Questions for Rose-Hulman Student

<p>Sorry if this is weird, but why would a RHIT grad get a job more likely than a Purdue grad?</p>

<p>civegn: I have mostly seen midwest jobs (since outside of the midwest the name isn't as well known), but I also know people to travel to the coasts. The majority seem to be employed in the midwest though (at least to start). </p>

<p>dbt124: I think what stucoman674 is saying is what goes along with what Rose says when they say something about ~100% employment/grad placement at graduation (on their fast facts page or whatever). In this economy i don't believe the Rose thing is much help... I know a Rose grad (from last year) who has been out of work since december with no interviews or real options at the moment. That's not to say I am changing anything, or would have changed anything about where I was going, but my options were all about as much so I wasn't facing a free vs $70,000 in debt argument.</p>

<p>I think an interestiong question would be, how long do you have to be unemployed before you build up $70,000 is debt?</p>

<p>What is the gpa that students normally get in freshman year and other years as they progress. Does it get more difficult. Wouls appreciate your info. Thanks.</p>

<p>Thanks for the honesty John. I have been pretty skeptical about the "over 90% job placement before graduation" statistic that RHIT throws around some times.
and I definitely don't want to be limited to the Midwest...</p>

<p>I'm trying to be honest, but I can't imagine they would say it if were a lie or anything. I've seen everyone get a job or get into grad school by graduation, so it's still true. </p>

<p>I only said that to show that a name is not immune to the economic crap shoot, especially new/recent grads. This is the first year of grads since the real downturn (I remember last march talking to my mom optimistically about what would happen over the next few months... who knew?), so this year will be different. But it's going to be harder for students across the board.</p>

<p>And I certainly don't consider myself limited to the midwest. I do plan on going to grad school though, so I will have a 2nd name. I believe the knowledge by other schools (rankings are based on other professors/deans/etc, right?) that Rose is a good school (not just another school) will certainly help. And with employers, many large employers have multiple locations, so those that fall in the midwest would certainly know the name, and I imagine that's enough of an "in" for the coasts.</p>

<p>Just trying to be honest without being negative here. Personally I don't like the idea of needing to rely on a name anyways. There are plenty of ways to stand out besides a name. You can get experience in the midwest as an undergraduate and use the experience when vying for a job after graduation, etc.</p>

<p>I would like to know more about coops and internships at RHIT. When do students get to do coop? How are the opportunities available? Actually how many students are successful getting coop? Please can you let me know the real scenario?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>I should first explain my interpretation of the terminology. Generally speaking, the difference between a co-op and internship is the amount of time committed. Internships only last one summer, while co-ops can be as long as 6 months or more. Rose-Hulman students generally do co-ops during two academic quarters (usually spring-summer or summer-fall). Co-ops are generally done after you've taken some courses in your major (late Sophomore year, or any time during Junior year). But there are no hard and fast rules.</p>

<p>In my opinion, more students do internships than co-ops. Usually, it's easier to graduate in 4 years if you don't co-op (although many co-ops graduate in 4). The majority of students find their internship/co-op through one of Rose-Hulman's job fairs held each quarter. Companies come to Rose and conduct interviews, information sessions, and a big event in the SRC to find new recruits. There are usually a lot of opportunities, and good students can be pretty selective about who they work for.</p>

<p>Most co-ops and interns I've talked to have had pretty positive experiences. In many cases, they are hired by their co-op/internship employer after graduation.</p>

<p>I've had two summer internships, and they helped me see that industry is not the place for me at the moment. I found the experience very valuable in letting me know what I could expect from industry. My biggest regret is that I did not spend a summer doing undergraduate research. I would highly suggest doing an REU if you can find one. Combining that with industry experience would best help you decide what to do after graduation.</p>

<p>I hope that addresses some of your questions!</p>

<p>MY D is a junior and I want to apply to the summer catapult program in Rose-Hulman. What is your opinion on that program ?</p>

