<p>So, does anybody know more about the engineering at Smith? I've heard good things. Is it true you could spend your junior year at Princeton? And guaranteed graduate acceptance into Dartmouth, Columbia, others? Is this a 3/2? Do you get a B.S. and B.A. or just B.S.? Also, what are some of the typical courses?</p>
<p>Um, well I'm not an engineering program expert, but I kind of doubt that the graduate acceptance thing is totally garaunteed (that would be sort of illegal, wouldn't it?), though it could be very true that Smith engineers are "likely" to be accepted to those schools for graduate work. </p>
<p>You should really go to the Smith engineering program website, they have a good descriptor of the program. I too have heard good things about the program (I try to talk it up when I give campus tours) and once the new engineering building is finished you'll at least have some sweet facilities (right now the program's in a temp building next to the science library, which is fine, but not like having a fancy new thing). </p>
<p>The one bad thing about the engineering program (no idea if this is typical of other programs) is that it's very tightly structured, you won't get much of a chance to deviate from the planned cours of study. They have a sample plan of study up on the website. </p>
<p>You do get just a B.S. in engineering sciences, but (another possible downer) they don't train you for a single discipline of engineering like most programs. It's cool cause you really get a holistic, unique kind of training, but I'm pretty sure that grad work is then required to be certified as a particular kind of engineer.</p>
<p>I'm an engineering major and I loooooooooooooove the program :) As S&P said, we're getting a new building soon, but more importantly, we have a great community. Everyone knows everyone else and all of the professors are awesome. If you come here, you'll be assigned an engineering professor for your pre-major advisor, but since there isn't that much room to deviate from the curriculum, you could basically walk into the office of any professor to chat. Speaking of curriculum, if you come in with no AP/college credit, you'll take a total of 22 classes for the major (and this isn't including the liberal arts breadth). Keep in mind, though, that the engineering professors are really understanding of how tight your schedule will be are are willing to help you make things work out. We've had people double major, spend their entire jr year in a non-English speaking country, etc. It takes planning, but if you want it, chances are, it can happen.</p>
<p>It is true that, if you maintain at least a 3.5 GPA, you're guaranteed admissions to the graduate programs at Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, U Notre Dame, and Michigan. I think Princeton might have been added to this list, but I'm not sure (see Smith</a> College: Picker Engineering Program%5DSmith">http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Engin/admission.php)).</p>
<p>Let's see...<em>flips through the Guide to the Major</em></p>
<p>The Princeton-Smith exchange program is basically for the spring semester of your junior year. You're basically given every privledge offered to regular students (with the exception of varsity athletics), which basically means that you can take most of the classes, participate in extracurricular activities, and so on. You are also matched up with a member of the department that best matches your interests so that you can participate in a research project (which, if you do well, can go into the following summer). One of the good things about this program is that you can take classes in a field that you're interested in that aren't offered at Smith (aerospace, industrial, and biomedical are just some that come to mind).</p>
<p>When you graduate, you get a B.S. Engineering (we're the only BS on campus!), but you do concentrate some. Three of your required classes are technical electives, which basically means that you and your advisor will pick three classes that interest you. You have to write a short thing about how they're related and how they pertain to your interests, but it's really open-ended and up to you.</p>
<p>As for courses, everyone takes nearly the same thing, which is the math and science core and the engineering core. The engineering core is essentially intro to engineering, continuum mechanics I-II, circuit theory, thermo, signals and systems, mass and energy balances, the science and mechanics of materials, and the two semester senior design clinic.</p>
<p>Okay, well, that was kind of scatterbrained, but I hope that gives you a gist of things. Feel free to PM me for my contact info and we can talk if you have anymore questions.</p>
<p>Well there, see, that's what a GOV major gets for trying to comment on an engineering question. :-) Go engineers!</p>
<p>Well, you get brownie points for trying (Have you tried those brownies at Chapin grab 'n go? I swear, they're the best brownies on campus). I'm probably not a good person to talk about the gov dept, so we'll call it even :)</p>
<p>Wow, thanks smithiegr, that was really helpful. :) Thanks, SmithieandProud too. If I think of anything else I'll PM you... I'm beginning to like Smith more and more. :) !</p>