Awww, was just gonna pop some popcorn.
IIF the choice is between Harvard and Brown, I’d have to say Harvard. Harvard has been making a concerted effort to build it’s engineering program and when John A. Paulson donated $400 Million to SEAS in 2015 it was just the beginning.
I apologize for resurrecting this older thread, but I have some related questions and would love to hear others’ viewpoints.
Obviously schools like Harvard and Brown have been investing heavily in engineering in the past decade as demand has grown. I read that in 2008 only 7% of Harvard students were engineers, and now 20% are. Just a few years ago they added several ABET-accredited engineering majors, where prior they only had Engineering Science and maybe one other. The $1 billion Paulson Engineering Complex opens next fall, with 535,000 square feet of the absolute latest and greatest that facilities can offer. They have been on a hiring spree and have the $ to attract amazing talent. Clearly Harvard Engineering in 2019/2020 doesn’t even resemble Harvard Engineering of 5-10 years ago, which is probably what most adults would base their opinions on—our old data.
This is not to say that it is like the large state schools’ programs or like the technical schools.
But I am curious to hear if there is anyone out there who sees value in these engineering programs that are embedded in liberal arts schools. Personally, I do, but I do not hire engineers! Here’s what I like: I am not only focused on my child gaining very specific technical skills. I want him to take classes that open up his mind, enrich his soul, etc! I want him to have close friends who study a wide range of topics, not primarily be friends only with other engineers. I do have a friend who has run many start-ups over the past 30 years (he runs them until they are ready to be sold/brought public). He says his favorite engineers to hire are from Harvard, but he also hires from technical schools/schools with better reputations for engineering. What he claims is that the students from the “better” engineering programs are absolutely awesome with the technical stuff, but do not have as much potential to move up and lead the team, to dream up the new product concepts, to gauge the market, to be big-thinkers. Obviously all of this is stereotyping (including that the ivy engineers won’t be as strong technically, or that the state school students won’t be as talented at big-picture concepts). Wondering if there is a kernel of truth?. Something about either the general-education courses that are taught at the ivies and their ilk or about the student body they are surrounded with, etc adds value to the engineering students as people.
Does anyone think there is any truth to this? The point not being whether WPI/RPI/Purdue is better or worse than Harvard in Engineering, but more whether different valuable skill sets might emerge from those programs, and depending on what your ultimate goal, either might be more appropriate? Or is the general consensus just that Harvard stinks at Engineering?
Also, does anyone who knows about all of the changes Harvard has made/is making in just the past 5 years or so, believe that it will fundamentally change Harvard’s engineering program and reputation? I have a hard time thinking it won’t. A $1 billion new facility has to have some pretty phenomenal stuff in it! But I was a humanities major (with a child who is engineering), so I know so little about all of this and am trying to learn. So thank you in advance for being gentle with me!!
“I want him to take classes that open up his mind, enrich his soul, etc! I want him to have close friends who study a wide range of topics, not primarily be friends only with other engineers.”
This happens at schools all over the country that already have well established engineering programs.
If you want a liberal arts base with strong engineering, aim for Cornell.
As an aside, the well established engineering schools are also continuing to invest heavily in their facilities. IMO, Harvard is behind the eight ball and it’s going to be a long while if/when they catch up in engineering.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
That’s called hijacking, which is not allowed. Better to start a new discussion than resurrecting dead threads. Closing.