Small engineering colleges?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm a Junior starting to look at colleges. I'm planning to probably major in Mechanical Engineering. I go to a very small high school (my grad. class will be about 27), so I'd like to go to a somewhat small college. Also, I'd like to stay fairly close to home, so somewhere in the southeast, or east-central US. Right now I'm looking at:</p>

<p>University of Florida
University of South Florida
Duke
Olin</p>

<p>Here's my academic stats:</p>

<p>2.3 gpa
30 ACT
Several concurrent college classes
4th in my class
I'm a very good writer, which might help on the app's essays.</p>

<p>Suggestions?</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

2

<p>Rose Hullman in Indiana if that's not too far for you. Known as probably the best "small" engineering school in the country.</p>

3

<p>Is your GPA a typo? If so, Harvey Mudd.</p>

4

<p>Yes it is. Should be 3.3....</p>

5

<p>A small engineering school might not offer a specific major in mechanical engineering. Check first.
Ignoring size, I would suggest the following:
Johns Hopkins
Virginia Tech
Duke
U Maryland College Park
NC State Raleigh
U Florida
UVA
Vanderbilt
Clemson
U Tennessee</p>

6

<p>jknight8907-- FYI, here are some thread links to discussions of LACs with engineering programs.......they'd fit your "small" criterion, many will have a mechanical competency, but the discussions are not geographically restricted:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=91180%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=91180&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=84966%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=84966&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82594%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82594&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1097287%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1097287&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Also, one can use this ABET search engine to locate specific engineering programs (e.g., mechanical) in various regions or states that are ABET certified (program certificatiion is an important selection criterion):
<a href="http://www.abet.org/accrediteac.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.abet.org/accrediteac.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

7

<p>
[quote]
A small engineering school might not offer a specific major in mechanical engineering.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yeah, but does that really matter? As a case in point, Caltech didn't even start offering a specific undergrad major in mechanical engineering until 2003. You can "study" mechanical engineering, but the actual bachelor's degree you got was in "Engineering and Applied Sciences (EAS)". 2003 was the year that Caltech decided to finally get ABET certification for ME as an individual major (as opposed to using the ABET certification for EAS)</p>

<p>Take a look at the commencement data from Caltech prior to 2003. Notice how those who studied ME actually got EAS degrees instead.</p>

<p><a href="http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/02/bs.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/02/bs.html&lt;/a>
<a href="http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/01/bs.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/01/bs.html&lt;/a>
<a href="http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/00/bs.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/00/bs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>As another example, Caltech is reputed to have the best aeronautical/aerospace engineering program in the country. Yet, Caltech doesn't even OFFER it as an individual major. Instead, it is grouped into the EAS major. So are Civil E, BioE, Materials Science, Environmental E, and several other E's. In fact, the only individual engineering degrees you can get at Caltech are ChemE, EE, and (now) ME. </p>

<p>I would also point out that Harvey Mudd only offers general Engineering degrees, not degrees in specific engineering majors. But to that, I would again say, so what? Nobody is going to seriously dispute the strength of Harvey Mudd's engineerig program. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Also, one can use this ABET search engine to locate specific engineering programs (e.g., mechanical) in various regions or states that are ABET certified (program certificatiion is an important selection criterion):

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I would actually argue that ABET certification is a very minor consideration. Plenty of highly prestigious and rigorous programs are not certified, and plenty of no-name programs are certified. For example, the bioengineering programs at MIT and Berkeley are not certified. Materials Science at both Berkeley and Stanford are not certified. Yet I think very few people would dispute that these some of the top programs in the country, certification or not. I think very few employers would reject a guy with a bioengineering degree from MIT just because his degree isn't certified.</p>

8

<p>sakky is correct....what I meant to mean is that one should think through what they may want to do with their degree eventually (its an important selection criterion TO CONSIDER), because if one intends to practice in certain fields or work for certain employers (e.g., design consultants) ABET certification is a plus. Generally, in my world of civil & environmental engineering consulting, and some mechanical, ABET is important for engineers to qualify for their PE exam...a credential thats essential (has a nice ring, doesn't it) for the practice. A biomed engineer or one that works for industry, for instance, may not need the PE & therefore the ABET certification.</p>

9

<p>Olin College offers a Mechanical Eng. degree, as well as the general Engineering degree.</p>

<p>If you're graduating with a class of 27, Olin might seem large--graduating classes of 75 :)</p>

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<p>Also, while Olin isn't ABET certified yet, we should be soon.</p>

11

<p>What do you think my odds are of getting into Olin with my current stats? (GPA might be up to 3.5 when I graduate)</p>

<p>Also, for those of you going to Olin, how do you like the college and the Boston area?</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

12

<p>Well, I did some reading about Olin and apparently they don't take transfer credits. Since I'll have a bunch of those, that kinda rules that out.</p>

