Has anyone heard of Olin College?

<p>I recently received an invitation to Olin College of Engineering. I've heard from a friend of mine that Olin is among MIT and Harvard as the top schools in the country, and they've offered completely free tuition, but it is really that good? It's a relatively new school, 3 or 4 years... do you guys know anything about it? What do you think? :D Thanks!</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure they were one of the colleges that visited one of the high schools that I attend last fall. I didn't go to the info session because I wasn't interested, but I'm pretty sure they're not accredited yet because they're so new. I think the only reason for that is because they haven't had a graduating class yet (or something along those lines - that info is misleading) and that they will be in the near future (in other words, before we graduate from college). I also heard good information about their programs so they're worth checking into a little bit more.</p>

<p>Go to the "Alphabetic List of Colleges" and you'll find some threads about Olin.</p>

<p>Started with massive hoo-haa and publicity--the first new college of engineering in X years, to emphasize cooperative learning, blah, blah, blah. Free if you're accepted, and quite possibly excellent (based on who is involved and the amount of money available). But no one really knows yet because there's no history and their graduates aren't working yet (although they must be close). Worth a visit, I think, if you're thinking about an engineering major and visiting in the Boston area in any case. </p>

<p>But potentially risky.</p>

<p>It has all the risks of a start up. But according to the engineers we know, if it is not as risky as other types of schools because of the consistency in the engineering program. Generally engineers who graduate from lesser known schools still find good employment opportunities, and once you are hired and are doing a good job, it really does not matter where you went to school. My friend who is a MIT engineer, himself, feels that if any of his kids wanted to go the engineering route, an opportunity like Olin, a frill free school like Cooper Union, are definitely worth examining. Most important is the environment and the fit with the kid.</p>

<p>You could also run a search on "xforums" and "olin college"</p>

<p>You'll get lots of answers from current students if you ask stuff over there.</p>

<p>I know a student who was accepted to Penn and Stanford and chose Olin over the other two. Definitely high-caliber students.</p>

<p>My son visited Olin this weekend for their first "2009 candidates weekend", so I have lots of information I could provide from his experience. He has already been accepted EA at MIT and will be attending one or the other next fall. There are pros and cons, of course, but I have no concern whatsoever about the accreditation question or the graduate school/job prospects for the first set of graduates. My son praised the facilities, faculty (of which a huge percentage has been affiliated in some way with MIT, with the rest from most every strong engineering school you can name), and most importantly the students. Only 150 applicants are selected each year as candidates for an eventual class of <em>75</em>, so it is exceptionally competitive. It goes without saying that a successful applicant has to be a very strong student, but they also have to have "something more": a passion they've pursued in some way. The final step of the admissions process involves a candidating weekend (the first of two just ended for this year), involving hands-on design and build exercises in small teams, individual and group interviews, and tours and information sessions. The curriculum is a triad of engineering, business, and "passionate pursuits", very hands-on and entrepreneurial, and the students work <em>hard</em>. They are associated with Babson College, Wellesley, and Brandeis and allow cross-registration. They aim for a new approach to engineering education, and it sounds from everything I can read and everyone I can talk to that, although young, they are hitting the mark. (Princeton Review includes some very positive reviews of them already.)</p>

<p>In considering the school's size and newness, I thought about my son's private school, which just added an upper school a few years ago. He is in the fourth class to graduate, as he would be at Olin, should he attend. I had some concerns about this venture, too, but the seniors graduating from his high school are amazing and have college offers coming out the wazoo. Additionally, the school has been recognized for the best AP programs in comp sci and chemistry for schools of their size already, so we know what can be accomplished in 3 or 4 years at a new school, if the faculty, administration, and students are motivated and energetic.</p>

<p>I have no doubt Olin will emerge as a strong engineering school which everyone will know about in years to come. As jamimom says, the fit is important. It's not going to be for everyone, but for the right students it could be amazing.</p>

<p>One of my good friends goes to Olin. He's been dedicated to engineering since middle school, worships Dean Kamon and loves to build robots. He knew Olin was the only school for him (and turned down a full ride elsewhere to attend it). It's very small, and very tight knit, from what he tells me . . . and they have to build projects for everything they're studying, "hands-on" and all that. His only complaint is that he doesn't have the time to do everything he wants to do (like extracurriculars), between classwork and his research with professors and the other engineering things he's chosen to do.
BTW, they won't be accredited until their first class graduates and is tested.</p>

