<p>There is an unlimited dining plan. You get to eat as much as you want at the Perch and Market Central. I believe it is the most expensive of all the dining options.</p>
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<p>I would seriously say it still doesn’t matter. He’s really hungry but his friends are going to want to eat out every now and then. They’ll get take out or pizza late at night. Or eat after seeing a movie (etc. etc.) The idea is that you won’t be eating at the Market frequently enough to warrent buying all those extra meal passes.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! You’ve all been so helpful. :)</p>
<p>Hi AwesomeOpossum,</p>
<p>Thanks for making this AWESOME thread!</p>
<p>I got accepted to Pitt Engineering Class of 2017! And I had a few questions about the program.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How strong is the Computer Engineering Department?</p></li>
<li><p>I was bummed to not have gotten into the honors college because of a 31 on the ACT and not a 32 even though I had 3.83 GPA, took all honors classes, and 9 APs. Is there a way I can take the Honors engineering class freshman year which is mostly coding? I have a strong Computer Science and Math background as I got a 36 on ACT Math, 800 on Math II and taught freshmen how to code in my high school.</p></li>
<li><p>Do you recommend single room for freshmen? I am from Chicago and no one from my high school is attending. I am scared to do random assignment. My idea is that I’ll go single freshman year, make a few friends, and room with them sophomore year. Can I request to live in honors housing? It’s stupid that 1 point on the ACT screws me over freshman year.</p></li>
<li><p>Which companies Co-op with computer engineering majors?</p></li>
<li><p>How hard is it to maintain a 3.75? </p></li>
<li><p>How stressful is course scheduling? I have already made a 4 year “Game Plan” that logistically works, satisfying prerequisites, co-requisites, humanities breadth and depth requirements, and w-course requirement. Currently this sets me up for a CompE major and CompSci minor (double major if I take an extra senior project) and Economics Minor.</p></li>
<li><p>Do you know anything about the following clubs?
Panthersoft
IdeaLab
Engineers Without Borders
Scientists, Engineers, and Mathematicians for Service
Panther Swim Club
Panther CrossFit</p></li>
<li><p>Any Engineering Honor Societies I should consider joining?</p></li>
<li><p>How easy is it to do research/projects with faculty? How do you go about doing so?</p></li>
<li><p>I was offered no scholarships for some reason. (w2s of my parents was way too high for any consideration for scholarships) Is there a way I can get scholarships for sophomore, junior, and senior years?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Lastly, since you started this thread in summer of 2011 as a rising senior, you must have completed your last academic rotation past fall due to co-ops so I want to congratulate you for graduating!</p>
<p>Thanks again to you or anyone else on CC who can answer my questions!</p>
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<p>I’m not in the ECE department so I don’t know too much about it-- however, I will say that SSOE as a whole is a great place to be. Also, since CoE is one of the smaller majors you will probably get more personal interaction with your professors. On top of that, we have an awesome internship/Co-Op group and tons of opportunities for you to do that, or on campus research/work related to your major. I would say if you want more information contact the ECE department directly.</p>
