My stats are 1510 SAT, 3.5 W(upward trend this year), average ECs(Sports, Volunteer Club), also not a URM. What are some Engineering(not sure Mechanical, Electrical, or CS) schools I should be looking for? Since I heard that ranking doesn’t matter in this field, I want to find a school based on job placement and price.
Price is hard to pin point. But I would say look at some in state schools! In-state tuition is such a nice catch. I would recommend University of Washington- Seattle. I applied there and am currently waiting for my results which are coming in March. University of Washington has an excellent engineering program. The Seattle area is also home to Microsoft and Boeing head quarters. Lots of engineers from any Washington schools in general tend to flow into those two big engineering companies. But there is also room from non-Washington residents too of coarse! Check out the University of Washington! Their ranking and location is very good.
Here’s where I’d start:
- Have you discussed college finances with your parents? That will tell you what “affordable” means to you.
- Talk with your counselor at your high school.
- Explore your local community colleges and in-state public universities. They typically offer great value, especially in foundational engineering tracks like you mention.
Good luck!
Yea, I think in states schools are pretty neat, but would it be competitive for job placement in such big schools?
Sure, job placement will be competitive in any size school.
At this point in your career, I’d recommend focusing on studying what interests you and don’t worry so much about job placement. Plenty of time for that in your Junior and Senior of college, once you know more about what your passions turn out to be.
Penn State has a good engineering program. Throw a rock and you’re guaranteed to hit an engineering student.
Okay, jokes aside. The program is good and there are a lot of students majoring in that at PSU. Of course it’s a state school, so it’s going to be expensive. But the definition of affordable is different for everyone, and different people have different options available to them. Either way, you should look into the school and see if it’s something you’d be interested in.
Unless your wealthy enough that cost is no factor, in state at a good public university is the way to go for engineering.
Price limit and state of residency?
Clarkson has very good placement and is highly regarded. It’s a small school and not super selective. High paid grads.
https://www.clarkson.edu/about/accolades
This is very often true, but need-based aid at a private school might make the cost comparable to in-state public, as might merit-based aid at an OOS public. Just make sure the GPA requirement to keep merit is realistic.
A strong co-op program can allow a student to earn enough to pay a substantial amount towards educational expenses, as well as giving a leg up for job placement. In my state (Ohio), the U. of Cincinnati is well-known for its co-op program.
You have to determine what experience your student wants to have. Weather? SIze? Class Size? Professor taught? Big time athletics? Location? Etc. THEN and only then, you can narrow based on admission likelihood and budget.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a solid engineering/STEM school with a really unique co-op program and education structure (a huge emphasis on hands-on learning) with great job placement. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is another college that emphasizes co-ops & has solid engineering programs, and great job placement as well (though i haven’t checked the stats). While WPI & RIT are both pricey private schools, they should give you decent merit aid based on your stats.
What state do you live in? How far are you willing to travel. If you want the northeast and you like the country take “taverngirls” advice and look at Clarkson. There are many good state options. What state do you live in?