<p>So recently our school got this PLTW(engineering) and this guy came in talked to us about how its 6 college credits and how it can enhance your application. Saying only a few schools have this program and only like 100 people are able to join.. by lottery... I currently already take band and french as my elective...im not giving up french but im uncertain on band.. band seems to be bringing my gpa down(all A's except B+ in band)...its also the lowest band so I dont have much to lose... Has anyone taken this porgram is it any good? Would it only help if im going to be an engineer or would it help even if i want to go to the medical side? How do colleges view it</p>
<p>First, band is not bringing your gpa down in any meaningful sense. No college will care whether or not You got a B+ or an A in band. So that should not be a factor. Also you don’t know what grade you will get in any new program. I haven’t heard of it so I have no further comment, except to point out your flawed criterion.</p>
<p>PLTW is a VERY GOOD program for future engineers/stem kids. it’s well-recognized by colleges and seen as innovative and rigorous, definitely more so than band. Very hands-on, allows you to explore various aspects of science/engineering. If you were a band afficionado and played at a good level I’d say stick with band, but if you’re interested in science, PLTW is a great program.
BTW: Don’t ditch French, you’ll need 3 years of a language for competitive colleges, and typically they expect either 4 years or a test score (AP/SAT Subject) demonstrating a high proficiency.</p>
<p>My son took the first course in the PLTW program because he was thinking of engineering as a possible major. After he took the course, he decided that engineering was not for him. He liked the course enough, but felt that it wasn’t right for him. I’m glad that he learned that before he got to college where it would have been a more expensive decision. HS is great for exploring different career options. The program at our HS is considered honors level and the course grades are weighted, so it ended up helping his GPA to get an A. It seems like a good program and there are colleges that will give you credit and/or scholarships for the courses. Check the PLTW site for details on which colleges do this.</p>
<p>is this program rigorous usually? like how are things marked ? i dont want to take it and bomb the class</p>