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<p>Absolutely! When you come to PittStart just tell your advisor you want to sign up for it. You can also email the UHC ahead of time to get permission for that (as well as anything else, like living in the UHC dorm which may be beneficial if you’re going to take UHC classes). Don’t let your advisor say no to you! When I went to PittStart I had a random advisor signing me up for classes instead of my real one (just to save time) and he kept telling me that I couldn’t <em>possibly</em> take 3 UHC classes at once. I just brow beat him into letting me sign up for what <em>I</em> wanted. Don’t let them coerce you into doing less than what you think is possible. That is what the first two weeks of school are for- if you feel overwhelmed you can switch your schedule around. (As a side FYI for that advisor if he ever possibly reads this note: I got a 3.7 that semester TYVM).</p>
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<p>NO to the single! Don’t do it! Part of the college experience is getting to live with a random roommate. Trust me- I know how you feel. Only one other girl from my school (whom I barely ever spoke to) went to Pitt my year and I never saw her again after my first semester. Depending on where you live, you will fill out a little survey (night owl/morning bird, smoker/nonsmoker, etc.) and they will try to pair you up with someone good.</p>
<p>As for UHC housing- absolutely you can still apply! Just email UHC (like right now!) and ask for permission to apply for their housing. They will say yes, I’m sure 
(and by the way, I’m sure you’ll get in, so get used to roommates because Sutherland is suite-style!)</p>
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<p>Not sure since I’m not ECE. Again you should contact their office, I’m sure they’ll be glad to tell you!</p>
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<p>Depends on what kind of classes you’re taking and how good you are at holding yourself responsible. I personally didn’t graduate Pitt with a 3.75 (but I was SO. DARN. CLOSE) so I will say this: you need to remember to do your work and do it early. Generally we get 1 week for most assignments, but I never waited until the night before it was due to work on it. I would start working on day 1 or 2. Finish by day 3 or 4 and then head to the professor with any questions I had, and then use days 5/6/7 to edit and revise before turning it. Office Hours are key- use them! I will also say that UHC classes will definitely require more work and studying than non-UHC classes, but they feel way more rewarding and less menial-task like.</p>
<p>Hi, I visited Pitt last Friday, and I absolutely loved it. But, I am a feaking out quite a bit about whether or not I could get in…</p>
<p>-3.78 Weighted GPA
-Didn’t take SATs yet, will in June or May ; Highest on PSAT was 1740 M (590), CR (570) and Writing (580). Hoping to do better on next SAT tests, I’m a bit embarassed to post these scores here…
-Plan on taking SAT 2 subject tests in Bio and Chem, AP Exams, ACT
-Multiple Science Fair awards - 1st at States, Honorable mention at ISEF, and more
-Officer for Science Research club
-participation for 2 years (engineering project where I built prototypes to protect swimmers from injuries in flipurns and finishes; tested energyy absroption)
-Varsity High School Swimmer, could become captain next year (senior year)
-Summer Swimming (swimming since I was 8)
-Violin in orchestra outside of school, preparing for Concerto competition to play solo, went on world tour with orchestra, first chair and concertmistress last year, moved to next level (highest by audition)
-1st chair in 9th Grade (middle school)
-Sophomore Year - Honors Bio, H. Chem, H. English, H. History, and H. Spanish; Geometry
-Junior Year - AP Bio (I could get a B- or B in it , AP Stat, AP English Lang, Accl Pre-calc, -Honors Economics, Honors Spanish, Human Anat,
-Senior Year - AP Chem, AP Comp Gov, AP Calc AB, AP Physics NM, Honors Eng, Psychology, Team Study Hall, Orgnanic Chem
-Prospective Major is Neuroscience, Bioengineering, or Chem.
-I am a girl, and half asian.
-I also do Community service in a group called Neighborhood Notes, where I teach kids art and music in underpriveleged areas. I’m a student leader for that.
