<p>My daughter claims she would like to major in Chemical Engineering. She would seem to have the aptitude for it as she is taking the highest level math and science courses her high school has to offer and does very well in them. She loved her chemistry 2 class (a lot of that had to do with her teacher as many of her students go on to pursue degrees in chemistry), physics, biology and math but she has never had an interest in science fairs or science olympiads. Does anyone know of any correlation between interest in participating in such events and success (or lack of success) in engineering? Is her seeming lack of interest in these programs a problem?</p>
<p>We took a tour of a Dow Chemical plant this winter and she liked the tour and the idea of being a problem solver. I required her to attend a summer STEM camp at a college just to be sure that engineering is in fact the field she would be interested in. She will be attending Purdue's STEP program this July. Engineering seems to be a course of study that is easier to opt out of than into. I am not an engineer myself, so I am unclear as to what passions future engineers possess.</p>
<p>I was majorly into SciO in high school, but I can tell you that most of my peers in my engineering school did nothing of the sort (even if they had the opportunity at their school).</p>
<p>I have read many engineering apps for a top college- and, what’s important is that she doesn’t just “say” she has the interest but can show some involvement. The clubs or programs in the hs are good, especially if the team can win at competitions. This shows she has experienced some of the challenges involved. But equally important, sometimes more, is that she can go get some outside experience for a college or company. It doesn’t matter if she’s doing something low level- it’s one way she shows her interst is solid and that she has the personal skills to get herself involved. At many colleges, the engineering track is tough and spots are competitive They don’t want to give a seat to someone who just thinks it’s their area- they like to see the kid went a step further and has some basis on which to pick that major. Some of these kids then describe how they learned about the time investment, collaboration, etc. My own opinion, btw, is that engineering isn’t about “problem solving” on the grand scale most kids think. (Yes, it’s what everyone says.) It’s about being happy doing your (sometimes small) part in a larger creative process. Is that what you found in your work? Best of luck to her.</p>
<p>@lvvcsf: I agree that it is probably not ESSENTIAL to do Science Olympiad. However, there are so many positives to doing Science Olympiad beyond just demonstrating a serious interest in STEM. I need to give it a sales pitch just because it has been so incredibly beneficial for my junior daughter. Science Olympiad has taught her about different areas of science, teamwork, being a role model for her team, boosting self confidence and networking with the academic students in her school and the city community. </p>
<p>She’s an academic kid but, not someone who “tinkers” with things in her spare time. She started high school with no interest in Science Olympiad. After taking both biology and chemistry (her choice but the idea planted by the graduating valedictorian) in 9th grade, she was encouraged by the AP Chem teacher/science olympiad advisor to come to a mtg in 10th grade. It was intimidating at first because there were mostly older boys participating. She reluctantly did a few events and she was paired with the few senior girls and a freshman boy for different events. To her surprise, she was able to contribute as a sophomore which really boosted her confidence. The mom of the freshman boy has since told me that it has meant a great deal to her son to work with my d. Her son is known for being difficult to work with (stubborn, arrogant and lack of social grace). Somehow, my d earned his respect early on. We think he realized there IS someone smarter than him:) The team made it to state and she and the boy placed in the top 10. This past season, she competed in 5 events with 5 different partners (mostly boys in all different high school grades). She did not mind working with that boy again. The team will return to state next month!!</p>
<p>Her experience in Science Olympiad has helped confirm to her that science needs to be a part of her life along with math. It’s given her a sense of pride, respect, and recognition at her school. I hope you and your d will give it a serious look. My d has done some other engineering related activities: summer engineering residential programs at college (hs level not college level) and General Electric did an comprehensive engineering program during the school year but Science Olympiad is a school activity that she can look forward to year after year. I hope this was helpful…</p>
<p>I was active in Science Olympiad during high school. My school didn’t take the competition seriously (we picked events at random to see who would do what) and instead it was just an excuse to hang out with some friends and maybe do some sciencey activities. I also didn’t participate in any science fairs, nor did any of my friends, though a bunch of us are getting close to finishing our PhDs in STEM fields at this point.</p>
<p>It might be harder to demonstrate the “science passion” without these sorts of activities, but there’s no reason someone can’t be passionate about science without doing them. Personally, I love doing outreach programs to raise awareness of science/engineering careers and what’s so cool about them, yet the last thing I’d ever want to to is spend an afternoon judging a science fair.</p>
<p>Also, it’s a lot easier to switch out of engineering your sophomore/junior year than switch into it due to the sequence of classes required by engineering departments. I know in my school there’s a required sequential class every term from the fall of sophomore year through the fall of senior year (the main reason I graduated a semester early instead of a year). If she doesn’t wind up liking engineering, then she can easily switch to a different major and have most of her distribution requirements already filled.</p>