HS junior, Texas residence but open anywhere.
My son is very interested in engineering. One of those kids passionately obsessed with Lego from an early age, working since he was 13 (hired first to fix RC cars, moved to the floor selling, then hired by photography store…none of these jobs did he apply for, they asked him to work for them seeing his passion and knowledge base), won school record for physics project, a national photography award, etc… Ecclectic and passionate kid who is dyslexic, and never been able to shine academically, but can tear apart, redesign and/or fix anything. Excells at design/aesthetics. I am sure his ACT will increase a bit, but gpa is pretty stable. ((Rows crew and loves it, but that is NOT mandatory, really need to find the right school for his academic level that will allow him to pursue his passion in engineering.))
I am gaining familiarity with a lot of schools, what is high on his list is something like RIT or FIT, Purdue would be a dream but don’t see him making the grades, there are always options in state like Texas Tech who are LD friendly and have a solid engineering program. U of Arkansas is an option too. But, can he find something better suited for him elsewhere? A co-op program (Drexel, RIT, etc) is interesting. Ganzaga? University of Denver?
IDK. Just asking if anyone has been down this road: a less academically shining student pursuing his natural gifts and passion in a major that is heavily GPA driven (to get and stay in a program)…what is the best route?
Many thanks.
Wow - he sounds like a great kid. For now, perhaps try to figure out if he really wants engineering. The academics are rigorous and math-intensive. Some kids that are gifted at hand-on projects are well suited for engineering coursework, others not so much.
Probably not the answer you’re looking for, but the best solution is probably getting him in a shop and having him do some mechanic work. A lot of people I know who weren’t academically inclined got jobs (and excelled) as mechanics which is 80-90% hands on whereas engineering is not. You also get paid pretty close to what an engineer would. If you really want him to go to college, then you could suggest that he work as a mechanic for a couple of years while going to community college part time to learn study habits and take it slow through the introductory calculus and physics classes and get all those gen eds out of the way at the same time.
coloradomom, jimmyboy…Thank you both…i think i need to explore things like industrial design, too. I do want him to go to college, my husband didn’t finish, and has been held back due to that…a degree, ANY degree is better than none. and if then he pursues some field where a degree is not necessary he would have that behind him just in case…but a college degree is a non option. I have to believe that there is a place for a 3.28 gpa / 26 ACT kid to have a major in something that will better his employment options in the field.
@nettiK4137
I think another thing to realize is that his stats show that he is at least a decent student. A 26 Act is above average and his GPA with his dyslexia is actually pretty good. The thing is just the pure rigor of engineering and the fact that you may not even be working on actual engineering projects for the first year or two. A lot of gifted students struggle in engineering curriculum which means it’ll probably be harder for your son who is only about average in terms of stats of students applying to universities. Doesn’t mean he can’t do it but it means it will be tough as hell.
Jimmy, thanks. I really don’t know the field, but just know him, and that always seemed like a natural. I need to explore majors more, some say computer science is “easier” for those engineering kids who wash out. or MIS, forgot what it stands for, but a friend just mentioned the job market being strong there (her son washed out of engineering and majored in this and is gainfully employed).
No, while he set the school record on a physic (building a car) project, he has a low B…doesn’t dot his i’s and cross his t’s…and engineering doesn’t mesh well with that. understandably. Thankfully he is a junior, so we are ok…but like to have a clearer idea of a major now rather than after washing out of engineering and wasting hours.
Onward!! Thanks, ideas WELCOME!!! xoxo