In my essay, I hope to write about my concussion and project (got a concussion in swimming where I was out of school for 6 weeks, and rest of my school year was changed.)</p>
<p>Yeah I think I included too much. I already have a recommendation that my Chemistry teacher (who I also work with for ScienceFair club) wants to write for me, as we are VERY close. I might ask my swim coach and my conductor from orcehstra to write one too.</p>
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<p>Not really at all. For your first semester you’ll sign up for the basics at PittStart this summer (Physics, Chem, Calc, Engineering, and an elective). After that you’ll meet with your advisor so that they can approve your next semesters schedule and then you just go online and do it yourself. For certain classes that get full fast (OChem, popular electives, etc.) it may be a bit harder to fit everything in the way you want it, but I haven’t ever heard of an Engineer having issues getting into a core required class.</p>
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<p>I only know about EWB- they’re a great club with good SSOE presence that seem to do a lot of good, cool work. Last I heard they were working on renewable fish-farms in Mali (Malawi?), Africa. Pretty nifty!</p>
<p>Most clubs on campus aren’t really strict “clubs”. They generally hold tons of open events which anyone is welcome to come and attend. </p>
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<p>Depends on what you’re into. EWB is one. Your major may have another (IEEE or something like that). There are some ethnic-based groups (NSBE for example). There isn’t really a pressing need to be in any of them, but if what they’re doing interests you, definitely consider joining!</p>
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<p>Most likely you need to wait until Sophomore year to begin this. Why? Because you don’t even have the basic knowledge to do any simple research lab task. However, after your freshman year, you should look up the research groups of any professors doing work that you find interesting (ex. check the ECE website and see what the labs do). Then you can contact the professors and say “I was looking at your work which really interests me. I was wondering if you have any space in your lab for me to work as a volunteer and learn about what your group does” or something similar. If the professor has space and is willing to take you on, they will email you back. At least for your sophomore year (maybe even junior) it will probably be volunteer-based work. You will not get paid or get course-credit for the work (unless the professor has a lot of money). However, it’s really good experience which you can put on your resume to help get a good job/internship/co-op. By your senior year, you could use the work you are doing as a basis for your senior research- when you have to write a thesis as part of your graduation requirement.</p>
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<p>Sure. Look around and see what is offered. Sometimes scholarships are only open to certain students (i.e. a sophomore studying XYZ major or a junior with ABC concentration). If any big ones are available, I’m sure your department will email you about it. You can also look for outside sources for money.</p>
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<p>Thanks! I actually graduated on-time in April of 2012. I did 3 summer internships instead of co-op (1 at the US Patent Office, 2 at Lockheed Martin) and a bit of on-campus research. I’m still around because I’m in grad school here :)</p>
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<p>Your GPA is a little on the low side (amazingly enough, the average GPA last year was a 3.93) BUT I think the difficultly of your classes helps make up for that (a lot of APs/Honors with a slightly lower GPA looks much better than all easy classes with a 4.0). Really the big thing holding you back is the SAT. You <em>NEED</em> to raise that score! I saw you mentioned the ACT, definitely give it a try to see if you do better. Ideally you want at least a 1200 M+CR (and ideally at least 600M, 600CR) or an ACT of at least about a 28-29. </p>
<p>Your activities look great- you want to emphasize the fact that you have done well in science-related classes (the LoR from your teacher is a big plus). </p>
<p>It’s good you have a variety of activities like violin as well though- that shows that you are a well-rounded student that can bring a lot to campus. I would say though, that only one of the other two letters (either swim coach or conductor). Do you have another science or math teacher (for a class you have done well in) that could write you a second letter?</p>
<p>I would suggest also writing an essay (NOT a “why Pitt” essay) to help pump your application. </p>
<p>Also- APPLY EARLY. The sooner you take the SAT/ACT and get those scores, go apply online! If you apply before the end of September I think you will have a much better chance of getting in.</p>
<p>Being half-Asian probably helps a bit. Pitt is not really diverse and you would be bringing the “quota” up.</p>
<p>Thanks!
Your advice is really helpful and insightful. This also is a great thread, as you have been replying since 2011, which is GREAT.
