<p>Does anyone know how common it is for students to take part in the pre-engineering programs? I'm interested in engineering and I've applied to some engineering schools, but I'm not 100% committed to the idea. I've been accepted to one of the engineering schools, but I can't stop thinking about William & Mary, so I'm trying to figure out how practical it would be for me to attend if I get in. Any info would be really appreciated.</p>
<p>harmonica, to call the 3:2/4:2 programs popular is probably overstating it but certainly there are students who have happily gone through the program and done so successfully. Physics Professor Todd Averett (<a href=“mailto:tdaver@wm.edu”>tdaver@wm.edu</a>) is the contact for the program. If you are admitted to W&M, we encourage you to email him to learn more about the program and to see if he can put you in touch with current students or recent grads who have pursued the program.</p>
<p>Ok, sounds good! Thanks for getting back to me.</p>
<p>Any time harmonica. Clearly we’re both spending our Sunday sifting through CC posts!</p>
<p>My DS is interested in applying Early Decision to William and Mary this fall; would a pending application to a US Service Academy preclude this filing?</p>
<p>harmonica - My daughter also applied to W&M in the hopes of doing the 3:2 program with RPI. Her dream is to become a structural engineer specializing in historic preservation (to help keep our landmarks from falling down!) She also applied to RPI and has been accepted. The 3:2 option works so well for her because of all of her joint passions for physics and history. Her absolute ideal would be to be able to spend three years at W&M and then get to go to RPI too. She knows that 3:2 programs are not for the faint of heart but is willing to go through it all to reach her goal. Good luck with your decisions - I hope it works out well for you.</p>
<p>UVAyeah, glad your daughter is considering ED. She can certainly apply ED and apply to a service academy but if she is admitted to W&M ED she must withdraw her application to the service academy. If the service academy has an ED program you can only apply to one school ED.</p>
<p>Bennie, our agreement with RIP will hopefully allow you to combine your unique interests. Generally our 3:2 student spend their time at W&M pursuing the science behind their intended engineering program but hopefully you could also spend time in the history department so you can combine your two interests and move on to RPI with a focus on engineering.</p>
<p>W&M Admission - thank you for the response - my daughter understands that her time would be spent primarily in the sciences - she’s a bit of a science geek. But W&M’s history and other liberal arts are so strong and she also has that passion too. We just have to wait and see what happens. So many factors to balance.</p>
<p>As a parent I truly appreciate that you personally take the time to respond to these posts and that your department allows it/encourages it. You are to be commended for being so open. It sets your school apart. I have no idea if my daughter has been accepted (but as time goes by, it does seem less and less likely) but regardless of the outcome or her final decision, we’ve enjoyed the process.</p>
<p>Bennie, if your D is admitted she could also consider the 4:2 program. This would allow her to spend her entire undergraduate tenure at W&M studying an engineering-geared science and history. She could then apply to one of our cohort’s graduate programs in engineering.</p>
<p>So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the process. We’re happy to be here meeting students and families where they feel comfortable communicating and putting forth information that is helpful.</p>
<p>A friend of mine, and I, were discussing this program this evening; we think it’s the perfect combination of liberal arts broadening, with specific interest training, that we’ve seen across the academic smorgasbord. Bravo W&M!! </p>
<p>Her daughter is hoping to go to Stanford for engineering but has applied to W&M, because of this 3:2/4:2 program, to benefit from W&M’s terrific undergraduate learning environment (this kid loves music, history, and German language…not just math/physics)…and will definitely enroll in it, if admitted. </p>
<p>However, we were wondering if the partnerships extended beyond Columbia and Rensselaer. </p>
<p>I was thinking about this topic, with my own daughter sewing her (…get this…) 4th party dress this month (from scratch…she draws it, makes her own pattern, harvests fabric from my old prom dresses, shower curtains, and table cloths…and then successfully sews it…all while earning very questionable interim grades…<em>ahem</em>), that she may be interested in combining her love of art/design and science with a 3:2 degree from W&M and Cornell’s terrific fiber science program:</p>
<p>[Cornell</a> University Graduate School – Fiber Science and Apparel Design](<a href=“http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/fields.php?a=4&id=95]Cornell”>http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/fields.php?a=4&id=95)
[William</a> & Mary - Combined Degrees: Engineering](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/as/undergraduate/curriculum/special/engineering/index.php]William”>http://www.wm.edu/as/undergraduate/curriculum/special/engineering/index.php)</p>
<p>I understand that W&M cannot offer complete flexibility in programming, and that this unique 3:2/4:2 partnership/s must be cultivated at an administrative (not student) level, but I became curious about the innovative opportunities for educational fusion that potentially exist out there. Can undergrads suggest partnerships…</p>
<p>…or: is that what graduate school is for?:)</p>
<p>Thank you so much for considering my question! I seriously applaud W&M for this innovative approach to learning. I consider this 3:2/4:2 program to be more developmentally appropriate for entering 18-yr-olds, than strict engineering degree programs, since, honestly: who knows what they want to do, for life, when they’re 18? A liberal arts education is simply wonderful for everyone…even math folk who know they definitely want to become engineers…but don’t want to be educationally marginalized by their degree.</p>
<p>ulcerita, at this point our partnerships do not extend beyond the two you mentioned (we also have a new joint degree program with St Andrews in Scotland – [William</a> & Mary - St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/standrews]William”>St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme | William & Mary) – but this is a different program entirely wherein students spend two years at each campus rather than completing one school’s program and then transferring to a partner program).</p>
<p>That being said, the 3:2/4:2 program has changed over the years adding partners and removing partners and programs (one of the partnerships used to be in a forrestry program) so we’d encourage you to contact the 3:2 program’s director (Professor Averett at <a href=“mailto:tdaver@wm.edu”>tdaver@wm.edu</a>) to see if there is any flexibility in the partnerships.</p>
<p>thank you for the reply, W&M Admissions,</p>
<p>The St. Andrew’s joint degree program sounds wonderful, too! wow! I wish I were an entering freshman again:)</p>
<p>I’ll indeed contact Professor Averett; thank you</p>
<p>ulcerita, don’t we all wish we could go to college again? The best part about our job is we kind of get to on a daily basis!</p>