How hard is it to get junior status?

I am planning to transfer to a university after community college I was wondering if anybody here has any experience with getting junior status in engineering program after coming from a community college.
What happens if you’re missing a class or several did that push your graduation date back?

In engineering, taking a fifth year really isn’t that uncommon. If you transfer into a reputable engineering school, chances are only your prereqs (math, physics, chem) and general electives will transfer. Your technical courses most likely will not. By looking at credits, you could possibly cram all your technical courses in and graduate on time, but it is not wise to do that unless you love to burn the midnight oil every night. You are going to want to maintain at least a 3.0 if you want the expected return for working for the degree.

Thanks for the advice and I am on budget so taking a fifth year could cause problems for me financial speaking

If you have a sufficient number of transferable credits, you will enter with junior status.

However, if you do not have all of the subject credit for courses normally taken by engineering majors in their frosh/soph years, you may have to take several “catch up” courses, which can result in needing an extra semester or two to graduate.

Thanks @ucbalumnus a lot schools seem to vary on taking Gen Chem II for a mechanical engineering major do they just make you take it before you move on to the next and also what is Linear Algebra I know I could do a google search but I am confuse on what it is. Is not Diff Equations or is it a whole subject to itself?

All ABET accredited ME programs require Diff Eq, but Linear Algebra is not required, some schools though elect to include it. Cal Poly for instance groups DifEq and Linear Algebra into two quarters titled Linear Analysis I & II.

Also, as a general rule, if you can do a google search (i.e. figure it out on your own), choose that route. They work force heavily favors self directed individuals.

@eyemgh thanks for letting me know about Linear Analysis

General chemistry 2 is not as critical for prerequisite purposes in mechanical engineering as it may be for something like chemical engineering. But if the program requires it for graduation, it is best to have it done before transfer so that you do not have to take it after transfer. Look up the degree plan for your major at the schools you are considering transferring to.

@ucbalumnus Putting Gen Chem II in my schedule would mess up things putting me at risk not to learn certain subjects like statics or strength of materials so at the moment I am going just risk it and not have it

The key to graduating in 2 years after CC is in being able to move right into the long course sequences that are often part of engineering programs. I have seen some cases, where there is a 6 semester sequence that must be taken in order. If you can’t fit into the third semester, you will necessarily be stuck with a 3-year program.

The courses mentioned by others above, such as multivariate Calculus and differential equations, are part of long sequences that you need for engineering. Make sure that you have all of those finished. The same goes for Physics I and II. For Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry II is not always a key course for a sequence but that will depend on the university. For example at my university, Illinois Tech, ME majors need only take Chemistry I and then they take Materials Science. However, at my university, as at many others, ME students are taking engineering courses as Sophomores and some of them are prerequisites for later courses. You need to look in detail at the curricula of our target institutions to see which ones will articulate well with the courses you have available at your CC.

With regards to your other post, where you ask about the quality of the programs of different schools, I would say that the most important criterion for you is to be able to finish in 2 years. The articulation question is therefore one of the most important along with yearly cost of attendance. Public universities in PA will likely give you the best articulation options but you can look into other moderately priced public OOS schools too. Otherwise, your best bet is private institutions which allow significant transfer credit for engineering courses you have taken at CC. Finally, if timing is important for you, you might not wish to attend a school which has mandatory Co-op since that will lengthen your time to degree.

@xraymancs I will have differential equations completed by time I transfer but my CC does offer Linear Algebra so my option would be to take it at different institution in the summer before I start at my new school

I see what you mean about the Co-Op timing is important but if have to I could take extra semester but not a full year and also my school does have articulation agreements with some privates and public in state and out of state and what you consider moderately priced public OOS schools for a student EPC would closed to 3000 dollars

You would have to use the financial calculator to see if they match your requirements but South Dakota School of Mines, for example, has a very reasonable out of state tuition rate. Apart from that, you can look for private technical universities which might offer some merit aid to offset your costs. The less selective [url="<a href=“http://theaitu.org%22%5DAITU%5B/url”>http://theaitu.org"]AITU[/url] schools might be a fit. The Cal Poly schools also have lower out of state tuition than other public universities universities you have been looking at.

