<p>What's the best way of determining if a college and its engineering program is right for you? Visits are one method. Rankings are another. But both of those seem like poor tools for figuring out what school to attend. Are there any important questions prospective students should be asking? How can someone accurately judge the quality of an engineering program?</p>
<p>Slorg,</p>
<pre><code> This is a very good question, I will give you my perspective. I think it is important for students to realize that engineering schools get high rankings in US News and World Report because of their research, not the quality of their undergraduate education (at least in the rankings of schools that offer the PhD). I recommend students highly consider schools that focus on them - not on research dollars. Now when considering a graduate program, then go to the highest ranked school possible.
</code></pre>
<p>I think the biggest decision a high school student needs to make is if they are going to go to a big, research based institution or a smaller student-focused institution. Once this decision has been made, then the evaluation process can be a little easier.</p>
<p>Here's what I would try and find out from the big schools:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>What is your average class size in the freshman and sophomore year?</p></li>
<li><p>How can I get help?</p></li>
<li><p>What is your retention rate for engineering students? How are you working to improve this?</p></li>
<li><p>What kinds of research are you good at? (To see if this is something you might be interested in)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Here's what I would ask the smaller schools:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Have you had graduates that have gone on to top graduate schools?</p></li>
<li><p>Are there undergraduate research opportunities? (Often smaller schools will have more research opportunities than big schools since they may not have graduate students.)</p></li>
<li><p>Are faculty promoted on their teaching ability? (Don't bother asking the big research school this - the answer is NO)</p></li>
<li><p>What types of things are you preparing your graduates for?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Here's my bottom line commentary: Because of ABET accreditation, engineering programs are very similar. I recommened students stop worrying about the rankings and find the right place for them. If one school is offering you a huge scholarship, by all means consider them highly. No matter where you go you will likely get a great education.</p>
<p>Dr Reynolds,
You've made some very good points.</p>
<p>It is a tough one though, as my son would prefer a smaller school. But it seems like the small schools are usually private schools and those that offer engineering are just too expensive. For instance, I'm thinking Rose Hulman, Lehigh, Lafayette, Bucknell... Also, this type of school doesn't seem as generous with merit money (we don't qualify for aid) as the small private schools that are strictly Liberal Arts without engineering. (Son is a good student, but not a 4.0.)</p>
<p>Just wondered about your thoughts or suggestions on this dilemma. </p>
<p>As always, thanks for being a big help on this forum.</p>
<p>Check out Olin! New program, free ride for all students, small school that packs a hefty engineering punch. If your son's a good student (but not necessarily a 4.0), then it's definitely worth a look.</p>
<p>wait is it bad if your program is not ABET accredited?</p>
<p>Olin isn't accredited yet - but it will be very soon. It is not a big deal though.</p>
<p>I've heard of Olin (even got the silver tube) and the free tuition sounds appealing, but how does it really compare with other engineering programs both as far as education/experience and reputation?</p>
<p>One thing that I would advise is to check out the number of courses that are available (and, just as important, how often they are taught) in your intended major. This is where some of the larger schools have an advantage. Some of the smaller schools only offer a core curriculum of select courses in each branch of engineering. This means that as you become an upperclassman and you start to get interested in a particular subset of a field, you may be limited in your ability to take specialized courses in that field. This is where having a large student population to support a wide variety of courses is an advantage.</p>
<p>As a corollary to this, check to see how restricted you are as an ME student, for example, in terms of what is required for your degree. Is there a lot of room for branching out with electives or does everyone in the major have to take essentially the same courses? </p>
<p>Also, just because you think you want to be an ME or CE, don't assume that that is what you will end up majoring in. Once you start your program, you may find that another branch of engineering, or another completely different field is more to your liking. A school that offers strong programs in a variety of engineering programs as well as good options outside of engineering has an advantage.</p>
<p>Again, there is a corollary to this as well. Some schools like CMU restrict your movement between certain majors. For example, their ECE and Comp Sci majors are extremely restricted. Unless you are accepted into one of these programs as a Freshman, it is very unlikely that you will be allowed to transfer into them later on. While this is not the norm in most engineering schools, it is worth asking about.</p>
<p>Finally, check out the college's job placement web site to get a feel for the number and types of employers that make recruiting visits to campus. Also check their statistics in terms of number of engineers placed in jobs and starting salaries. One difficult thing to assess is the number going on to grad school - sometimes this could be a bad sign since it might imply that they couldn't find a job and grad school was their only option.</p>