I have been reading this forum for a while and wish to confirm what I have discerned from the many comments. The key to majoring in engineering is to do an ABET accredited program, in the region where you might prefer to live (employers recruit regionally), strive to excel in your program, and be sure to do some coops/internships/work before graduating?
We live in Colorado, I have a talented son who is a Jr in HS, top 5% of class, 3.73 uw/4.3 weighted gpa, lots of APs, Ecs including leadership and sports, his HS engineering class just won one of the Shell Eco Marathon categories and he was the team leader for that. At the moment, he wants to major in either civil or mechanical engineering, but also has a strong interest in geology and archeology. He is really not interested in leaving the west because he says he will miss the mountains and landscape too much. He has already seen kids from his school after freshman year in college transfer to Colorado schools from colleges in the Midwest and East. I am from NJ and his dad is from Wyo and we agree he would not be happy outside the west.
Given these academic interests and geographical limitations he is looking at CU, CSU, Wyoming and Northern Arizona. He was totally charmed by Flagstaff. Though NAU is not overall as strong a university as CU for example, does it matter since NAU’s is ABET accredited?
If geology is an interest in addition to mechanical engineering, has he considered the “mines” schools in CO, NM, and SD? The NM and SD ones are not that expensive, and the CO one should not be too expensive since you are in-state.
You should be very proud of your son, he’s doing great!
Think of ABET as a sign that the school follows a rigorous engineering curriculum. You can be fairly confident that the basic instructions will be enough to prepare your son for a career in engineering. However, not all ABET programs are equal, in that some can offer additional options/electives, more majors, better career resource centers, are better recruited (for that major), have more research opportunities, or simply have more EC options, such as clubs, design teams, or sports.
I second NMT. I’d add Utah to the mix. He will be eligible for WUE (or better), the facilities, campus and curriculum are all good and it’s in a great location, with easy airport access.
As for NAU, ABET is a big component. They might not have the same facilities or breadth and depth in courses as the rest, but that’s only part of the equation. What’s really most important is how well a student fits into a particular program. If they feel “at home” they’ll likely be more passionate about what they are doing. Some kids, like my son for instance, could fit into many programs comfortable. Others have a very specific “this is it” feeling. It’s important he be comfortable where he’s going. Make sure you visit.
usbalumnus. He has ruled out any pure engineering schools such as Mines, SD, or NM Science and tech for social reasons. The gender ratios are too out of wack. His closest friends are all females and he prefers a school with more girls. Plus he prefers the intellectual diversity of a larger university environment.
We are also from a WUE state. My son applied to a mix of public and private schools. With the exception of Cal Poly (where he now goes), he limited his public options to only WUE institutions. That’s how we got onto the Utah band wagon. Many people have concerns about Utah if they aren’t LDS. It is certainly an influence, but SLC is a very diverse town. There’s lots of cultural things to do and the outdoor opportunities are amazing. My son liked the ME department a lot and almost chose Utah. We certainly would have saved money if he did.
I also am a big fan of Wyoming. I think it’s vastly underrated, both for engineering and for the school experience in general. Given his interests, I’d check out the Energy Systems Engineering (ESE) program at Wyo. It’s the nation’s first, and thus far only, ABET accredited ESE program. The school spirit is phenomenal and the campus is nice.
Eyemgh. Thanks for the excellent guidance. We agree re: Wyoming. My husband is an alum (BA&JD), so our s qualifies for the alumni rate. They also have an excellent geology dept. Utah sounds interesting so we now have an excuse to visit SLC.
CO School of Mines is great, if he likes the intense vibe there.
We had one engineering kid that attended (loved the social vibe but the not the intense academics / required courses i9n Engineering - switched to CU Econ). And another kid one that would have done terrific there academically but didn’t like the vibe. He would have picked CU if he had stayed in state.