<p>So, new targets for review/opinion: University of Florida and University of South Florida (I know these aren't 'small'...)</p>

<p>thanks again</p>

13

<p>Yeah, Olin doesn't take transfer credit because the college is trying to take a new approach to engineering education and it's important that Olin students getting into high level courses have all had a similar Olin style background. </p>

<p>I'm sorry that you have to rule Olin out because it's really a great place, but I'm sure you'll end up finding another great place. Good luck!</p>

14

<p>I'll reiterate a few of collegehelp's suggestions:
Vanderbilt
Clemson
Johns Hopkins</p>

<p>...small relative to the large state schools, and in your geography. Solid reputations, with each having an engineering school, the latter which might help your admissions chances.</p>

<p>Also, since you seem to me honed in on florida, have you checked out FIU?:
<a href="http://www.eng.fiu.edu/HTML2003/TEC_DepartmentsPrograms.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.eng.fiu.edu/HTML2003/TEC_DepartmentsPrograms.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

15

<p>What do you guys think about Colorado School of Mines? It's out of my area, but I also like skiing, so hey why not. I liked that it's a pretty small school, and there is NO foreign language requirement to get in.</p>

<p>thanks</p>

16

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<p>ABET certification can be very important or quite unimportant, depending on your field. No US state currently licenses bioengineers or materials scientists. So ABET accreditation has no legal significance in these fields, and many schools do not bother with it. For the same reason, many top schools (e.g. Stanford) forego ABET accreditation in computer science.</p>

<p>But...if you study in a field like civil, mechanical, electrical, or chemical engineering, then ABET degrees have much more value and prestige than non-ABET degrees. All states issue licenses in these disciplines, and they all give preferred legal status to graduates of ABET-accredited programs. In some states (e.g. Florida), ABET degrees are strictly <em>required</em> for engineering licensure. And private employers commonly discriminate in the same manner as the government; ABET degrees are commonly preferred or required in industry, even for positions where licenses are not legally necessary.</p>

<p>So virtually every respectable engineering school -- including Stanford, Berkeley, and MIT -- is ABET-accredited in traditional engineering disciplines like Civil or Mechanical. I challenge you to find an exception (new programs that are still in the process of earning ABET accreditation, like Olin, don't count.)</p>

17

<p>jk-- Colorado School of Mines is a great place....I was involved with some research there a few years ago, & got to know a number of faculty & students in the env eng dept, but very respectable school overall. Small, & if you like being in the foothills of the mountains near all the recreation that the Rockies offer, wonderful spot. Defintely a technical school, so I'd expect the male-female ratio to be male-weighted. Another perk-- short tours of the Coors factory, a walk away, go straight to the tasting room. I've been back many times, kids still cherish their CSM t-shirts adorned with the mascot, Blaster, the dynamite packing jackass.</p>

18

<p>Cool.</p>

<p>Any Mines-like schools in the south?</p>

19

<p>only 2 mines schools still exist that I know of....CSM & South Dakota. Beside the specialty engineering schools previously mentioned, I am unaware of any other technical-specialty schools, nor of any others that come close to CSM's ambiance.</p>

<p>How about Mercer U in Macon, Georgia?....has an engineering school w/ (ABET certified!) mechanical dept; 68% female undergrads overall; ~4500 undergrads: <a href="http://www2.mercer.edu/Engineering/Undergraduate_Programs/default.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www2.mercer.edu/Engineering/Undergraduate_Programs/default.htm&lt;/a>
I don't know anything about Mercer, but worth a check.</p>

<p>If Texas is in your zone, there are plenty of options there, ranging from the well-respected Rice & UT Austin to Baylor, Trinity U & more.</p>

20

<p><<any mines-like="" schools="" in="" the="" south?="">></any></p>

<p>Sure, the University of Missouri - Rolla, which was founded in 1870 as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. It changed its name in 1964, but is still noted for its School of Materials, Energy & Earth Resources. Their mascot is "Joe Miner" (he carries a pick and a sliderule), and the college newspaper is "the Missouri Miner".</p>

<p><<only 2="" mines="" schools="" still="" exist="" that="" i="" know="" of....csm="" &="" south="" dakota.=""></only></p>

<p>Several universities in the US were originally established as a "school of mines". All of them have diversified over time, and most have dropped the word "Mines" from their name; Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology have kept it. Other examples:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>UMR (formerly Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy), as noted above</p></li>
<li><p>Michigan Technological University (formerly Michigan College of Mining and Technology)</p></li>
<li><p>New Mexico Tech (official name is New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology)</p></li>
</ul>

<p>All of these are good small engineering schools.</p>

<p>Note also that many larger universities, such as the University of Nevada-Reno or the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, have (or historically had) a division known as the "School of Mines". The oldest "School of Mines" in the US is at Columbia University (in New York City!), founded in 1863 and still in business.</p>