Graymeer–in this case super safety does not mean what you think it does.
UIUC is on the “super safety” list, too.
Spent a few minutes looking at VT’s website about engineering and saw this statement:
Have to admit I’m stunned. Any idea where they got that info? If true, I had no idea they produced so many and it could be another reason why they are considered an engineering powerhouse. Granted, H is one of them as he’s had his PE for years, but still, one out of five from VT? (Note if anyone missed it that this is PE - professional engineers - not just engineering graduates.) Still… where are the stats? (Google has not been helpful.)
The statement comes from this page:
@Creekland The statement above does not capitalize “professional engineer” or specifically reference PE status (my husband has his PE license as well, although did not go to Virginia Tech). The website may just be talking about engineering graduates in general? You could reach out to the Engineering department if you want or need clarification on that. The bottom line-Virginia Tech produces tons of engineers and their graduates are sought after by many employers.
https://ncees.org/licensure/number-licensees-state/ says that there are about 820,000 licensed Professional Engineers. Somehow, it seems doubtful that 164,000 of them are VT graduates (164,000 is about 98 years worth of VT engineering graduates, based on 1666 per year according to http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/8059/screen/21?school_name=Virginia+Polytechnic+Institute+and+State+University – and many engineering graduates outside of civil engineering do not seek PE licensing).
Now, if you are referring to all engineering graduates working in engineering jobs (whether or not with PE license), the number is even larger.
@ucbalumnus That is exactly the thought that came to my mind without the actual numbers. Seems rather impossible any way one looks at it even if one assumes a reasonable number of those 820K came from abroad. I like my alma mater and I know several successful graduates from it engineering and otherwise, but methinks that statement (whether PE or pe) is hogwash. I’m very curious as to what they’re basing it on, but not curious enough to ask TBH. If someone else did, I’d love to read the answer though - or see the statement taken down. False facts is one of my pet peeves no matter who says it.
My daughter was accepted to Cornell, RPI, Case Western, Northeastern, Clemson, Stevens, Rutgers and Rowan in-state, all for engineering. She had a range from no aid to very good merit. We really, really struggled with the decision, but it came down to Cornell, ranked #11 for engineering, and VT, ranked #14.
Cornell was too expensive for us, and the other schools just didn’t measure up. She cried for 24 hours, then she was over it.
She is finishing up her freshman year. She made Deans list last semester (no worries about getting her first choice major) She lives in the engineering housing (Lee Hall, Hypatia for women, Galileo for men) which has probably made a difference- everyone is taking the same classes and so they all have to study at the same times, no pressure to party when you should study.
My favorite part? Everyone seems so happy to be there. When we were wandering around campus trying to come to terms with turning down “an Ivy” , kids would literally just start talking to us. “Would your daughter like to see my dorm room? I live in Lee Hall” or telling us about their plans for graduate school, how their classes went, what they thought about work-life balance. Literally random girls we met while petting their dogs. Tons of cute dogs.
The parents we met at restaurants were nice, and many were alums. They showed us photos of their kids, they asked us to let them know what she decided. Every single person we met was so great. There were NINE rainbows on our drive home. It was just so great. It IS so great.
My friend is a CEO of a tech company in the research triangle. She says “some of the best engineers I hire are VT grads”
I’m sorry, I am a little biased, but, really, it’s the whole package. Rutgers is basically a commuter campus. I don’t know much about PSU engineering.
By the way, I was
looking for stats for the current freshman class and saw this: https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2018/10/eng-usnews-undergrad-ranking18.html
OK, if you can’t see it it says that Virginia tech is the FIFTH LARGEST PROVIDER of engineering graduates. So that’s a pretty big misunderstanding, but that’s all it is.
@Gudmom Thanks for sharing your story, and yes, the more we talk to others, the more we found out how VT engineering experience and brand is treasured. Looks more and more likely that DS will be joining your daughter in VT. BTW, VT engineering has advanced to #13 this year, and I do expect it to go up even further in the future.
Last but not least, do you know what is the survival rate for Engineering and how are the intern opportunities? How big are the freshmen classes that your daughter attended?
There is detailed info online about retention if you google it. For instance, for 2016, 88.4% remained in engineering from freshman to sophomore years , 80.7% retention into third year. There is support if needed so a motivated student should be able to get at least to the 3.0 freshman GPA that guarantees choice of major. My son had no problem getting well above that threshold. Most kids that stay with engineering and put in the work are able to get their choice of major .
Isn’t at the regional campus at PSU cheaper than main campus? I thought I saw 20k for regional but not sure
My daughter is home for Spring break. She says her physics and chem classes were 200 people lectures, math classes 20-50 people, as are most other classes. Engineering was smaller first semester, around 30, now it’s about 50-60. They split up into working groups of 6 people in engineering. There is a one credit course you take if you are in Hypatia that’s a little GPA boost, it is mentoring and career events and 10 hours of community service which was honestly kind of fun for her at the beginning when she didn’t have a lot going on socially.
My daughters advice is that if you want better housing or a more social environment, pick O’Shaug or Peddrew-Yates. Pritchard is social but not nicer than Lee. But if you are concerned about work environment for freshman year, the engineering community helps for environmental reasons - no crowds wandering the halls when you are trying to study for a chem test - because they all have the same test. GPAs are higher for engineers in the engineering LLC.
My daughter says freshman internships aren’t “unheard of” but she doesn’t know anyone who has one. Most people do get them soph and jr year. A lot of recruiters come to campus.
Oh, therenis a VT subreddit that is really good for this kind of info, once you make a decision.
I will say one thing - thjnk about how your son will get to campus. You haven’t said what State you DO live in, but VT isn’t that easy to get to. My son is twice as far and it’s cheaper and easier to get him home from Miami. For DD, we have so far tried a plane, train, bus, and ride share. For us the bus to Allentown PA makes sense, but I still have to drive 1-1/2 hours each way to get her .
@Gudmom Thanks for all the detailed info and tips, we are getting more and more excited about VT.
https://oirap.rutgers.edu/CDS/2017/New%20Brunswick%20CDS_2017-2018.pdf section F1 says that 85% of frosh live in the campus dorms, so it is nowhere close to being a mostly commuter campus.
Assuming living on campus, mechanical engineering major, PSU Erie is $37,860 for out-of-state, while PSU Main is $48,268. See https://cce.ais.psu.edu/tuition-calculator-ui/#!/ .
Yes, you can complete a bachelor’s degree in EE, IE, or ME at PSU Erie, according to http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=55&ProgramIDs= . However, the price is rather expensive if the intention is to transfer to PSU Main, using PSU Erie like a community college.
Tuition also increases @airway1 at PSU after a certain amount of credits are reached - going from sophomore to junior year.
Thanks for the info. My son got into UP so didn’t look into the full structure of pricing for the other campuses
@ucbalumnus what I mean by “Rutgers is basically a commuter campus” is that there really isn’t a campus feeling. It is several campuses spread all over New Brunswick and Piscataway, and there are so many students who live nearby that the campus empties out every weekend. They go home. I live 45 minutes away, and even the kids who do live on campus freshman year usually move back home sophomore year because there just isn’t a lot going on.
You can only tell so much by reading about it. Sometimes you have to experience it. I took classes post grad for a couple of years. Excellent instructors, well-respected program. But it could be lonely for an OOS student, and, well…go HOKIES!