<p>I love Dartmouth's campus and the focus on the undergraduate experience. I am so torn because the Engineering department is not exactly what I want. I think I want to be an engineer, and then, I am not sure. Should I apply to more comprehensive schools? I toured Stanford and I am going to Cornell next month and RPI. I have been to Duke and UCB. I liked Stanford's campus, but nothing compares to the Dartmouth experience from what I understand. My sister graduated from Dartmouth and to this day (3 years ago) still loves Hanover and Dartmouth. We can be anywhere in the world and she runs into Dartmouth alums! There seems to be such a bond and I want the true "college" experience, but I do think I want to major in engineering. Anyone willing to throw their 2 cents in on the Engineering at Dartmouth and the possibility of getting a job in engineering, NOT FINANCE!!</p>
<p>Dartmouth engineers graduate in four years with a BA in engineering, but, you can stay for a fifth year and get a bse as well, which more prepares you to actually be an engineer…one of the reqs for getting the degree is actually working with a company on a project. I don’t have a comparison for how your job prospects are compared to other engineering programs, but it is possible to be a engineer who wants to pursue enineering, rather than finance.</p>
<p>I’m no expert, but here’s my opinion. Be careful about buying into the so-called rankings of schools. It’s all about fit. While Dartmouth engineering may not be on par with MIT, it is certainly an outstanding school. A Dartmouth engineering education is still very good. If you want a career as an engineer, you will probably want a graduate degree anyway, so the BA would be perfectly acceptable. Meanwhile, that Dartmouth diploma opens doors. Especially if you do choose a different career path (there are many potential careers for engineering grads besides finance).</p>
<p>Thank you for your replies.I agree, and I am not caught up in the rankings (too much anyway!) so that is why I am so torn about Dartmouth. I really love the campus and the undergrad focus, but I do want to be marketable upon exit. My sister has friends that graduated from Dartmouth with the BA engineering focus and most of them are employed in NYC. I am going to Dartmouth soon for a campus visit and will visit the engineering department, but I guess my big question is, can you come out of Dartmouth undergrad and be able to pass the PE test? My hang up is BA or BS or BE at this point. I don’t think I want to go to a purely technical school, just in case I can’t make it through engineering or hate it, but I do know that my focus will be more in the sciences area than in the social science area.I would like to think about applying ED to Dartmouth so I am visiting Dartmouth and Cornell soon. The problem with Cornell is that you have to apply to the Engineering school itself and I don’t know how hard it is to switch majors. I know it is easy to do at Stanford. I am stressing because it is the thing to do right now. I may not get into any of these schools, so this may all be moot!</p>
<p>after going through the BA/BE program, every Thayer student is prepared enough to take the FE, of which a stunningly high percentage (80-90+) pass on the first try. After 5? years of work experience, you could be qualified as a PE. The academic test will definitely be within your abilities after completing a Dartmouth Engineering degree.</p>
<p>My daughter had the same concerns about engineering as major. She actually likes Dartmouth since you don’t have to pick your major. She got into other schools like Carnegie Mellon, etc. but you had to really focus on specific area of engineering and liked the idea at Dartmouth about double majoring. </p>
<p>It like Stanford operates on quarter system (so does Union and a few). You probably could take an extra course or so a quarter and get ahead. Also some APs give you credit (only a few)…so maybe you could ask them when you visit if it is possible to get done in 4 vs. 5 yrs. She actually likes the idea of staying another year. </p>
<p>The other things, if you don’t say like Environmental Engineering, you can do Env. Science, same with Computers, etc. I think there are options, plus other majors, minors, etc. It is also great because it is a good size, the teachers do teach, there are graduate schools too. </p>
<p>I would have had her respond to you; but she is on the famous Doc Trip for first year students.</p>
<p>Good luck on your search.</p>
<p>Thank you both for your reply. A fifth year for a bachelors doesn’t sound like something my parents will be willing to do! $50,000 is something I could use toward a grad program if I could get my undergrad at Dartmouth. I do agree that probably to be a practicing engineer in a large firm would almost require me to get my MS. Collegesgirl, did your daughter consider Cornell? Stanford is a really high reach for me, of course they are all very difficult schools to get accepted to, so I am probably stressing over nothing. I will visit Dartmouth again (I have probably been there 5 times while my sis was there) and this time I will spend the time checking out the sciences and Thayer. I hope your daughter is having fun, I know when my sister went she loved her DOC trip. Maybe it is just that I know so much about Dartmouth and it is all so positive that that is why I am so much thinking about it. I need to sit down and make up my final list of schools and just decide. Thank you all very much for this information, it has been helpful.</p>