<p>There were two girls from my son's class who went there in the Fall of 2003. I think that was Olin's second class. My son said one of the kids had been accepted to Harvard. I can't confirm that but I was surprised when I saw the name of the school and didn't recognize it. Since then I have read a little more about it and it seems to be for real. The price was certainly right :-) I doubt if they will maintain that policy indefinitely though. Not sure what will happen to the calibre of student then. Should be interesting to check back in a couple of years.</p>

<p>What would be done for placement for an applicant who has already completed college-level multivariable calculus and linear algebra, and college-level physics and chemistry, before college? Is the curriculum so integrated that advanced standing is not possible?</p>

<p>The current operating principles, based on founding precepts, is to continue the full-tuition scholarships for all admitted students, soliciting additional endowment gifts and adjusting the class size as necessary. Their founding precepts say that in 2021, upon a 90% written vote of their Board of Trustees, they can change the scholarship plan, but that's still a ways out there.</p>

<p>At the beginning of freshman year, everyone is given a chance to take an exam and test out of freshman math/physics. Anyone who tests out then needs to discuss with his/her advisor what the most appropriate course of study for the situation is.</p>

<p>That being said, there are some very intelligent people in my class and no one tested out. It's hard to do.</p>

<p>I would check to make sure that the endowment still covers all tuition. I recall reading in the Boston Globe that they might have to start charging a small (it's all relative) fee.</p>

<p>The $29,400 tuition is still covered by full scholarship (<a href="http://www.olin.edu/admission/costs_fa.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.olin.edu/admission/costs_fa.asp&lt;/a> and from what I read in various documents, that won't change until 2021, although class size is allowed to be adjusted in the meantime). Room & board are paid by students (the first year class had those covered as well, I believe).</p>

<p>That must be what I read, then (room and board). Thanks, mootmom.</p>

<p>It is an excellent opportunity for those who want to be involved in start ups. I would be more leery if it were not the type of school it is. You can't really lose with an engineering program especially with the high standards it is upholding. Check out Cooper Union in contrast as it operates on the same free principle.</p>

<p>Tokenadult- my D is an Olin student and, like many, had already taken college level physics, chem, etc. The academics are HARD and in 3 years, I think only 1 or 2 students have placed out after taking a 4 hour exam. Like other posters have said, Oliners can take classes at Babson, Wellesley and Brandeis. The school belongs to a consortium of Boston-area colleges which may also open up additional opportunities. My D was approached by Harvard to participate in an EC that she excels in. They said that they had a Wellesley student who was in their program and felt that they could work something out with Olin as well. She declined the offer since she knew she'd have a full plate at Olin.</p>

<p>The atmosphere at Olin is very different than that at MIT. At Olin, the students are close-knit and there's a lot of collaborative learning going on, whereas my D felt the atmosphere at MIT was much more competitive and cut-throat. I think that fit is the driving choice for most Olin students, since most passed up amazing opportunities at other schools. The work is definitely hands-on from the beginning, and the students are doing internships and research that only upper classmen get to do at other schools. The Olin administrator overseeing accreditation is also on the ABET accreditation board. The school was actually spawned from mandates by the NSF and ABET to re-invent engineering education to make it fun and more pertinent to the global economy. I really don't see it as risky at all. If you could see these kids in action, you'd realize that they're the future movers and shakers of the world. Just my prejudiced opinion :-)</p>

<p>If Olin is too small for you, take a look at Rose-Hulman. RHIT is one of the schools used as the model for Olin. It's still a small school, just not 300 students small. Of course, it doesn't come with the tuition waiver either. :)</p>

<p>Olin University sounds like an awesome place. A place we'll have to check out in a couple of years (Son is a sophomore). There is just one thing that I keep wondering about. I understand it is very selective. But I keep reading over and over that they like to take kids that are "beyond" intelligence. Such as kids who have started their own businesses, or gave up professional surfing to go to college. Do they have any smart, hard-working, computer programming, soccer playing, self-taught loud guitar playing, ordinary kids? (He’ll graduate with a 3.999 and probably a high SAT score.) About the only thing "different" about my son is that he helps with the family business, but you wont' catch him writing an essay about helping to take care of the Day Care kids!</p>

<p>Does this make sense? Do you see where I'm coming from? Sometimes I know what's in my mind, but have trouble getting it down on paper.</p>

<p>Peg</p>