<p>Hi y'all, so I'm a senior and want to go into some sort of engineering field. However, all of the engineering schools (e.g. RIT, Clarkson university) that I have looked at haven't appealed to me as much as some of the liberal arts schools (e.g. Hampshire, Bard) I have looked at. So basically my question is- Are there any disadvantages to studying engineering at a LAC (through a 3-2 program*) rather then an engineering school in terms of job placement, quality of education etc...?</p>
<p>Any responses will be greatly appreciated, Thank you!!</p>
<ul>
<li>For those of you who may not know 3-2 programs involve spending three years at the LAC and then spending an additional 2 years at a partnering university with an engineering program (e.g. Dartmouth, Columbia)</li>
</ul>
<p>The main problem people have with a 3/2 engineering program is that you leave your LAC after 3 years–so you never get to have that cumulative senior year experience.</p>
<p>You might look at the few LACs that also offer engineering, though most of them are very different LACs than Hampshire and Bard. Swarthmore might be close in vibe, but is a reach for everyone. Union, Lafayette, Bucknell… get progressively preppier/more mainstream.</p>
<p>from what I’ve heard, the 3/2 programs don’t really pan out. It’s not that they won’t deliver what they promise; that’s dead-on. It’s just that for people who find a LAC a good fit, junior year you have this sword hanging over your head that at the end of the year you have to leave the familiar school where you’ve gotten to know the profs, made good friends, etc. for a new school where you will be starting over with all that. Most people decide the degree from the LAC isn’t so bad after all, and end up finishing up with their friends. In fact many kids probably make the decision even earlier than junior year.</p>
<p>3/2 programs are widely advertised, but rarely utilized in practice. At many LACs, the number of students who actually end up in the 3/2 programs averages well under 1 per year. There is far more interest in 3/2 programs by prospective undergraduates than there is participation by actual undergraduates.</p>
<p>LAC students with an interest in engineering more commonly utilize “4/2” programs. They stay in at the LAC for four years, get a strong undergraduate background in math and physical sciences, then go to a university for an engineering MS.</p>