<p>I'm trying to decide which school would be best for my intended future. I want to study engineering (leaning towards mechanical at the moment) in college, but I am also interested in many other fields, like languages and political science. Swarthmore offers a liberal arts approach to learning, Lehigh offers an integrated degree in engineering and arts and science, and the University of Delaware has ample opportunity to study abroad throughout the year so that engineers can study non-engineering subjects. </p>
<p>If I go to UD I will have enough money to study abroad and do pretty much anything, but if I go to Lehigh or Swarthmore, I will most likely graduate in debt. </p>
<p>Which school, considering money and my interests, would best prepare me for an international job in engineering and/or policy?</p>
<p>You should read the other posts on Swarthmore engineering but in summary it’s a very small program (~20 per year) and offers a general engineering degree rather than a specific one like Mech E. Lehigh has a sizable engineering program. Don’t know anything about UD but if it’s ABET acredited (likely) you should give it a good look.</p>
<p>To get an international engineering job you should join a multinational that has overseas facilities and then transfer. They will take care of all the visas and other issues. Trying to do this direct from college is a challenge unless you’re a national of some other country which you didn’t indicate.</p>
<p>If you are seriously interested in international policy I can think of no better place than Swarthmore. If you want to start practicing as a mechanical engineer the day you leave college, then you might be better off at a college that will give you a BS in Mech E, rather than a BS in general engineering.</p>
<p>Not sure what OP decided, but in case anybody else has a similar question, I wanted to point out that someone with the stats to get into Swarthmore might be able to attract a Marquis Scholarship from Lafayette College, which is one of the handful of selective LACs that offers an ABET-accredited engineering degree. It also offers a BS in mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>We visited all three schools the OP inquired about, and they’re really quite different from each other. Schools like Lafayette, Union College (NY), Trinity College (CT), and Bucknell University might be a “happy medium” for those who want to study engineering in a LAC environment. </p>