I am a current high school junior debating between engineering and humanities (possibly history or anthropology/archaeology?) major. I have planned on going into aerospace engineering since 7th grade. I’m really interested by it, and it’s a well paying field, so I basically set out a whole plan through high school and college.
However, in the last two years my math and science grades have been dropping. I got a (high) B+ in precalc HN last year, and a B in AP Physics 1. This year, I currently have a C in AP Physics C and a C in AP Calc BC (I can most likely raise physics, but Calc not sure). I’m also taking 6 total AP classes this year, including physics and Calc.
I’m second guessing whether I should/could go into engineering if I’m struggling so much with these classes? I also really enjoy history, so I’ve been contemplating that as a potential plan as well. Switching plans would mean changing all my activities/classes, as all my EC’s are very STEM/AE focused.
Don’t go into engineering solely because it might lead to a good paying job. Need to be passionate about being an engineer or you will miserable and will not do well.
If you go into humanities or history, do not go into debt with student loans.
Is it possible you’ve over committed with 6 APs? That is a lot to take at once and I’m wondering if that’s impacting your grades. You are already way ahead in math taking BC calc as a junior so at some point you must have been identified as being strong in math. (Same with Physics C!). At my D’s school both of those courses were for seniors.
Are you still enjoying math and physics? Do you understand the concepts? Those classes are foundational for engineering but I don’t think you should be throwing in the towel on engineering just based on those grades alone. If it’s a drag though, there is no reason you can’t switch gears with your intended major, or target schools where you can be undecided.
I agree with the others that there is no need to change up your ECs unless you aren’ enjoy them. My engineering daughter had mostly music ECs.
First off, never give up on a dream. But do know that it is hard work to get to where you want to be.
Depending on the study, 40-60% of college engineering students don’t end up as engineers - so it’s tough. And you want to get the basics down now.
But with grit and fortitude, you can.
There’s lots of colleges where you can major in engineering. The name is not as important - just make sure they are ABET certified. If you’re a B student, still lots of great homes for you - but those may be the kids who have the toughest time.
Go for tutoring now and get tutoring once you get to college - but no reason to give up if it’s truly your dream. But just because it was your dream in 7th grade doesn’t mean it has to stay your dream. And perhaps there are other tangential majors in aviation that interest you - check out Embry Riddle and Florida Tech - perhaps there’s other majors that might make a spark.
Also, don’t just look at aero. More schools will have Meche and it’s likely equally as accessible to the industry.
Finally, your ECs should be related to things you enjoy, not necessarily your ultimate college major.
Good luck - and I agree with @momofboiler1 - you might have overstepped rigor wise.
Thank you all so much for the feedback! I greatly appreciate it.
I definitely do enjoy my activities, I chose them because they match my intended major and I like them.
I have been debating between mechanical and aero as well, but I’ve been set on aero for a while, so I’m not completely sure.
A follow up question- does anyone have recommendations for schools I could apply for given my grades?
Also- how much of a knock would my grades be on my application? My ECs are pretty good (stuff I’m committed to, leadership positions, and mostly AE related but not all), and I’m currently prepping for SAT, so could those factors balance out?
Your GPA will effect which engineering programs you can get into… BUT, there are a number of accredited engineering programs that you will still be able to get into if you can afford them and are still intersted in the field. You probably can get into Arizona State’s aerospace engineering program (they accept high numbers and then weed them out through tough courses), for example. In engineering “prestige” matters less than ABET accreditation.
As others have said, if you’re taking physics C and calc BC as a junior, at some point you got on the fast track for math. You just might be over extended right now. 6APs and very advanced math and physics is a lot. This does not mean you can’t handle it in the future, but you are overextended now.
So, I’d first ask yourself how much do you like the subject… engineering is a lot of work, and a lot of math. If you actually like it, I wouldn’t necessarily hold falling behind as a junior in BC Calc against you. How are you doing on graduation requirements? You might want to consider retaking calc again, with a more reasonable course load and see how you like it as a senior.
I would say - depends on what you want - large, small, medium, urban, rural, budget, etc - greek, not geek, etc. - but there are great schools like Auburn, Alabama, West Virginia, Mizzou, Mississippi State, UNLV, Arizona, etc. would all love to have you I’m sure.
I’m leaning towards medium/large but not totally set on that. I don’t really want urban. I am planning to do AFROTC in college, which will help with price.
I agree, I think I overextended myself this year. I took AP physics 1 as a sophomore and now AP Physics C as a junior, which is rare at my school. I understand and enjoy the concepts, it just takes work with how much I’m in right now.
I know someone previously mentioned Florida Tech and Embry Riddle- are those attainable?
Thank you for the suggestions! Let me know if there are any more I should consider.
Are you wanting to join the Air Force, or are you primarily interested in AFROTC to help pay for college? For instance, one of the requirements of AFROTC scholarships is that you major in the field that you applied with on your scholarship application. So if after a semester or a year you decide you don’t want to do aerospace engineering, what then?
