Trying to find more information about OSU- ME program. Anyone has insights?
Tagging @eyemgh
Oregon State has a classic engineering program, in that students take some entry classes like calculus, physics, probably statics, etc, then apply to their specific major. It’s competitive, but I don’t know how much so. I also think it doesn’t happen until 3rd year, but look that up to be sure. The MECOOP program is great and top students can get direct admission. Job placement is good. The campus is pretty and the honors program for engineers is unrivaled as much as I can find. Honors sections that are small, and taught by people who have to compete for the spots, replace standard classes. Plus, they go pretty deep in the curriculum. Lots to like. Hope that helps.
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It looks like students in Oregon State engineering must maintain a 2.5 college GPA:
https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/current-students/advising/progression
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It’s good that they changed that. Our son would have been at minimal risk of not advancing, but it’s an unknown. You never know when homesickness, a physical malady, or a mental health issue can derail a student. Not having that hang over their heads is a step in the right direction.
Ultimately our son left Oregon for the sun. Cal Poly was a good experience for him, but Oregon State can be too. One of his HS classmates stayed in state and is now doing his MS at MIT.
Thanks for the reply. We are planning to visit early April.
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Thank you for the great info. Our son is heavily leaning toward OSU (vs. Cal Poly Pomona) for ME Engineering because he did not want to commit to a specific engineering program from the start. Oregon allows him to be a generic engineering student for freshman year (and commit by the end). His hesitation at OSU is that he is a big learn-by-doing learner. It would be great to have this combo available for all the students that want to explore different options in the CENG, yet learn by doing too.
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Very few do it like Cal Poly or WPI. That said, OSU will incorporate a lot of hands on too. Most schools do now days. Plus, they have a vibrant club scene.
I think I’d choose OSU over CPP because it’s more of a typical college experience. It’s a beautiful campus, in a nice town, but close to Portland and the coast. The rain and clouds can be tough though. As long as they’re prepared for that, it’s a great option.
BTW, it wasn’t organized like this when my son applied. This is an improvement. They’re upping their engagement game, facilitating the choice of major better and doing more hands on. It seems to be structured more like Purdue now.
https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/future-students/undergraduate/first-year-experience
We LOVE OSU!! I don’t know a lot about the engineering majors, but I do know there is a maker space in one of the dorms that is shared by engineering and business students and is open 24/7.
Little robotic food delivery carts buzz along the sidewalks all over campus. The campus is beautiful, flat, and compact.
The Honors College offers lots of Honors section courses for business and engineering core courses — not just Baccalaureate Core. We were blown away by the accessibility of supports and job opportunities. It feels like a much smaller school than it actually is.
After visiting, it shot from the bottom to the top of my D22’s list, partly because she felt she could hit the ground running. Everything seemed well-organized and laid out. People seemed friendly, welcoming, and collaborative. She doesn’t feel as if she’d have to fight to find information or guidance or growth/career opportunities.
How did your visit go? Did you love it as much as we did?
I want to emphasize this. We vetted and visited a LOT of schools. No one that we looked at does honors remotely as well for engineering as OSU. The classes are not just math and physics, but extend up into engineering classes like statics, heat transfer, design, etc. Plus, there are cool honors classes not offered as non-honors classes. The professors have to compete for the honor to teach. I can’t speak for business, but for engineering, no one does it better.
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We loved the campus, day before admitted students day was a beautiful day with warm weather. I know that’s not normal at Corvallis 
Admitted students day events were very good, well organized. I also felt that there is plenty of support for students. We are from the Bay Area. OSU is not diverse as here but didn’t feel it to be a problem. Students and staff were very welcoming and helpful.
The other option we are considering is UC Riverside. Wasn’t planning on visiting but decided to take a look next Tuesday. Have to make a decision soon
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I echo everything you said. We are from San Jose and like diversity. OSU was not as diverse but we felt like it would be okay for our son. We tried various restaurants in town and experienced culturally diverse food options that were excellent. Good luck with your decisions. I had no idea how hard this process was going to be for us parents too.
@mimi24 and @V2026 — OSU is not as diverse as my child’s high school, either, but she has been communicating with other admitted students from diverse backgrounds and older students already enrolled and it made her more comfortable with OSU in that regard.
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@mimi24 We are also from San Jose. If we decide OSU we should connect
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My son just committed to OSU. Happy to connect. 408-655-2817
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For those that are still undecided or are new to the school, there is a wonderful OSU parent group on Facebook and a Bay Area OSU parent group (more for carpools and Bay Area-specific travel questions). Both have been instrumental in helping us make an informed decision about the school fit for our son/family.
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