Suggestions for Engineering Program with Hands-on Opportunities

@grandscheme What’s his GPA at this point? Is he on academic probation or in good standing? From a practical standpoint, don’t think his grades will allow him to transfer to a 4 year college, especially to an engineering program in said school. So IMHO opinion I’d take that option off the table as it’s just not likely to happen as things currently stand.

Not to be Debbie Downer, but he doesn’t seem to be showing himself to be college material at this time in his life. Sounds like he’s simply not willing or able to buckle down and do the work it takes to get through engineering (admittedly not an easy major). I’m not doubting that he has the intelligence, but that’s not enough to be successful in college. Only you can decide how much longer you’re willing to throw $$ at this before he has to change enough to be successful, however you want to define successful. My son is finishing up an engineering degree at VT (taking 9 semesters due to change in major) and I know what an idyllic place it is. Many many students would love to stay there as long as they can get away with it !

If it were me, I’d work with him on a plan of how to proceed from here that’s attainable but requires him to buckle down and move forward. Specify minimum # credits taken/semester, minimum GPA per semester, and figure out how long it will take to finish the degree. Calculate how much more $ you will have to sink into this and tell him that’s it, anything else is on you. Give him the responsibility to take ownership and implement. And absolutely be prepared to pull the plug. Otherwise you run the risk of enabling him to put off joining the “real world”. And if he doesn’t like this plan, wants to transfer, etc. let HIM be the one to come up with a solution and get your buy in. But I’d definitely be against agreeing to open ended plans for his future. It’s just not helping him at this point… Good luck!

@grandscheme “He has insisted on not changing majors and not changing schools.” - I’m not understanding why he thinks he can get through engineering (of any type) at VT (or any school). Perhaps is what parents sometimes refer to as their kid’s “magical thinking”.

I actually have my own very bright kid that crashed and burned in Engineering… TWICE (with in between attempts a a year back home working at Walmart and then a highly successful summer session). It took some more time back home and then a new major (Econ), first as a part time commuter student, to get things on track again. All worked out fine at the end of the long and winding path through college. But a key part of it was to admission that the intense, rigid course sequence was not a good fit.