<p>ekitty, as an engineering student I went out of my way to choose the broadest range of non-tech and some tech electives possible, ie a broad based curriculum within the constraints of an engineering major. While am still an engineering prof 30+ years later, albeit one on the verge of retirement in about 8 weeks, I have always appreciated the opportunity to have taken college couses in social cybernetics, urban/regional planning, medieval music, Serbo-Croatian lit, et al.</p>
<p>However one size does not fit all necessarily. Because our son embarked on a double major program which morphed into an additonal double minor, his academic plan was quite focused. But he has loved it enormously and finally found something he is passionate about-game development/electronic media simulation. Of course there is no way of predicting what he will be doing 10 or 20 yrs down the road but by then any benefits attained from broader academic choices will have been rendered obsolete other than the fact that he has learned to think creatively/analytically, work collaboratively with others, and can write and communicate well. And he knows what hard work requires given his ambitious academic choices.</p>
<p>And like catpofthehouse's son, this was accomplished by applying to no reach colleges four years ago. While his first three choices(RPI, Case, Oberlin) were solid matches the other colleges he applied to were solid safeties all. No stress hs sr year and happy with the choices he had come this time of year.</p>