I give up. It's too late now.

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I am a junior in high school. I have given up on admissions into an engineering program. Why? Because the odds have conquered me.</p>

<p>1) I never took an honors/advanced science or math class before.
Why? Because I did not score high enough in math on my placement exam to the junior/senior high I am attending now. I started out in regular math/science and have to stay there. Also, students on the regular math/science track don't have honors course options.
For example, 11th grade advanced students have the opportunity to take Calculus Honors or Regular PreCalculus and Honors Physics or AP Physics B. 11th Grade regular students only have the option of Regular Chemistry or Regular Algebra II/Trigonometry. </p>

<p>** No freakin' engineering program would ever accept a student with no honors/advanced math and science unless you attend a math/science gifted school or a school like Phillip Andover. I don't attend either of those types.**</p>

<p>2) I can't prove to colleges I am decent in math and science with my test scores.
I got a 540 CR, 580 M, 610 W, 10 E on my SAT.
I got a 24 E, 25 M, 23 R, and 23 S on my ACT.
I'm attempting the SAT II Math Level 1 and SAT II Chem next week, but what makes me think that I am going to ace those?</p>

<p>Yeah, I can barely get into a good college as a humanities major. What makes me think I can get into a college as an engineering major in an ABET accredited program?</p>

<p>3) My parents don't want me to attend a college far away from home.
So they only ABET accredited engineering programs near my place is at RIT, U of R, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Binghamton, Syracuse...yeah I can't get into those schools as a humanities major say as an engineering major.</p>

<p>4) I can't afford to take extra math or science classes online pr at community college so don't suggest that.</p>

<p>Say some miracle happened and I did get into an engineering or even a science program, I would fail out anyways, but I just am not prepared for it. But I'm not ready to face reality that I am too dumb to become an engineer and enter into a humanities program. Or maybe I can in but since all of the engineering majors at my school are all advanced math/science kids who have scored at least a 700+ on SAT Math so I expect myself to be so too? I don't know. I'm stressed out and feel like crying.</p>

2

<p>Dude, I am almost 26, am a dropout, and didn’t know how to do long division as recently as this winter. Chill out, figure out what you have to do, and do it. There are tons of great paths, even starting from zero.</p>

3

<p>Dude, you can do it! My advice (BTW, I’m a biomedical engineer with a biochemical emphasis at USC) is that you go straight into community college. Honestly, your first year of engineering at most universities you take the basics: Calculus I,II,or III; Physics, General Chem, and some GEs. For chem and physics, you are likely to be enrolled in a class with at least 100 students. From my experience ( I have taken a few classes at a community college for fun during the summer or in addition to my USC classes during my semesters) the professors are community colleges are just as capable of teaching the material, if not better. You also have the upside of being in a smaller class. That means better interaction with your professors who will potentially write you great letters of rec. All I am trying to say is, “Don’t Stop Believing! Hold on to that feeling!” Seriously though, the fact that you posted your thoughts about this shows that you care about engineering and are truly eager to study engineering. It doesn’t matter how you reach your goal, all that matters is that you reach it. Never forget, the digits of pi is the limit ;)</p>

4

<p>That’s good advice.</p>

<p>If you have a good engineering school in-state, chances are there is a community college with a tailored program, conferred upon with the university, specifically for students who want to transfer. </p>

<p>For instance, take the equivalents of the first two years of ENGR, get Bs, and you are guaranteed a spot at the university.</p>

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<p>In Rochester as Poppin said you can do that at Monroe Community college
[ENGINEERING</a> SCIENCE - A.S. DEGREE](<a href=“http://www.monroecc.edu/etsdbs/MCCatPub.nsf/AcademicPrograms/EngineeringScience-AS-DEGREE?OpenDocument]ENGINEERING”>Engineering Science (A.S. Degree) | Program Requirements | Monroe Community College)</p>

<p>Save yourself some money doing it this way too.</p>

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<p>If math and science are not your strong suits, then maybe you wouldn’t even LIKE engineering in the first place?</p>

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<p>^ Hard work and passion can overcome shortcomings. If a person works hard enough, and has passion for the subject, most likely they WILL survive. Maybe not at MIT or Caltech, but at engineering in other places nonetheless. </p>

<p>To the OP, go to the CC – I agree with what the others say. Stay there for 1 or 2 years, take the calculus-level and science (physics, bio, chem) courses you need, do well, and transfer to the engineering program at a four-year university when you’re done. Mind you, you need to work hard, but it’s definitely possible. Apply yourself at the CC and get a 3.7+ GPA – THAT will show the engineering schools that you’re serious and you mean buisness when applying. Good luck, and hang in there! :)</p>

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<p>I have to make this clear. I do enjoy math and science. That’s why I chose engineering in the first place. But what’s frustrating me is that my school is a small school (and stupid to an extent) and cannot offer many courses for students. Thus students who started out in regular math/science courses, like I did, will never have the opportunity to take honors math/science. I am fighting to get into the advanced pre-calc next year. The course isn’t labeled as advanced or honors (hence it’s a regular course, but for advanced students), but it’s taught to the advanced students who weren’t good enough to take Calc. This means I would have to take the class with 11th Graders, but that’s fine with me if I can get some challenges in math.</p>

