<p>I believe Long beach, Fullerton, UCSB, Cal Poly SLO, UCI have both business and engineering. </p>
<p>Interesting that you say that many that start out don’t stay in engineering. Do you know why that seems to be the case? </p>
<p>DS has had accounting on his radar for the last year or so with mechanical and/or electrical engineering only coming into the picture last spring after a bit of suggested research and backed up with a handful of basic online career tests. He is still conflicted between the two which is very frustrating for him. I do know that Cal Poly SLO requires a declared major from the get go which is causing him some hesitation.</p>
<p>Engineering majors tend to be relatively rigorous, due to ABET accreditation requirements. So many students leave the engineering majors (probably about half of frosh engineering majors leave engineering). However, students with stronger academic qualifications are more likely to stay in engineering; this is reflected in higher engineering retention at more selective schools. For example, 80% of Berkeley engineering frosh graduate in engineering (note that overall graduation rate at Berkeley, regardless of major or changed major, is 91%).</p>
<p>As it appears that your student has relatively high academic qualifications, he likely has a better chance of being able to handle an engineering major than the average frosh engineering major.</p>
<p>Engineering is about solving design problems using principles based on math and science. Is that what he is interested in doing? Does he like building things, and taking things apart to see how they work? Accounting is quite a bit different, and does not require as advanced math as engineering. Maybe give him an IRS Form 1040, FTB Form 540, and some W-2 and 1099 forms and see if he enjoys filling them in?</p>
<p>For some reason I can’t get the UC GPA calculator to compute properly and I am getting frazzled. Would that be the same as his Acad GPA? If so, his trans states weighted is 4.53.</p>
<p>Use this GPA calculator, since CSU and UC use the same weighted GPA with the exception that CSU includes 12th grade course grades if available (i.e. no difference for someone currently starting 12th grade):</p>
<p>Maximum possible UC or CSU GPA for someone who is currently starting 12th grade is likely to be about 0.3 to 0.4 higher than unweighted 10th and 11th grade a-g course GPA. This is assuming 8 or more semesters’ worth of honors courses taken during 10th and 11th grade.</p>
<p>Thank you. Cal poly Pomona was actually the first school he looked at. We’ll have to revisit that option. After subsequent visits to the other schools, DS wasn’t as enamored with it. I think it was the dorms. Although just a blip in the grand scheme of things, they seemed pretty antiquated, musty and in need of repair. </p>
<p>We will have to revisit that option as it really does have many positives. </p>
<p>As I mentioned before, DS is a bit concerned about getting locked into a major at cal poly SLO if he finds out he hates it. Other than that he loved it! </p>
<p>I wish I could get him to agree to check out UA because of the merit $ he would qualify for. Too far and he’s not very interested. :-(</p>
<p>“Interesting that you say that many that start out don’t stay in engineering. Do you know why that seems to be the case?”</p>
<p>Because it’s hard. Because in some places it is very competitive. Because the requirements often leave students very little space to explore other things, to investigate other possibilities. Because, in some places, they lack sufficient mentoring. And because they just don’t like it. Hey - they are 18-year-old kids (give or take.), and they think they are being locked in for a lifetime.</p>
<p>His counselor suggested Harvey Mudd just last week. The low acceptance rate is a bit unnerving tho. DS is under the impression that their program would too intense for him even though STEM is for certain the direction he wants to go. </p>
<p>Math and science is what comes naturally to him. He has a great study ethic as well as being very gifted in those areas. He just gets it. </p>
<p>A concern for him in regards to an accounting career is that it will be too repetitive. Although still on the radar, it seems engineering is more up his alley than ‘traditional’ accounting. We haven’t talked much yet about the other career options an accounting/business degree could offer. </p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help! He’s working on the GPA calculator now. :-)</p>
<p>If Harvey Mudd is too intense for him, I can’t imagine him surviving at Cal Tech!</p>
<p>OP, what is his math score on the SAT? has he taken SATIIs? I seem to recall having read somewhere that almost every accepted student at Cal Tech had an 800 on the Math II exam.</p>
<p>“A concern for him in regards to an accounting career is that it will be too repetitive. Although still on the radar, it seems engineering is more up his alley than ‘traditional’ accounting. We haven’t talked much yet about the other career options an accounting/business degree could offer.”</p>
<p>Accounting is a very broad field - from forensic accounting, all the way over to becoming the CFO of major corporations, to non-profit work.</p>
<p>If you want to go to an engineering school, it is important to think though or ask about undergrad focus vs. grad focus.</p>
<p>UCs have excellent engineering schools but may not teach the practical skills of either Cal Poly… what I hear from friends who hire college engineering grads. That means if you are looking to graduate into an industry job, seriously consider either Cal Poly. If you are planning on grad school, then focus on colleges with high placement upward. UCs generally have excellent and well respected engineering grad programs. </p>
<p>Do serious research into placement rates of graduates, making sure you are using like statistics. Cal Poly grads are all over LA and Silicon Valley as are a lot of summer interns. I do not have firsthand experience, but SJSU and CSULB have good undergrad engineering majors, as they both serve large local industries. </p>
<p>Santa Clara is an excellent school, but is very expensive. You may be able to get aid/scholarships, especially if you can check one of the magic ethnic or low income boxes.</p>