Yes, statics and materials, if transferable for subject credit, are typically higher priority courses for mechanical engineering majors than chemistry is.

This is not a good time for creative thought or “risking it”. Pick a few good target schools and put together a plan.

You should have a clear path of which classes transfer to one or more colleges you would like to attend. Penn State, for example, likely has a clear list of courses you can take at CC and have transferred to your degree.

Articulation agreement - is there one in PA - and how about your community college advisors - haven’t they done this before ? If not, this whole strategy may not work well … but see my comment on 4 years below.

Co-op say after junior year, after the transfer, would give you a chance to earn money … and get a valuable degree. Or even say at year 3.5 of your 5 year plan … which may take 6 … but if you can make 10K for a good coop and have some contacts at a local employer, that is a good thing financially. Live frugally until you pay off all your loans … you can splurge at 30 … or even later.

Chem II and Chemistry of Materials are sort of different, not sure what the strength of materials class you mention is relative to the material properties itself. I doubt most MEs only take one semester of chem equivalent to Chem I, I just think they would not master enough materials related info to do well in junior year courses.

AITU schools might have transfer scholarships and financial aid, should be pretty clear from their website or you can call.

Montgomery College in MD does transfer a lot of people to University of Maryland, but they have a process described loosely here, that includes dual enrollement in some UMd classes that you would miss if you stay at your CC.

I think you came into CC somewhat weakly prepared, at least SAT wise, for engineering. Have you caught up on all your math sequence courses, have you successfully completed physics 1 and 2 ?

It is nice to think you can complete engineering in 4 years, but honestly that is the exception not the rule, at many schools students require 4.5 years, and may take summer classes … and these are the folks who make it through the first two years in a tougher curriculum than you likely have now (or they have dashed off to other majors).

The transfer and the uptick in difficulty going from a CC to a 4-year school will just make this harder.

Junior year is really tough, you do not want to enter a full load of Junior year courses until you really have everything through sophomore year mastered well. Do not take more classes than your peers who have been at Penn State for example for two years … you will likely not succeed …

Can’t you take Chem II or Chemistry of Materials over the summer or say on-line from say Penn State now, if you need it …

Now if you are really a stellar student at your CC … .you can do what you want …

@PickOne1 I should’ve used a better a word than risk anyway I have a plan which is continue on the path I am on and not take Gen Chem II

Yes there is a few articulation agreements I know of like with Drexel, Lehigh, Lafayette, Penn State etc. Lafayette and Drexel are on my list of schools that I will be applying too and there is whole a center dedicated to transfer services I have met with the advisors a few time and I will continue to do so

Strength of Materials This is an engineering and scientist level, calculus-based, problem-solving engineering course. Topics covered are the strength of engineering materials, including stress, strain, beams, columns, torsion, thin wall cylinders, thermal stress, and theory of failure (taken from CC website)

Actually only a few of the schools I listed (other post) the engineering majors were recommend take chemistry II only a few are required

I don’t think I was weakly prepared seeing how I taken every single math course offered in my HS starting with Geometry going to Calculus and AP physics

I am only a freshmen in my CC I have one semester under my belt I will being taken calculus based physics I this spring semester and Calculus II

the first two years of engineering program is usually consisted of math classes and science classes and couple of electives …physics doesn’t change just because someone is at a CC

I am excited for the challenge I think I have judge myself off that but I think I will be able to handle it I think I will take as many classes I think will be conducive to my learning but I understand what you mean

I could take Chem II over the summer but I am already taken a summer course and might have an internship

I wouldn’t say I am “stellar” and all colleges have polices and rules everybody no matter their grades has to follow soo…??

Just an update: Ironically I am now a chemical engineer major. Things really do change.