I’m currently a Jr at a small all-girls high school looking at colleges. I’ve always describes myself as a hands-on learner, so I’m looking for a college where projects and hands-on learning is at the center of study. I’ve been interested in computers for as long as I can remember, I’ve done robotics team for years and have already taken every available computer science/technology class available at my school. I’m having trouble finding colleges that fit what I’m looking for.
Any suggestions and/or advice would be much appreciated.
@Irin85 You should look at URI if the privates like WPI are not affordable. The new phase 1 - 125 million dollar engineering complex will be finished by then with lots of labs, hands on classrooms and activity classrooms. They’re are doing some amazing things with underwater robotics. Then they will spend another 25 million for engineering on phase two. I have one CE major there now and a junior who will probably also be in CE. And their international engineering program is highly regarded if that interested you.
Did you apply for engineering internships this summer through PrepareRI?
Rose-Hulman Is very hands-on, but the gender imbalance there is very strong. Alternatives at the very high end of selectivity include Harvey Mudd and Olin.
WPI and Olin are project based, student research programs which are designed specifically around project studies. Both schools involve a great deal of student interaction on the design of their programs. Olin is very small with a program which borders on tutorial.
For Olin see http://www.olin.edu/ and poke around. It has a brand new, quiet, suburban campus with only 350 undergraduate students and Babson College is within walking distance.
Northeastern just about invented C-OP. This ensures exposure to real working environments and related work. It also reduces the cost of college. The co-op program usually takes five years. This is a very large University of over 25,000 students in an exciting city. It has majors in almost everything. For Northeaster see https://www.northeastern.edu/
Mid-sized WPI, about 6,600 students, has a three project degree program and emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches. It also has a BS degree in Robotics and virtually every other STEM program. The MQP is in your major, the sufficiency is in your minor and the IQP is interdisciplinary. All students receive up to a $5,000 credit on their tuition to cover project study expenses at 46 different centers around the world. These are not your typical study abroad programs. About 43% of last year’s entering students were women and I’d be surprised if it did not approach 50% this year. See https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning/wpi-plan.
Cal Poly San Luis is driven by its core philosophy of “Learn by Doing” and has an impressive array of new technology laboratories. It is a California State university. See https://www.calpoly.edu/
All of these schools and many more have great job/graduate school prospects depending on your major.
As a result of the explosion in STEM interests, the above universities are all very competitive for admission For that reason every excellent student needs to look very carefully at programs in their respective state universities. Look for “Honors” programs where you can get involved working on undergraduate student research. Make a project out of it.