What to do? Aerospace Engr.

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Hey guys and gals,</p>

<p>This is my first time posting in "Engineering Majors" so bear with me.</p>

<p>I am planning to go into aerospace engineering as a Freshman and my overall goal is to get a PhD from a top Aerospace E. school like Caltech or MIT and then settle down in some large aerospace firm like JPL or Lockheed etc.</p>

<p>I know that MIT seems like the clear choice, but my GPA is really low because of frequent moving in Sophomore year.</p>

<p>so my stats are</p>

<p>GPA - 3.55 UW (From a very competitive high school 7 - to Caltech last Year)
Rank NA (school doesn't rank)</p>

<p>SAT - 2290
M - 800
CR - 760
W - 730</p>

<p>I would say I am decent at Physics, math etc.</p>

<p>AP's
Physics C Mechanics - 5
Physics C Electricity and Magnetism - 5
Calc AB - 5</p>

<p>I am applying to 25 schools (Yes its alot) including UC's (I live in LA)</p>

<p>So far I have gotten into
Purdue
U. of Washington
Embry-Riddle Prescott</p>

<p>I am applying to practically all of the top 17 aerospace engr. programs and the UC's</p>

<p>Since I plan to get an Aerospace PhD from an elite grad school I was wondering whether a BS in Mechanical Engr. from UC Berkeley (assuming I get in) would look better than a BS in Aerospace from UCLA or UCSD.</p>

<p>I am also applying to Carnegie Mellon and was wondering if a Mech. BS from there would look good for aerospace grad schools. </p>

<p>Would grad schools understand if I go to a place like Texas A&M (12th in Aero 17th overall engineering) on a full scholarship. </p>

<p>I am very confused because I know that I do not want to work directly out of undergrad. I know that I want to pursue a PhD, but I am wondering how much an Aerospace BS from Purdue will set me apart from a Mech BS from Carnegie, Berkeley, UCSB etc. for Caltech aerospace grad etc.</p>

<p>Any suggestions (I have probably already applied there)?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>I go to the University of Washington.</p>

<p>You’d think being in the current epicenter of US commercial airline manufacturing would make our AeroE department something magical but to be honest it’s…not actually anything special. I mean, if you’re set on working for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, it’s probably your best bet since they probably prefer hiring local, but I really wouldn’t choose it with OOS-tuition over Berkeley or UCLA with in-state tuition.</p>

<p>Also, it’s mostly a commuter campus with an almost entirely in-state student body. And our sports teams suck most of the time.</p>

<p>as for your other questions lolidunno</p>

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<p>You will get into Cal & UCLA. If you go to those schools and get a 3.8+ your chance at being admitted to a top tier grad school is extremely high.</p>

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<p>For your undergrad, as long as you are going to a respected school then it doesn’t matter if it is ranked #1 or #10, they are still going to be great schools. You can go to grad school for Aero with a BS in Mechanical with no problem. I did it (BS Mechanical Engineering at UIUC, working on PhD Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M). Tons of other people do it every year. It is a very common thing to do. It really won’t matter which one you do that much because for all intents and purposes, Aerospace Engineering is just a specialized version of Mechanical Engineering version.</p>

<p>What would there be to “understand” about going to Texas A&M? It is still a great aerospace program. If you go anywhere in, say, the top 20 schools you are going to be very much in the running for grad school at places like MIT as long as your grades and scores and LoRs are strong. Don’t get so hung up on rankings. The rankings are very subjective and generally need to be taken with a grain of salt. If you were to get into every one of the top 20 schools, it isn’t going to matter TOO much which one you choose. You are better off deciding which one is the best fit for you personally so that you will be happy there and more motivated to succeed. In other words, once you get into a bunch of schools, go visit them and see where you feel like you belong.</p>

<p>The main thing you need to do to go to a top grad school aside from keeping your grades and stuff high, is get yourself involved in undergraduate research. That gives you research experience, close personal contact with professors and a better idea about what you might want to specialize in.</p>

<p>When it comes time for grad school, don’t get so hung up on rank. It is the tendency of all these high school kids to look at the USNWR rankings and think they are the final word on how good a school is. That simply isn’t true, especially in grad school. Far more important is who your advisor is. For grad schools, you need to look at specific departments and the faculty and research involved in your specific area of interest. For me, I ended up narrowing my graduate school search down to Georgia Tech and Texas A&M, and even though USNWR ranks GT at #2 and TAMU at #12, I chose TAMU since the facilities and faculty here involve in my area are second to none. I work on hypersonic transition and stability, and there is no university in the world that has a facility and faculty for that as comprehensive as the one here, despite the #12 ranking. The only place that can really beat it out is NASA Langley, but we work closely with them anyway, so it is a moot point.</p>

<p>Just to sum myself up, whether you get your BS in MechE or AeroE, it doesn’t really matter. If you are absolutely sure you want to do AeroE, then just go ahead and do that for your BS. Don’t be so fixated on rank. When you get into that upper echelon, you are going to get a great education either way. Instead decide which of the top schools is a better fit for you personally. Last, understand that rank for grad schools doesn’t matter as much as what advisor you work with.</p>

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<p>I would keep an open mind going in. A PhD program/career is a very unique situation, and unless you have first hand experience in what the research life is like, it is not a good idea to mentally commit yourself too early. Otherwise, you will pursue a PhD because it is your goal (or because you’re obsessed with the letters), and not because it is something you genuinely want to do.</p>

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<p>Thank you for all of your answers, they were very thorough. </p>