<p>I am also frustrated that I can’t get my math scores on standardized tests up.</p>

<p>Could I also be a science major and then transfer into an engineering school? </p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

9

<p>I have to take two semesters of math before they let me take Calc at all. It may seem like a big deal, but a little perspective and it’s nothing.</p>

<p>Unless you have a specific program, there are a lot of variables. Like, the school I hope to transfer to is picky about a few classes. In my state, there is an online database to check which courses different schools in the system recognize as each other’s equivalent. So I could just look at the first four semesters of the uni’s degree program, look up their CC analogs, and try to keep my grades up.</p>

<p>If you can’t find something like that (or even if you can), and there isn’t a specific program already laid out (which there likely is), you should talk to a councilor or adviser at your CC. This is what they do, and they would have a lot of insight and experience w/r/t this exact situation. Knowing which calc classes to take or which major to declare to maximize your odds of getting into your preferred program is probably pretty trivial to them.</p>

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<p>I pretty much agree with everyone else and recommend that you spend 2 years at a good community college. They deal with people just like you: motivated students who aren’t quite ready to move on into university.
You’re right, you probably haven’t distinguished yourself enough to get into a good enough university. But there’s always a second chance, especially if you’ve never flunked out before. For you, community college would be that second chance. It’s quite well-known that schools in populated areas tend to cater to their best at the expense of their lower ranked students, so your setbacks are not surprising given your situation.
There’s no way in hell you’d be able to go science->engineering without going extra years. Sorry.</p>

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<p>The fact that once you (barely) get into a good liberal arts college, you can shine, get A’s, and transfer? The minute you get your first college grades, your SAT score ceases to matter for most things.</p>

<p>I go to an extremely small state college. We have no engineering program, however we have a transfer program where students take all their core science and math classes (which are excellent here) before transferring to an engineering school to take their major courses. Students who get at least a 2.7 GPA in the transfer program are guaranteed admission to Georgia Tech, which is the 4th best engineering school in the nation. I’m sure many other colleges have similar programs.</p>

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<p>@YonderMountain</p>

<p>I think we go to the same school.</p>

<p>Edit. NM…I misread, I think. But I too am in such a program, intended to Tech.</p>

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<p>Yes, my local community college which is Monroe Community College (as Lakemom suggested) has guaranteed transferring to University of Rochester, RPI, RIT, and University of Buffalo!</p>

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<p>blair961, those are all very strong engineering programs so honestly, you should consider that option. Go to Monroe cc and ask to meet with an advisor so you understand what all is involved. Saving the tuition alone for 2 years is not something to ignore. RIT, Univ of Roch and RPI are all about 40K + a year and dorm/food are another 12K.</p>

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<p>@Lakemom @ OP</p>

<p>Honestly, if I could get into a top engineering program this year, I’m not sure I wouldn’t still do the guaranteed transfer program. </p>

<p>Not that there aren’t a lot of edges to starting out bigger (2 more years of access to research options or better internships, 2 more years making more promising contacts, getting to talk to people with insight about the industry and academic world etc.), but my understanding is that the tuition isn’t the only reason to go that route. I think there is a lot of attainable scholarship value to scoop up as a workhorse CC star, and the teachers are going to be there to teach, not to do research or play politics. Or at least so I’ve read. </p>

<p>Not to sound like sour grapes or something; I would love to be going to a top school. But there is a lot of value in the consolation prize, and we have to make the best out of the reality we are in right now.</p>

16

<p>I agree with you Poppin.</p>

<p>I think if I knew which of the engineering schools I would be transferring to and decided to take the cc route, then during the 2 years I was at the cc, I would do some research to determine which professors at the school I wanted to go to are likely involved in the areas of my interest. </p>

<p>Then I would contact those professors and make appts to meet with them. Explain that due to finances you are taking the cc route (don’t explain needing more math etc, everyone understand money drives tuition college decisions.)</p>

<p>Tell the professors that you are interested in research in their area and wondered if there would be any opportunities maybe during the summer where you could help them with research. </p>

<p>Interest and initiative go a long way.</p>

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<p>(Heh, I am planning to do exactly that, personally, but figure it’s a longshot.)</p>

18

<p>Not necessarily. This way also you get your face known by the professor so when you do transfer, he has already met you and knew you tried to get involved early on. Might come in handy when he is choosing Jrs to help out.</p>

19

<p>I would definitely go to a top school if I could get in next year. But I can’t right now. I might get a chance if

  1. I can somehow ace my Fall SATs and ACTs.
  2. I can make colleges think that I was challenged in my science/math classes.
  3. Colleges can look at my A’s in regular math and science (yes, I do have A’s in math and science, but the problem still holds with the no advanced/honors) and somehow feel that’s already good enough which we all know is not.</p>

<p>With all the variables against me, these aren’t going to happen.</p>

20

<p>community college + hard work</p>