<p>Unless things have changed since the 2008 admissions cycle, you have to go through an application process to switch between colleges at Cornell. At Dartmouth, it’s quite easy to switch majors… just fill out a card, get it signed, and give it to someone in the registrar’s office.</p>
<p>Thank you Buffalowizard. That is what I thought about Cornell. It is an attractive option for engineering, but that part just scares me! I will let you all know what I thought of Cornell, RPI and Dartmouth from a propspie’s perspective.</p>
<p>you can get the BE done in 4 years</p>
<p>She didn’t include Cornell in her Ivy search…she didn’t get to visit, but they kept contacting her and I think she would have had a good shot there. </p>
<p>The 5th year could cost more, but not know your situation, you may be able to graduate sooner. Did you do AP Calc…depending on the level and score (usually 4-5), you can get credit for the course and place into next level. There are a few other classes that you can also get credit for AP grades. My daughter will also probably do a double major so she may need the 5th yr. She found the ability to switch at Dartmouth one of the best things, not being 100% sure of her major. Good luck.</p>
<p>Right Not Left, you say you can get the BE in 4 years at Dartmouth? It looks on their website that you have to do the BA and then the BE. Is that incorrect? I guess I will be able to ask them at Dartmouth when I am there, but just curious if you have done this or know someone doing this. MyCollegeKid, the 5th year would definitely cost more for me, my parents said they got no help in financial aid and a couple of really small scholarships that helped, but in the big picture, it still will be over $50K a year to go to Dartmouth if I get in. I am a senior, so taking AP Calc now, don’t know how I will do! My sister got a double major and she finished in 4 years. She just took her regular schedule and ended up in enough classes at the end to have two majors. Maybe she was lucky, but I think quite a few kids can double major and do it in 4 years, but of course it would depend on the majors. I agree, that is one of the reasons Dartmouth is so darned appealing, the ability to change majors by filling out a card! How great is that? Dartmouth is just so undergraduate focused it is hard to look past that and believe that any other school out there is like them, but I am sure there are some! I will let you all know what I decide, but still want to hear if anyone believes you can get a BE from Dartmouth in the same timeframe as you can from say RPI or Cornell, Stanford, etc.</p>
<p>Hey CIGeorge, I definitely had friends get a BE and BA in 4 years. The main issue is that engineering classes are clearly not easy, so you won’t have random classes to mix in to ease the workload. But its very possible if you just plan it the right way. I totally agree with your thinking - there is no question Dartmouth is unique in so many ways and its great that you know that. I might throw in another (unfortunately highly selection option) - Princeton. Princeton gives a BS and has many similar aspects to Dartmouth in terms of alumni loyalty, quality of undergrad experience, social life, and just the same intangible sense of belonging to something truly special.</p>
<p>My son is a senior at Dartmouth majoring in engineering. He considered trying to get his BE in four years but it would have been difficult because he is also involved in a sport and with his fraternity. He will be able to complete his fifth year in just two semesters, however, which will save some money.</p>
<p>Thank you Slipper and Momo. I have a lot to think about. I assume Engineering is difficult everywhere and actually talked with one today about the FE and the PE and the whole engineering thing. It took that guy 5 years to get through the BE, not because it was too difficult, but exactly what you are saying Slipper, it is intense. He said he got sick of doing math and took a semester off and took business classes and then that one semester got him out of sequence and…So, I have decided to go with my heart on this. I am going to visit the campuses, talk to people, and make a decision based on my feelings. I have visited Stanford, it is incredibly beautiful and the sun was shining-but it is a very spread out campus, I will visit RPI and Cornell and Dartmouth next month, and I am going to visit some local schools also. I live in the west and I hate the thought of giving up skiing (sorry but skiing in the east is just not the same!), and I was told that I really need to think about where I want to end up living after college because names of schools just don’t mean the same in certain parts of the country. (People in my high school have never heard of Dartmouth!) I thank everyone for their take on this and Slipper-- Princeton! There is a girl in my hs applying to Princeton, and she will probably get in, but it is a long shot for everyone! I have never visited it, I do know what my sister says about people she knows who have graduated from Princeton, but I have no first-hand knowledge of anything about the area. I think it is off my radar, but I have peeked at their programs and certainly no one can ignore them. Even most people out west have heard of that school! I feel better just being able to say this because no one out here really cares that much and it is hard to even talk to people about going east, especially to these kinds of schools. That said, I think I do want to live in the West after graduation from college, or Mexico or Alaska.</p>
<p>Good luck with your choice…I think there are just so many good colleges.</p>