I would also consider which engineering track he wants and if possible what type of profession. Also another strong factor might be whether or not he wants to do an internship or co-op, some programs are stronger than others and seem to do a better job supporting and matching students.
Our oldest graduated Auburn and did a 3 rotation paid co-op, all three at the same company. About half of the engineering students do this, but it adds a fifth year to the whole process. However he and many of his friends graduated with jobs at the companies they co-oped at.
With our S23, he is choosing a different school. We did visit U of Louisville and they have a mandatory co-op, also paid and 3 rotations, built into their program, but include summer sessions so they kids graduate in 4 yrs, I think Drexel is similar.
We also visited a school in the south that was very connected to oil and gas companies, if that was an area of interest, then that would have been a good match for our S23. I personally love the idea of internships or co-ops because I think it gives the kids real life experience that either can lead to a job or give them something to speak about during interviews, plus it does a lot in helping them mature.
This will all depend on your cost limitations or desires - because with those scores he can go for $20K a year or $90K a year or somewhere in between. You say no FA needed - but thatās not the same as - what do you want to spend.
What is your budget? Or did I miss that? And is there a specialty in engineering or something he likes - planes, cars, etc.?
Otherwise you can name just about every college - as you see is happening.
Thanks for everyoneās great suggestions! To answer some thoughtful follow-up questions:
-He has a 4.0 unweighted GPA (students at his school get only a small bump for honors - he takes all honors available to him)
-He is esp interested in biomedical engineering but has also expressed interested in civil - different, I know
-He really likes all outdoorsy pursuits - esp rock climbing, hiking. By spirited, I mean have some sports that kids can get behind, does not have to be elite D1. Greek Life a plus.
-Of schools he has visited, UVA, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, BC, and all the UC schools appeal to him a lot
-Size does not matter a ton but he is not interested in too small (under 4,500 or so).
-We are flexible on cost
I donāt want to discount more competitive schools, as he is academically very ambitious and does well. But I understand things are so competitive out there - possibly more so for those applying into engineering.
The difference between Cal Poly and the UCs is that classes are small and they donāt use TAs. Yet, they have excellent facilities. If it matters to you, they rank #1 or #2 in every engineering discipline USNWR ranks for schools that donāt offer doctoral degrees. Itās in an idyllic central coast location. Hiking, biking and surfing are the classic outdoorsy pastimes. They really live the Learn by Doing philosophy. Any student, regardless of major, can build a bike frame, shape a surfboard, turn a baseball bat, build a skateboard deck, etc. Full disclosure, my same stats son chose it for ME from out of state and didnāt have any interest in the UCs.
Iād also second Utah and Oregon State. Both have rabid fan support and are in great locations for outdoor activities.
WFU has only general engineering (ABET accredited), and BC has only human centered engineering (not ABET accredited).
Wisconsin has both ABET-accredited biomedical and civil engineering, but practices weed-out. For 2022-2023, biomedical engineering majors needed a 3.3 technical and 3.0 overall GPA to stay in the major, while civil engineering majors needed a 2.8 technical and 2.5 overall GPA to stay in the major.
UVA has both ABET-accredited biomedical engineering and civil engineering. UVA admits to a first year engineering undeclared state. It does not appear to have high GPA requirements or competitive admission to declare specific majors, but that should be checked with the school.
Of the UCs, four have ABET-accredited civil engineering, and five have ABET-accredited bioengineering or biomedical engineering. UCs mostly admit by major for engineering.
ABET accreditation is generally very important for civil engineering, with variable importance in other areas of engineering. It is specifically needed or helpful for PE licensing to sign off on designs of stuff used by the general public (e.g. buildings, transportation infrastructure ā hence importance in civil engineering) and the patent exam. Otherwise, it can indicate that the program meets a high enough minimum standard of quality. It is more expected and common in more traditional areas like chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering than in some other types of engineering majors.
OK - with your 4.0, first school for outdoors and his pursuits I think of is U of Arizona. The $32K merit is a bonus - with the 4.0.
Others - Colorado schools: CU Boulder, School of Mines, Colorado State. Additionally, U of Washington, Utah, Wyoming, UTK, UVM, and Arkansas would all be good for rock climbing and hiking.
What kind of rigor does he have? You mentioned Honors but how about AP?
Size wise - thereās a big differential between the schools you list. Even the UCs are different so what about them appeals to him - or which - it canāt be allā¦well it could be but itās doubtful.
That said - if heās interested in biomedical or civil, then he really doesnāt know - and at 17, he doesnāt need to knowā¦but Iād lean toward a school with biomedical just in case.
I saw stats on the UMass website showing that for Fall ā22, the engineering college had an admit rate of 69%, fwiw. Iām hoping my aspiring engineer daughter considers it (in part because Iāve heard that the admit rate for our in-state flagship is in the mid-30s).
UNH has an ABET accredited engineering program that may be like the lower key vibe you initially seemed to indicate interest in. And lots of outdoors adventures. They are investing a lot in their honors program and have research opportunities available from the first year on.
At any college - there may the the option for some business courses, but it will be hard to double major with engineering due to the sheer number of classes - even when they go in with a bunch of AP and DE credits.
RIT and Union in NY could both be worth a look. RIT has some hands on elements that appeal to some.
Union (ny) has some interesting ways of marrying engineering and liberal arts disciplines/classes. This school has a lot to recommend it.
If he likes the fluidity of engineering and liberal arts at Union, others in the same vein might be Tufts, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Bucknell. These all have smaller engineering schools relative to many mentioned upthread but perhaps more (and easier access to) non-engineering classes.
If the outdoorsy thing is very important, Purdue doesnāt check that box. Itās hard to beat Utah for outdoorsy stuff. You can literally step off campus at the U of Utah and go hiking. You donāt even have to drive anywhere. I say this as an outdoorsy person who has lived by both schools. I did it ALL when I lived in Utah. In Indiana, I just do road biking. I go on what my friends call āhikesā, but I would call them gentle nature walks.
Thereās quite a few schools that meet all your sonās criteria, so heās in luck!
Agreed. IE lends itself perfectly. Other disciplines really donāt. The business classes crowd out deeper technical classes, but more importantly, signal to employers that youāre not interested in long term technical work. Management generally comes from a seasoned technical employee pool, and is often paid to go back to school.
Colorado School of Mines would be a good choice for the following reasons
Like Utah, tremendous outdoor pursuits literally a walk from Campus, like Hiking, Rock Climbing, kayaking and Mountain Biking then within 1 to 2 hours itās Hiking 14āers, Skiing, Snowboarding, etc.
*Solid Engineering school with small classes and all being taught in class.
*He could do a minor in Economics and Business with the Engineering Major he chooses.
*Check out the Mines Innovation studio and Innov8x. Mines is completing both the Beck Venture Center and the Labriola Innovation hub this summer creating a an entrepreneurship and innovation connection with industry.
*Mines Athletics in number 1 in Division 2 all sports rankings and the football team was runner-up in the national championship last year
*Lastly, 7000+ students with nearly 50% from out of state so very diverse in terms of geographic background. Out of state merit scholarships are possible and respectable depending on his application