Thanks again :)</p>
<p>Hi, I was trying to find information on Pitt’s website about the cost of tuition (and other additional fees for room and board, meal plans, etc.) for the 2013-2014 school year but couldn’t find it. Would you happen to know what it is?</p>
<p>The tuition for 2013-2014 isn’t out yet. It would be here: [Institutional</a> Research - Tuition and Mandatory Fees - Home Page](<a href=“http://www.ir.pitt.edu/tuition/]Institutional”>Tuition Rates and Fees | Office of Institutional Research)</p>
<p>Room/Board/etc. : [University</a> of Pittsburgh: Undergraduate Admissions & Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.oafa.pitt.edu/costs.aspx]University”>http://www.oafa.pitt.edu/costs.aspx)</p>
<p>Yeah, okay. I thought not. Thank you.</p>
<p>anyone know about the business program? I’m planning on attending so i would like to know more about the buisness program</p>
<p>Hi AwesomeOpossum! Thanks for answering my questions thoroughly!</p>
<p>I still have a few more that I hope someone can answer:</p>
<p>How many classes can I take over the summer? Can’t it be a normal term?</p>
<p>Is 5 classes a semester, especially extremely technical classes during Junior and Senior year, hard to manage?</p>
<p>Are Engineers their own community? (isolated from the rest of the school)</p>
<p>Do you get better Co-ops the higher percentile you are in your major?</p>
<p>What exactly is a “good” Co-op experience? Is it with the same company for all 12 months?</p>
<p>During what times do most clubs, groups, and organizations hold their meetings? Weekends? Evenings?</p>
<p>What is the earliest class you can have? 8AM? 9AM?</p>
<p>How do you avoid the Freshman 15?</p>
<p>People have been bugging me and I have to explain to them why I chose Pitt over UIUC even though UIUC is ranked higher…why is Pitt Engineering not ranked higher even though it is a better program than UIUC as I have seen both first hand? I hate US News, why do people rely on US News rankings? Is the materialistic brand value that comes with high rankings worth it?</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>AwesomeOpposum Hi!
I have a few more questions! Thanks for doing this thread!</p>
<p>I am considering switching into BioEngineering from A&S… First how hard is to do a double major in Business while in Engineering? I wanted to do a Chem/Business dual major but was <em>considering</em> switching to BioEngineering. Can I still dual major… is it doable? One of the reasons I wanted to do engineering was because it seemed like it had more of a <strong>communtiy</strong> than the Chemistry department also I believe that there may be more scholarship opportunities for minorities in Engineering… am I right? If I do choose BioEngineering how would I go about switiching …would I have to reapply? Would it affect the amount of scholarship (go down or up?) money I received?</p>
<p>Also, for UHC housing if I haven’t sent in a deposit can I still email them that I want to apply for UHC housing and would still hope to take UHC classes?.. I did not get UHC eligibility at admission.
Finally, I know you got the 10K scholarship… I did as well… how did you manage it and how hard was it for you to make up the difference… how hard is it to get full tuition once you get to Pitt?
Thanks so much Awesome for everything… sorry to bombard you with questions … Pitt is lucky to have you!</p>
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<p>Up to 18 like a normal term I think! Keep in mine that the summer sessions are broken into two 6-week sessions with intense classes (i.e. exams every two weeks). Your actual classes are longer and more frequent since you’re condensing a 15-week term into 6 weeks. However, some say the classes are a bit easier because the professors can’t cover as much material.</p>
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<p>In my opinion: no, but you better love your classmates. My junior year fall I took <em>only</em> engineering classes. It sucked, especially since one was at the graduate level, but I did fine. Make sure to keep a good work ethic and never leave things until the last minute. In fact, that graduate class was the only thing that kept me from a 4.0 that semester (he gave me an A-, darn it!)</p>
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<p>Yes and no. Your freshman and sophomore year you may be taking classes all over campus (electives in Cathedral, Chem in Chevron, Physics in Thaw or Allan or Alumni). Junior/Senior year most of your classes will probably be in Benedum, which is where you will spend most of your time. If you are anything like me you will have groups of friends. You’ll have your engineering friends that you study with and do HW with (and hang out sometimes) and then your dorm friends and then your club friends. As long as you get out and do other things you won’t feel isolated.</p>
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<p>The majors don’t rank. What gets you a good co-op: High GPA, relevant classes, professors who like you and can recommend you well, good communication skills (resume writing, interviewing, etc.)</p>
