<p>bringbackpluto, glad I could be of help! If you have any other questions feel free to ask me.</p>
<p>AggieEngineer, I’m sure they do. TAMU is a massive research institution and the school of Engineering has great opportunities to get involved in. Sometimes it may be hard to find out how to participate, but if you talk with counselors or look around the department website you’ll find the right tools for the job.</p>
<p>gstein: Thanks so much. I was wondering if you have done Co-op? Also, what are some of the internship opportunities that are available? My son was a NASA H.S. Aerospace Scholar last year and spent a week at JSC thru that same program. He is interested in an internship/Co-op at NASA. How difficult is that to get, and what is TAMU’s relationship with NASA…lots of research opportunities? Again, thanks so much for your time.</p>
<p>I have actually participated in a co-op – this last semester to be exact – and it was a great experience for me. It wasn’t with NASA, but it was with a top aerospace company. There are many students at TAMU whom participate in co-ops and internships with NASA (especially JSC) and other aerospace companies. TAMU is often regarded as a “target school” for hiring within aerospace engineering, and especially within Texas, so there are many companies and places like NASA that come and hire and look for interns/co-ops on-campus at TAMU. TAMU also has a semesterly engineering career fair that is a great chance for students to give their resumes and interact with employers for both jobs and internships/co-ops. So the opportunities are definitely there, and the reputation with in-state aerospace companies/agencies like NASA phenomenal.</p>
<p>I am currently a Sophomore at Texas A&M and I am in Mechanical Engineering. I think it is possible and the scholarships motivate the student. I currently need to keep a 3.25 for most of my scholarships and a 3.5 for one of them but I have a 3.64 and not too worried about it dropping. I am on the assigned schedule for following the curriculum and I don’t think it is too hard, just a lot of work. However, I also have a social life and a three year relationship with a woman who also attends Texas A&M so I believe it is easily obtainable for your child, as long as he keeps his work ethic he has shown in high school. Tell him to give them hell and Gig 'Em!!</p>
<p>Howdy bringback pluto. I am a National Merit MechE Freshman at A&M this year, and though I don’t yet have any grades (first tests are this week and next), I can definitely give you some advice.</p>
<p>AeroE and MechE are very very close the first year - your son should be sure to attend the SEC career fair in the fall and numerous other networking/employment workshops held by the school. This will help him decide on a major.</p>
<p>As for the grade requirement… It is not impossible. He will have to stay on top of things all the time, though. The point of the honors program is to produce the best of the best, so your son will either become so, or not continue. I know a few people who have lost their scholarships, but I also know a lot of people who have kept them. He will simply have to do what is required of him to make A’s.</p>
<p>CHECK MYEDU. It is a website that rates professors based on actual student reviews, and if I had used it my first year would be a lot easier. As it is, most of my professors are good, though I have a few bad ones. Myedu (or another comparable professor ranking site) allows you to keep from making mistakes in prof choice, which makes the good grades easier to attain in some cases.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>gstein, I’m studying petroleum engineering next year at A&M. I am also on scholarships that require me to maintain a 3.5. Is there a difference between aerospace and petroleum engineering? Is one harder than the other? Also, do you think it is possible to pledge a fraternity and to be in honors petro engineering and maintain a 3.5 GPA? I don’t know if you know much about greek life but just asking. </p>
<p>I’m asking you because you seem knowledgeable about the subject.</p>
<p>ejh873,</p>
<p>I am coming to the end of my freshman year in chemical engineering here at TAMU. Petroleum and chemical engineers take the same freshman classes for the most part (both are what is called “track C”), so I can likely give you an idea of what to expect. Petroleum engineering is arguably the hardest engineering major at TAMU, you have to take the same math, physics, chemistry, and engineering courses as other engineering majors do, but you also have to take a bit of geology, which I’ve heard can be quite challenging. PetE’s tend to take 16-17 hour semesters (even if you have AP credit, so don’t get too excited there). I would say that if you were in a fraternity that required a moderate level of participation, and also a PetE major, a 3.5 GPA would be possible, but not likely.</p>
<p>^ Key word: “Arguably”</p>
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<p>What source do you have as a freshman that makes you feel confident in making the claim that PetE is the most difficult? I always heard that electrical and chemical were. Looking at my degree plan it doesn’t appear that I’ll be taking more than 15 hours in any given semester to still graduate in 4 years.</p>
<p>So far it really hasn’t been that difficult as I approach the end of my freshman year, If I have below a 4.0 at the end of this time I would be surprised and if not at least a 3.8 I would be absolutely shocked.</p>
<p>edit: strong bump on this thread</p>
<p>The A&M Chemical Engineering Curriculum shows 132 credit hours over 8 semesters. Unless you are also going to school during the summer, 15 credit/semester won’t get you to 132 credits in 4 yrs (8 semesters).</p>