<p>My son attended Catapult last summer and had an amazing time. While his group didn't get their first choice of project assignment, they got their second choice, and my son learned quite a few new skills as a result. The students participate in a lot of sports activities, various scheduled mayhem, and have the opportunity to travel to nearby cities on the weekends. In the past couple of years, Catapulters have received a merit scholarship to RH, which I hope continues for the next group. My opinion? Son loved it, learned new things, made new friends, and it will have more than paid for itself if son chooses to go to RH.</p>

<p>I attended Catapult and it was a big reason why I decided to attend Rose. Students get most of the Rose experience (except for the hard work) and have an opportunity to meet some of the professors and students, as well as other high school students that share your interests. I felt that it gave my an advantage when I started at Rose since I already knew the campus and knew a bunch of students in the freshman class. It's also a great opportunity to explore the different areas of engineering and see what you want to do if you don't already know. They encourage you to choose a project you don't know much about, which I'd recommend because you might find something new that you really like.</p>

<p>Hi can someone tell me the % of students completing their undergraduate degree in 4 yrs/5yrs. What is the normal trend.</p>

<p>With coop opportunities is it possible to complete in 4yrs. I would like to know the details please.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>Unlike many other schools the norm is 4 years. I know very few individuals who take longer unless they've taken time off for a co-op or something else.</p>

<p>I don't know the numbers, but our retention rate is about 82% for entering freshmen to those who get a degree.</p>

<p>Yes. I have a friend who is an ME and is doing a co-op and he's going to be done in 4 years without overloading. I know others who have done the same. In order to do that you're going to need to be bringing in advanced credit, either AP's or college classes. The curriculum for each program varies as to the flexibility and timing of co-ops, but the schedules are pretty full, so many people who do a co-op take an extra quarter to graduate.</p>

<p>Curious. The ASEE database shows few students graduating in 4 years.</p>

<p>toadstool, can you post the exact link or page here so that we can see? I tried to locate but failed. </p>

<p>Nick, thanks for that info. I have done AP's in Bio, Eng, and am now doing Chem and Cal.AB. But some people say that if we take credit for those classes and we straight away start with advanced classes, it would be very difficult. So if we do not take credit for AP's and we do coops do you mean to say that we would finish in 4.25 yrs? If we dont do coops, then getting jobs after completing would be very difficult because employers look for some experience and dont just look at grades. </p>

<p>How many coops does one do normally to finish at least in 4.25 yrs? </p>

<p>In your experience have you seen students failing and if so how many approximately? </p>

<p>Please let me know. Thanks.</p>

<p>chi, even if you don't do a co-op you can still do internships in the summer to get that valuable experience. You're right, experience is very important in getting a job.</p>

<p>As far as AP's, I've heard that but my advice is to take credit you can get. I know some people who have not taken the credit, then they go back and take the class and are disappointed because it's all review, but it's still a lot of work, and by no means an 'easy A' for them. If you've earned the credit by scoring well on the AP tests, the institute feels you are sufficiently prepared to jump into that advanced material. Doing so makes it more viable for you to do a co-op, get a minor or double major, or just a lighter workload a couple of quarters.</p>

<p>toadstool, I also would be interested in seeing that data as that is in stark conflict with my personal experience. I'll look into getting an actual number on that from the institute.</p>

<p>Hi Nick, why is the freshman retention rate 80%.? What happens to the 20 %? What are the reasons? From your experience can you let me know please. Thanks once again.</p>

<p>Various- Some decide engineering isn't for them. Some get here and don't have the work ethic and fail out. Sometimes it's financial.</p>

<p>And that's not the freshman retention rate. That's the 4 year retention rate. Of the freshmen who enter, 80% will graduate from Rose with a degree. Freshman to sophomore year retention is about 95%.</p>

<p>Dear Nick, Now I understand. Thanks.</p>

<p>Nic: My son's lament is that RH does not accept his "A" in ACP Comp for credit - he would have to retake freshman composition. I could understand if this was the school's area of expertise, but this is a math/science school! He was hoping to spend the next four years taking classes he actually LIKED. He would also like to receive credit for AP Environmental Science - he got a 5.
Final school selection will be a tough choice, but these are his big negatives.</p>

<p>ksm, is your son joining this fall? Which engineering is he going to do? If there are no credits given then should we be prepared for more than 4 yrs? Coop is also an important aspect. This is tough.</p>