<p>A&M with full scholarship was my top choice, but because my counselor got his rec and transcript in late (I go to a huge school) it seems that I am off the runnings for scholarships (my counselor is trying to rectify this)</p>

<p>I see that it doesn’t really matter what I major in (Aero or Mech)</p>

<p>Would Berkeley (Mech), be better than UCLA (Aero) for grad schools and internships?</p>

<p>Thanks so much for the input</p>

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<p>I think you’re worrying way too much about the academic differences between the undergrad schools. When you’re applying for grad schools, it’s also very much about what you’ve done- it’s not just what school you’re coming from. As long as you go to a respected undergrad engineering school (the exact program rankings don’t matter quite as much), it’ll be more about your grades and research/work experience.</p>

<p>Also keep in mind that your ideas about your future may very well change over the next few years- while you may think you have seen a lot of physics and math in high school, it is usually nothing like a full 4 years of college.</p>

<p>Saying MIT is a “clear choice” is VASTLY oversimplifying things. I know at this point it seems like it’s all about rankings, but it’s really not. For an undergrad school, as long as they’re in the same general class, how well you like the school is just as, if not much more, important than the exact ranking. If you don’t like your school, you’re not going to do well, but if you like your school, that can help encourage you to do much better.</p>

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<p>thanks, so far im liking Purdue, but I think Ill go to UCLA if I get in because of the close distance, I am also considering USC because I am <$50k</p>

9

<p>So you WANT to be close to home? One of the great things about college is getting to go off on your own finally and learn how to be more independent. I would think long and hard before going to a school that you will end up commuting to.</p>

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<p>lol, I want to go far, but my parents want me close because I am an only child and we don’t have any relatives in the U.S.</p>

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<p>Do what you want to do. It is your future, not your parents. For all they know, after going off to school for a couple years, you will WANT to come back home. Just do what is best for you.</p>

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<p>thanks Ill keep that in mind</p>

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<p>“I am planning to go into aerospace engineering as a Freshman and my overall goal is to get a PhD from a top Aerospace E. school like Caltech or MIT and then settle down in some large aerospace firm like JPL or Lockheed etc.”</p>

<p>I currently work for an aerospace firm that isn’t JPL or Lockheed (though I did work at JPL for some time in college) that is considered one of the top gigs in the industry though is by no means “large”. As such, I’ll provide you with my scoop on the way to produce the world’s best aerospace engineer and be positioned for professional success:</p>

<p>Focus on general engineering in undergrad… Pick a subject that is as broad and incorporates the most physics and chemistry as possible. Learn the fundamentals of the physical sciences and don’t try to specialize too quickly into “how to design a rocket engine” or “how to design a turbopump”. These first four years are crucial to developing a superb technical basis for your later specialization. Note, however, that the best undergraduate engineering institutions are not necessarily the ones you always hear about… the focus should be on undergrad teaching and not graduate research. There is a clear difference here and thus you may want to reconsider your position on what you think are the “best” institutions for an undergrad.</p>

<p>After your undergrad, depending on your technical competency and/or lab experience, you can apply to “dream companies” and see if any of them bite. If they do, take the offer. If they don’t, process your grad applications. I’ll tell you straight up that in my dream company (that I currently work at) the largest fraction of engineers came from Purdue, CU Boulder, GTech, Stanford, U Mich, MIT, Caltech. Purdue actually wins by a large margin and if you have ever searched papers on AIAA you’d know that Purdue dominates aerospace graduate research. CU Boulder is right up there but has more focus on space sciences.</p>

<p>What is universal at my company is that all engineers have a strong footing in a general engineering. Any specialization that they have (except very specialized positions) is icing on the cake. I am one of few that was hired straight out of undergrad for a full-power aerospace engineering position… and for awhile I was uncertain whether I was qualified for the job. My boss (and one of the leads at the company) recently told me that after the 6 hour interview, they believed that I had what it takes to succeed and I should have more faith in my technical abilities. I am just starting to realize how well prepared I am (even in comparison to masters and aged PhD’s)… so it has become apparent to me that one with extreme passion can get a damn good technical education at a generalized technical institution.</p>

<p>So don’t worry about being “aerospace” yet. I do believe that these last few paragraphs are perhaps the most realistic way of getting into this fine circle. And a fine circle it is!**</p>

<p>** The people that I am exposed to are legends in the field. It’d be unwise of me to give names or details but they are remarkable giants and remarkable people that drive home the feeling of “omg, I can’t believe I made it here!”</p>

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<p>^I’d take rocketDA’s advice. I have a big hunch as to where he works. It’s the kind of place you take one look at and decide you’d never, ever be cut out for it. It’s like the Google of aerospace except I imagine the hiring standards/talents are even more amazing.</p>

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<p>“I’d take rocketDA’s advice. I have a big hunch as to where he works.”</p>

<p>LOL. So what gave it away? I should probably make it a little less obvious…
(please don’t mention the company name here)</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice, Im starting to focus more on mech. engr. schools then,</p>

<p>Purdue has always been a top consideration for me, because it has good aerospace. </p>

<p>thanks for the AIAA info.</p>

<p>Does your company have something to do with you location, because if it does then that gives it away. =)</p>

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<p>^It’s not Boeing, if that’s what you’re thinking.</p>

<p>

There aren’t many companies that fit that description around here, or anywhere for that matter, lol.</p>

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<p>kk I was thinking Boeing</p>

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<p>I guess he didn’t catch the part where you said it was a small company</p>

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<p>I did, but thats what confused me, I thought : are there any other Aero companies in Seattle besides Boeing.</p>

<p>I though Boeing moved or something</p>