooths out the pricing to make it in line with similar schools. Do people really pay full tuition from OOS? I thought that 14K was pretty much what they gave all suitable OOS candidates, I would love to know what the stats are for the Harvey scholars.