Requesting Help!

College Search & Selection
1

I’m a female New Englander, interested in Engineering. Due to my indecisiveness, I applied to 16 colleges and now, I’m suffering even more for it.

Denied by: WPI, UNH, Clark, and Reed
Waitlisted by: UVM, UMass, and RPI

Accepted by:
MSU for Exploratory Engineering
RIT for Business Exploration
UMaine - Honors College for Undeclared Engineering
PSU Behrend - 2&2 Program - Honors College for Undeclared Engineering
Mount Holyoke College - Spring Semester - for Engineering
Western New England for Undeclared Engineering
UConn for Undeclared Engineering
CU Boulder for Exploratory Studies
URI for Undeclared Engineering

I withdrew my application from RIT, UMaine, WNE, and URI. So now I’m looking at just MSU, PSU Behrend, MHC, UConn, and CU Boulder.

What I’d like to know about are people’s experiences concerning these institutions. How is CU Boulder’s IUT program or MHC’s engineering program? Do people feel like they have the support they need to succeed? Do they feel heard by their administration? Do they feel prepared by their schools?

Factors:
-Money isn’t a big concern but MHC pushing it and I don’t think I’ve thought enough about transportation costs to Colorado and/or Michigan.
-I have learning disabilities that make it really hard for me to focus, so anywhere I attend I’ll probably be working 24/7 with a tutor and advisor.
-I am open to taking summer classes on campus or abroad.
-I do not have a great academic record and I know I’m not the best student. My GPA isn’t the best, I’m just good at taking tests, connect well with teachers, and have some great recommendation letters.
-I’m not that into big parties or sports, but I love school spirit!
-I avoid drugs/alcohol/substances.
-I enjoy staying active. Wrestling, rock-climbing, and such.
-I’m leaning toward electrical, mechanical, or engineering physics.
-I plan on furthering my education after my bachelors, by studying physics in graduate school and becoming a professor of physics.

I know by pursuing engineering I have already sold my soul away to the academic overlords and will never see the light of day for years to come, but I would like to how people still feel about their studies. I choose engineering because I’ve always loved problem-solving and messing with electronics/robotics/machines. I want to know if anyone has lost that passion in their studies or now feel more enamored with their interests.

Please respond! I usually would talk with my teachers, advisors, and friends about these things every day, but right now, it’s really hard to do that and I could really use a bunch of strangers’ opinions.

2

No specific experience with any of those schools, and I probably would’ve recommended UMaine of all your choices, but I’ll provide some food for thought. UConn has a strong program providing academic support for those with learning disabilities (as does RIT). That’s worth looking into. I’m not a fan of any programs that start at one school and finish at another (Behrend). It’s just disruptive. Having had a D that was forced to transfer, it was hard getting a friend group together her second year (and she’s very social). Have you looked into the guidelines on moving into a major from undeclared? Some schools do not guarantee you will be able to move into your first choice major. MHC doesn’t seem to have a true engineering program, rather you major in math or science and take engineering classes and complete an internship. If you’re going to do all the work of an engineering major, you might as well complete an ABET accredited program. You may decide down the line you want to be an engineer. What are the net costs of the choices you have left? If you will be attending grad school you should carefully consider the cost of undergrad. Hope this help a bit. If nothing else, I’ve bumped up your thread :smile:

3

MHC is a very different sort of institution than the others are. You know in your heart if you prefer it. So it is perfectly OK to drop it from your list if you aren’t feeling the love.

4

Engineering is very competitive at UConn. There is no guarantee that you can get into the major of your choice.

MHC sounds like the place where you’re most likely to get the tutoring and advisingthat you’re interested in. I understand that’s pushing it financially, so contact them and talk about the financing. See if they can help you. They really want to support women in fields like engineering. You might be pleasantly surprised. Engineering is a field where the return on investment should be there to help pay back the loans as long as they’re not excessive.

5

@CoronaSenioritis :
I’d have kept UMaine on the list, with Honors and direct entry Engineering it was probably your best bet for both a supportive program and your choice of major.
PSU Behrend may be a good alternative: it’s more supportive than Main, you’re in the honors college so you have extra support, you can either stay or move to the main campus once you’ve gotten your feet wet in the general education classes.
CU Boulder is a flagship, so it won’t be “supportive” - exploratory won’t let you major in Engineering. Large flagships are very sink or swim, which would not be good, unless you can secure some accomodations/support ahead of time.
MHC is most likely to be supportive and help, but it’ll be difficult since many students are high achievers and apparently it’s quite expensive for your family.
So, based on your specific criteria, my choices would be either PSU Behrend or MHC if it’s affordable.