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<p>Co-op goes two ways: one 1-year shift or three 4-month shifts. A good experience is one where you learn a lot at the company, gain skills good for employment that you wouldn’t get in school (i.e. good work experience) and do something meaningful with your time there (work on a good project). Ideally you also get a good job offer at the end of the co-op.</p>
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<p>Most will be weekday evenings (Sun-Thursday). On Fri/Sat are event days where clubs may hold events. If the club is sports based they may have weekend practice.</p>
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<p>8 am. Luckily that was the recitation time for a class (9am class) so he generally never had us meet at 8. I’ve had 9am classes almost every single semester (senior year I was lucky and my earliest class was 10am). Latest class was a night class that went 6-8:30. Latest “regular” class was a 5-6pm MWF class. That also sucked.</p>
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<p>Go to the gym. Avoid eating super salty, convenient food (yes microwave mac and cheese is easy and delicious but no don’t eat three of them as a dinner). When you go to eat at the dining hall, don’t make fries and a burger your meal 3x/week. Just be smart about what you eat.</p>
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<p>People are dumb. A good shut down is: “I chose Pitt because I knew I would be happy there.”</p>
<p>End of story.</p>
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<p>Doable…sure. Hard? Very. Engineering is one of the most demanding majors (as in you need a LOT of credits to graduate). It will be hard to fit in all the requirements of a business degree as well. I expect it will take at least 1-2 additional years to do both.</p>
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<p>I think the engineering community is much more friendly and welcoming, yes. As for scholarship opportunities- I have no idea. <em>Most</em> of the money is given out to freshman. There are a few upperclassmen scholarships (generally company-based) but those are generally based on merit and major, rather than other factors.</p>
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<p>So I <em>think</em> you’re an incoming freshman right? You can contact OAFA and ask to be considered for SSOE instead of A&S. Yes, it’s like reapplying but they look at the application you already sent in. IF they say no, you can still take the normal freshman engineering courseload (Physics, Chem, Calc, Engineering) and if you maintain a good GPA (>3.0 I imagine) they will let you transfer in as a sophomore.</p>
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<p>Depends on the kind of money you got. If it was just a UHC scholarship, no. But if it was a specific one (like for a student studying X in the department), yes you may lose it. Contact OAFA and ask them what the terms of your scholarships are.</p>
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<p>Yep! Just ask for permission to apply into the housing. Once you decide what kind of classes you want to take you can email asking for permission to take them before you sign up at PittStart</p>
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<p>I started out with 10k/year from UHC and 2k/year from SSOE. The difference was covered with an education fund my parents had saved for me. </p>
<p>I ended up with a full-ride by junior year because of the major I was in and how well I was doing in it. By chance, a student switched out of my major and lost the scholarship that had gone with it. My sponsor (the person paying for the scholarship) asked for an immediate replacement because he still wanted to give the money. I was good friends with the woman in charge of all the scholarship students in SSOE (she was my freshman year advisor) and she remembered that I had been doing well and recommended me to my sponsor. He said yes and that’s how I got that money.</p>
<p>But my story is rare and will likely not happen to many students, ever.</p>
<p>Edit: I also got a well paying job at an engineering company for the summer after my sophomore and junior year. The summer after my junior year I made enough money to cover my rent for the entire senior year (although my UHC scholarship did that anyway). Things like that help a lot.</p>
<p>Ya, I definitely want to graduate in four years… I think the Chemistry/Business double major is probably a bit easier to do! Thanks for being a cool possum! :)</p>
<p>MadorableSource…about your 3.75 GPA question. Pitt uses a plus/minus grading system. To get the 4.0 A, you have to average 94 or above, which makes it more difficult to maintain a 3.75. An A- is a 3.75.</p>
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<p>True but keep in mind that many professors will curve. I know in some classes I got around an 80% and that was considered an A- (which is 3.75). The percent/100 isn’t as important as knowing what your professors personal grading scale is and aiming to be at his/her A- level or higher.</p>