Air Force ROTC is a viable path, also separate from simply pinpointing a potential major. I know a young person who did it this way both as a shortcut to the required flight hours, but also to fund college.
I went into engineering because I liked math and science…i never liked taking things apart…I also soon realized I didn’t like the hands on labs but preferred the more theoretical…I work as an Engineer doing the more theoretical.
I like the popular Frosh Eng’g Programs that many undergrads now have. Each frosh eng’g student takes a class that exposes them (hands-on) to all the E disciplines offered by the school. Many kids change their disciplines after this class.
Requirements: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_Astronaut_Requirements.html
Wanting to be an astronaut isn’t enough criteria to choose a major. Is she the sort of space junkie who follows everything NASA, ESA, SpaceX, etc do and would love to work there? If so, aeronautical or mechanical engineering are good choices. However, it’s very difficult to get into one of these places as an engineer-- even harder to be selected as an astronaut. I agree with the Air Force ROTC suggestion to get pilot hours and cheaper tuition. She should also consider if she would be okay with working in regular aeronautics if she can’t find a job in the space industry.
My daughter just finished the intro to eng’g course. Now she’s more confused than ever because she likes them all! Originally, she wanted chemical, but decided to take the intro course just to learn more about all engineering. Then she thought she wanted Ocean, but switched to Civil. Now she wants Chemical again. She likes chemistry. She really liked the building in civil and likes the machine shop. She wants to build the concrete canoe. She’s like to do aeronautical but the cost for flight is a lot (I’m not sure you have to do flight, but most of them do).
I’d like to be an astronaut too and I’m going into AeroE. I am very interested in aerospace and love learning about it - I’ve done rocketry and I love reading books about astronauts and spaceflight. Of course I know that being an astronaut is a lofty (and largely unlikely) goal, but I want to work in the aerospace (emphasis on the SPACE) industry in some capacity, so I figure I’ll major in AeroE and specialize in spaceflight-related courses as much as possible.
I’m not naturally a tinkerer either, but I doubt every engineer builds their own cars and things like that.
Also, aerospace engineering is a part of mechanical, just a more specific part. That’s what I’ve heard anyway.
The thought of a college bound person taking a test to tell them what they “like” or what engineering they should do leaves me cold.
One of the crew on Space Shuttle mission DTS-122 Feb 2008 was Harvey Mudd alumni Stan Love majored Physics.
"She loves math and science (and is good at it), but she has never been the type to take things apart or build them. "
- She reminds me a lot about myself. Math and sciences were very easy for me, glided thru. Engineerig was not my choice, but my father’s, he was an engineer. Fine, no prblem academically at college, still gliding thru. But working in engineering field was a huge problem, I hated it with all my heart, felt like fish out of water. I never liked technology, still do not. I cannot remember which button to push for what, it is pointless, I do not like to be connected 100% of the time by carrying cell with me.
Anyway, after about 11 years working, I said enough is enough, I have only one life and I better enjoy it. Went back to school and got into CS, whoch was MY first choice way back in HS, should have not listened to my father. Loved it right away, got the job after CC and never looked back. Various employers paid for the rest of my education. And here I am a Computer Programmer (positions have different names) with over 30 years in IT and job still feels very rewarding.
I am just saying that engineering is NOT just love of math and science, it is incredible obsession with technology (that my H. engineer has), that I simply did not have it and still do not.
It is great that your D. wants to try. But if it is possible, she should intern at engineering firm and see how she feels there. She may still love it, or, unfortunately hate it like me. She should stay flexible and be open to other careers.Do not wait for almost 2 decades like me.