<p>Hi! Kid is planning on applying as Engineering - Undecided, and I was wondering if anyone can help me "grade" (rank) the Engineering programs of the schools she's looked into.</p>
<p>We can use a Grading system of A+, A, A-, B+, B, etcetera. When assigning a grade, you might consider overall excellence, preparation for professional life, co-op/internship opportunities, job placement & recruitment from major employers or any other factor you think is important.</p>
<p>So for example:
MIT could be A+</p>
<p>Comments on why, personal experiences, etc very welcome.
You can also add a school you think ought to be on the list.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>--
Grade the Engineering Program(s) of these Schools:</p>
<p>University of Alabama
Bucknell
Drexel
Lafayette
Miami of Ohio
Ohio State University
Penn State
University of Pittsburgh
Temple University
Villanova</p>
<p>(Just for fun, also grade the Reach List:
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton
)</p>
<p>I have heard UA recently upgraded its engineering complex and offers several programs.</p>
<p>To be honest, I think there is MIT, UIUC, Purdue, UMinn Umich and then “the rest”. Curriculum wise, ABET accredited engineering programs are nearly all the same. Also look at where companies you may want to work for and see what universities they recruit from. By Temple, do you mean Temple Unviersity or Temple College?</p>
<p>Oh - Temple University! Went back & edited - thanks for asking!</p>
<p>That’s the thing with my kid being undecided - also makes her undecided about what company she wants to work.</p>
<p>So you think MIT, UIUC, Purdue, UMinn, Umich are basically all on the same level as the top engineering programs?</p>
<p>What are you wanting to know? And what do you consider to be top level? Do you understand that rankings for engineering are practically meaningless?</p>
<p>New Hires do not get paid more for graduating from UMich or Purdue or wherever. When Company A brings in 5 New Hires from Cal Poly SLO or CSULB or Purdue or GT or UAH or UMinn or UArk or wherever…they all get paid the same.</p>
<p>This country has over 200 schools with very good engineering programs…most are state schools. States have a vested interest in having at least a few schools with very good eng’g. Why…because each state needs a bunch of engineers. </p>
<p>The state of Calif has over 25 good eng’g programs alone! </p>
<p>This country’s few “top ranked” engineering schools cant even begin to make a dent in this country’s constant need for more and more engineers…hence the need for lots of very good programs. </p>
<p>It isnt hard for an established school to have a very good engineering program. It’s not magic. </p>
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<p>I guess I should give a background of why I started the thread. When I mention a school that the kid could have a scholarship opportunity, the first question from my husband is “how good is their engineering?”
And my thought is - well, aside from USNews Ranking, I don’t really know, do I?
So I thought I’d do a survey of the CC community.</p>
<p>ok…so what does your H consider to be a good program? lol…or what does he consider to be a “bad program” (I think I only know of one.)</p>
<p>I would consider a program to be good if:</p>
<p>ABET accredited
updated facilities/labs/equipment
grads get good jobs/well-paid
large enough program to warrant companies to recruit</p>
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</p>
<p>Those plus - almost all students get to intern or co-op or research, and a reputation for having good instructors.
I should probably add - ok if these only apply to an Honors subsection within the school; kid is determined to be in Honors.</p>
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<p>I’m not sure that is easily determined (do schools even track this??). Not all students want to co-op or internship. Some do summer abroads, some do REU’s, some are premed and are doing other things, etc (at my son’s undergrad, a good % of chemE students are premed). I know that my chemE son had no interest in co-ops because he was pre-med. He preferred doing REUs and medically related volunteering and shadowing. If his school tracked internships or co-ops, I don’t think it should be dinged if a student opts for something else. </p>
<p>While a school lets students know about internship, co-ops, etc, it is up to the student to go to the fairs where company reps are present. If some students don’t show up or aren’t attractive candidates (grades) that isnt the school’s fault. Also, some students get their opps thru parent-engineers’ companies and the schools dont even really know about it. My older son (math major) got an internship opp thru a tip from a family friend. I dont even know if he even told anyone at school about it. </p>
<p>Good instructors is important. I think many/most do have good instructors…but all have gems and lemons…hence the birth of ratemyprofessors.com (BTW…I’m not sure if RMP is that good of a source since weeding takes place in eng’g, so someone who is weeded may give an unfair rating.)</p>