If you let us know what state you live in and what your annual budget is for college, we can help provide some additional suggestions. Also, if you have feelings about states you want to be in (or avoid), climate, the importance of athletics or Greek life, etc, please share. Additionally, what’s your overall GPA, test scores, and approximate rank in your class?
For aerospace, U. of Alabama - Huntsville should definitely be a contender. Once we know more, I’m sure other suggestions will be forthcoming.
I would like to go into the Air Force, and ROTC allows me to commission as an officer and pay for college. I hadn’t considered the major switch restriction, thank you for bringing that up. I’m not 100% set on ROTC, just considering it as an option right now.
I live in Virginia. I would prefer to stay closer to the East Coast/Midwest area, but that’s not a hard stop condition. I don’t care about Greek life. I would like some presence of athletics, but again not a super important factor. Climate wise, I would prefer 4 seasons, and not extreme heat, but cold and moderate heat are ok.
My school does not do class rank and unweighted GPA. My weighted GPA is a 4.226 (I don’t think that is counting current classes). I have not taken an official SAT yet, I’m signed up for march test though.
ROTC scholarships can be highly competitive. Also, Air Force ROTC scholarships prefer certain majors as listed at Highly Desired Majors | U.S. Air Force ROTC . Also, be sure that you are eligible for US military service to begin with (only about a third of young Americans are considered eligible).
Thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely look into those.
Knowsstuff, that article looks really interesting and something I would want to explore. I will try to look into schools will strong engineering and anthropology/humanities programs to possibly explore that more.
Thanks again! Please let me know if anyone has any more advice/suggestions/etc
I’m just throwing this interesting major at Purdue out there (maybe you would find it at other schools as well). If you are as comfortable with STEM as you are Non-Stem major subject matter – this might be an interesting path:
Best of Luck. Your credentials are excellent – because of your level of rigor in your classes. I think your Bs aren’t as damaging as you fear. Be sure to aim for some reach schools that may appreciate your balanced range of academic skills.
Thank you for the link- the AI major looks really cool and seems up my alley. I’ve been interested in AI/robotics for a while (along with AE too) so I will look further into that.
On the topic of reach schools- any suggestions for that? I was previously considering Purdue, UMich, Texas A&M, and UIUC but not sure if those are entirely realistic or not.
Schools are “reaches” out of the sheer volume of applications they receive. It makes it very difficult to stand out when Michigan is getting 85000 apps and rising. My 2021 grad seemed like a good match to UofM for engineering, but was deferred. He got in to Purdue - and happily attends. Sometimes, candidates with excellent credentials get deferred. Why? Not because they aren’t worthy. Limited space. They can’t accept everyone. SOOOOO…my advice is to apply. The only way you have a shot at a school you want is to apply.
Apply to Umich, Purdue, U of Illinois, Univ of Ohio (I’m partial to big10 schools - but feel free to expand to other schools that interest you…and Embry Riddle is supposed to be a great stem school - but I have no personal knowledge about it. CU Boulder has a recognized aero program. My current HS senior visited that campus (she’s business oriented)- she loved it.
Female? I notice some data that Umich admits 25% more females than males. The yield of those that choose to attend still ends up around 50/50 male/female - it’s part of the magical admissions math to end up with the numbers they want. I imagine that practice isn’t limited to Umich.
What I suspect with you - is that you will write a good essay. Do that. It matters. You will likely get in to some good schools. You may or may not get into the exact favorite. However - you clearly know how to study & get good grades. There are many campuses that can give you the space and resources you need. Keep an open mind about your final destination. Engineering vs. other…you may want to mull that over. Purdue app will ask you for a 1st and 2nd preferred major (undecided or “exploratory” is an option). UMich - you will either apply to LS&A or Engineering. Good luck - you have many options ahead of you – and they are all good options!
More important than picking your intended major now (since college apps are still about a year away for you) is figuring out why your grades in math and science are falling. Often the reason(s) fall into 3 areas:
lack of interest in the subject
lack of time spent studying
lack of knowledge of how to study effectively
I suggest you spend a little time thinking about what’s going on. Look back at your old graded tests and ask yourself why you got problems wrong, you might even have a talk with your teacher about whether there’s anything they’ve noticed.
For a college level math/science class a rule of thumb is 2-3 hours per week for each class hour and classes meet 3x/wk so it would be common to spend 6-10 hours each week outside of class. A HS class is slower paced so takes less time, but at least 5 hours on each class wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.
As for study skills, many students see a grade fall-off as years go by. They’re smart kids but as material gets harder their native intelligence is no longer enough on its own. Rereading the chapters, especially cramming just before tests, is one of the least efficient ways to learn. Strong study skills include self-testing (eg. working problems on your own) and spaced repetition where you do something each day rather than trying to learn it all the day or two before the test. You can find lots of info on the web about this such as https://learninglab.stanford.edu/lassi/lassi-worksheets/self-testing