Hi. My D is interested in CU Boulder’s Engineering school. She wants to major in Computer Science and minor in Biomedical Engineering. She is especially interested in the Engineering Honors Program. Just wondering if anyone can speak to both how hard it is to get accepted into their College of Engineering and Applied Science (noticed some posters tried to get in but were wait-listed or put in pre-engineering or something else), and also if she has a good chance of being accepted into Engineering Honors Program? I believe I read that only about 20% of applicants to Eng. Honors Program get in. She is a Junior with 4.4 GPA (4.0 unweighted), strong math and science including AP Physics & Calc/Trig, 4 honors and 4 AP classes so far, and 33 ACT.
CU has an acceptance rate of 80%, but the engineering school is far more selective. I think your daughter has a solid but not guaranteed chance of admittance if she applies early. I’d be careful agreeing to the pre-engineering program because only about 20% of the kids in that program make it into the engineering school.
I don’t know about the honors program.
I am almost certain she will get direct admission to the college of engineering with those stats. The honors program has a separate application where you have to write a few essays, I think they weigh those essays a lot more than stats.
Your daughter can major in computer science in the CU Arts and Sciences College, she does not have to be in the engineering college. In fact, there is a Bachelor of arts degree, but she can just take all the math for the bachelor of science degree, even if she is in Arts and Sciences.
But if she wants to live in Andrews Hall, she will need to get into the College of Engineering.
CU Honors Engineering is a living group in Andrews Hall. It has a resident faculty who is a writing professor with biology background. The engineering and math academics are really the same, in and out of honors, so its a bit of a don’t care, unless your daughter really wants to live at Andrews Hall. Internships can be gotten in or out of honors.
Th only difference for Honors Engineering, is she must take a humanities class with the resident professor at Andrews Hall, and its not a technical class so much. So there is no academic difference at CU between honors and regular engineering.
Global Engineering living group has a resident faculty who is a Spanish professor. Many smart engineering and CS students live in Global Engineering. Its no longer a house for practicing Spanish but more for students who want to cook together. Visit both living groups, and don’t get stuck on Honors Engineering /Andews Hall, but consider both dorms.
Its a bit of first come first serviced with both honors engineering and global engineering. So apply to CU in September of 12th grade. Apply to housing as soon as it opens, maybe in December to get spots. She has to write extra essays to get into honors engineering and global engineering. Its a pain, but if she prefers those dorms then
be prepared to write the extra essays.
Your daughter can live in Andrews or Global Engineering all four years, is one advantage of getting into living
and learning communities.
http://globalengineeringrap.org
She can also choose Williams Village hosing for all 4 years, and its nice to live away from the football stadium at CU.
Williams Village is one mile south with its own Recreation Center, and cafeteria.
If she wants to minor in biomedical engineering, she should take AP biology and AP chemistry if she can fit them
into her senior year schedule. There is a chemical and biological engineering major . There is also a section of mechanical engineering that focuses on biomedical design.
She needs to take 4 years of math. She should sign up for distance learning calculus in senior year, if she has run out of math.
The worst mistake students make is to take AP Statistics in senior year, without studying calculus in senior year.
She can use Khan Academy to study calculus in 12th grade if there is no class left for her to take. She must review calculus in 12th grade, or Calculus 3 will be very very very difficult. Students often flunk calculus 3, and that sets them back.
If she lands in pre engineering, falling calculus 3 really might prevent her from getting into engineering.
She is taking both AP Calculus & AP Statistics next year. She did AP physics this year, and she’s already done biology. Hopefully she’s on the right track ?.
Colorado engineering admit rate is 43%.
Hello - Why do you say that only 20% of the pre-engineering students make it into the Engineering program?
I don’t think that is right here is what the CU website says.
Demographics
370 = students starting in Pre-Engineering.
153 = students who completed required courses and were admitted to engineering by Spring 2019
69 = first semester students who successfully met the accelerated admission requirements
It looks like 41% made it into engineering
19% made it after the first semester.
Hi. I was speaking about the engineering Honors program when I said 20%… I need to look back to see where I read it, but somewhere there was a number of Eng. Honors applicants versus the number that actually got accepted into the engineering Honors program. I was also asking about how hard it was just to get into the engineering program in general, and have receive helpful information from those above ?
Be sure to look at the Engineering Living and Learning dorm at Brackett Hall.
Lots of students prefer Brackett Hall over Engineering Honors-
https://living.colorado.edu/get-involved-quad-engineering-llc
Brackett Engineering LLC is about the same type of students as Engineering Honors.
Engineering Honors requires a humanities class called Critical Encounters I.
and some of those students end up completing an honors thesis. Many move off campus and do not live in Andrews Hall all four years.
There is not much difference between living at Andrews Hall and Brackett Hall, in the freshman year, so don’t stress out over Engineering Honors at CU.
Also consider Global Engineering, as thats the fun dorm for engineers. You will have to complete an essay in Spanish, French, Russian or German to get accepted to Global Engineering dorm but its no longer much of a language house, just a great place to live. Professor in residence, Diane Sieber, is a Spanish professor.
http://globalengineeringrap.org
Is Honors or dedicated learning communities the only housing that isn’t a challenge right now? I thought I remember reading that UC Boulder was having a huge housing challenge - even for freshman - and the community was having trouble supporting students as well? Interested in the school - programs, town, location, aid, etc… all a great fit but really do not want to deal with off campus housing before senior year (cost, etc… or not).
CU has enough housing for freshman and then it gets tight. Most kids move to off campus housing after they’re freshmen year. If you want to make it 3-4 years on campus it’s best to ask admissions directly.