<p>I'm just going to lay out my options right now, being a high school senior destined to make a deposit by May 1st. </p>
<p>I have been admitted to:
Carroll School of Management at BC (finance likely) ~54k/year
University of Richmond (would likely go Robins after freshman year) ~54k/year
Northeastern University-Undeclared Engineering- 14k merit scholarship/year
Syracuse- Engineering- 13k merit scholarship/year
UNH Honors Engineering- 10k merit scholarship (making it like 28k/year for me total)
UVM Honors Engineering- 8k Merit Scholarship (also like ~30k/year total)</p>
<p>Waitlisted: Bowdoin College and Bucknell</p>
<p>My fundamental question here is about my optimum undergraduate degree for a successful career. Either way, I see myself having a career in business. I do have an aptitude for mathematics and the sciences and am confident I could do well in an engineering undergrad (and hopefully very well in a business undergrad). I don't know if it puts me in a better place to have an engineering background from say UNH or Northeastern (which would cost a great deal less, leaving me money to pay for graduate school- MBA or JD if for some reason I got into law, possible intellectual property). I really do like Boston College and Richmond, but seem to feel less confident with a business undergrad given all this hype I hear about not having a "specialized skill" in my background. Basically, I want to know if I'll be in a good position with a undergrad degree from Carroll or Robins. </p>
<p>I will not receive financial aid, and am fortunate enough to have parents that can pay for my education, up to four years of either BC or Richmond. I am actually quite humble about this opportunity. A less expensive school would give me money to go to graduate school. I'd obviously like to avoid extending my schooling (aside from possibly an employer-funded part time MBA). </p>
<p>What are some opinions on these choices? Biggest choice I've ever had to make.</p>
<p>Well, do you want to be an engineer, or be a businessperson dealing with engineers? You also have yourself laid out for other options, like law, so I’m guessing that you don’t know what you want yet. Honestly, I push people toward the sciences because there are more people out there that would either prefer not to take it on, or just aren’t “mathematically gifted,” so to speak. If you can do engineering, go for it, and then get a MBA. Maybe that’ll lead you somewhere if you wanted to do business while still pursuing a science degree.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat. I am pulling my hair out (figuratively) trying to decide between finance/econ or engineering. I am good at math, so I feel I can do either. Ultimately, I feel the job position I want in the long run will be business related, because engineer incomes don’t seem to go that high as you become a veteran in the field. But engineering majors bode well for doing business careers in the future. At the same time, I hear how engineering is so stressful and difficult, I’m a bit worried.</p>
<p>It’s not only math that makes engineering difficult. In fact, most engineers (I believe) don’t use much math beyond calculus. Calculus isn’t considered difficult math.</p>
<p>You’re right about one thing for sure- I don’t know what I want to do. I haven’t shadowed an engineer and can’t really say I know where I’d end up with an engineering degree. I am interested in law as well. I hope a year or two of undergraduate school, in whatever focus I decide, will give me the exposure to finally figure this out.
I planned on studying engineering (undecided going in) when I applied to my schools. I didn’t really expect to get into Richmond or BC, and I didn’t get into my competitive engineering schools (Bucknell-Waitlist, and USC-rejected). Boston was actually my ideal college location, and Boston College is my favorite campus of all. Basically, I’m trying to validate that going to Carroll at BC or the University of Richmond will put me in a good position- and it’s worth the money. By a good position, I mean one with options (in terms of graduate school) and opportunity for a successful career.
Ultimately, I am going to make my own decision. Still, I want to keep my mind open to my cheaper (and maybe less-regarded) schools like northeastern and UNH. </p>
<p>As for intellectual ability, I’m confident I could carry a good GPA through an engineering undergrad program. Had a good time all through high school and still managed to maintain all A’s in the most advanced math/ science curriculum offered. That said, I still want to be able to have a GOOD TIME in college!</p>
<p>Well, like I said, I try to push people toward engineering, though I shouldn’t really be pushing anyone into something that they might not personally want to do (only the fact that someone else said to do it is haunting their mind). However, if you do wish to pursue something in law instead of going into the sciences, then I believe that doing a business undergrad is quite fine. Going into the sciences and then law would be somewhat, but not really, absurd because of the difficult and time-consuming science courses that you would be taking. Since you said you weren’t admitted to your target engineering schools, perhaps try out your business (and possibly law) degree options, and if you don’t enjoy it as much as you thought, then hopefully you will have a strong GPA. With that said, you shouldn’t have much difficulty transferring to an engineering school.</p>