Will My High School Major/Program Area Help Me?

<p>I'm currently a junior at a Magnet School (Career and Technical Academy) in Nevada. My school has 11 program areas of study like culinary, web design, nursing and interior design. I was in Web Design freshman year but then i switched to Hospitality, Travel and Tourism sophomore year and onward. But all along, I've been dead set on Civil Engineering. Will my unrelated program area now help me for college admission? If it doesn't, will it hurt my chances in anyway? Should I even put my Hospitality classes on my applications? Thanks for any feedback!</p>

<p>Bump!!!</p>

<p>It’s your academic classes that are important. Wouldn’t the coursework for Web Design have been more in line with engineering (ie. math, science, computer classes) than HTT if you’ve been ‘dead set’ on engineering all along?</p>

<p>You will be required to put all classes on your application as they will also be recorded on your HS transcript.</p>

<p>I know an engineer who used to be on the faculty at the Hotel School at Cornell. He taught all of the courses about HVAC systems and building construction. These fields are less distant than they might appear to be.</p>

<p>Entonom, this CTA I am in was my backup choice as I was applying to other high schools. My first choice at another CTA in Civil Engineering didn’t make it through since I wasn’t chosen in the lottery. This CTA I am in currently is the only option I had and Web Design was boring me to tears. Hospitality, Travel and Tourism is only to feed my hobby of the airline industry, nothing more. I want to build skyscrapers, airports and such so Civil Engineering is the way to go.</p>

<p>Happymomof1, so I shouldn’t be too worried about it then?</p>

<p>^Again, it’s the coursework that colleges will be looking at, not your HS program.</p>

<p>And since you haven’t elaborated on your classes, no one can tell you if you’re OK. Go to the websites of the colleges you’re interested in and see what their requirements are for engineering, there may be testing requirements as well depending on the school.</p>

<p>Here is my Chance entry that explains my rigor and coursework
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1445953-chance-me-new-here-junior-high-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1445953-chance-me-new-here-junior-high-school.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>For engineering, you need a strong science and math background. Have you been getting those along with the hospitality courses? If not, you may need a year at community college to catch up before you go to a four year institution for the engineering major.</p>

<p>To get an idea of the requirements for engineering, take a look at what UNLV offers. With your hospitality background, you might want to think about [Entertainment</a> Engineering and Design | Home](<a href=“http://www.eed.egr.unlv.edu/]Entertainment”>http://www.eed.egr.unlv.edu/)</p>

<p>I’ve already looked into UNLV’s offerings but I have a desire to go out of state (I’m guaranteed admission there already). I’m more worried about how UC’s will interpret my Hospitality classes when it comes into the engineering college or school. My CTA has Enterntainment Engineering as a program area too but its almost strictly mechanical engineering which I have no interest in. I am focused on Civil Engineering, Structural to be more specific. I want to build skyscrapers and airports and maybe even go into transportation engineering. Most schools want 2 years of Science: I have Biology, Chemistry and Physics (all honors) while I will absolutely take AP Physics C next year, making it 4. Most Schools want 3 years of Math and after AP Calculus AB next year, I’ll have 5 years under my belt (I took Algebra 1 in middle school). I even went over the top on Language, taking three years of Spanish. Is that better clarification?</p>

<p>Provided that you have the math & science that they require, the engineering schools won’t care which subjects your other classes are in. Keep up your GPA and you should be fine.</p>

<p>

Have you had a talk with your parents about finances yet? The UCs for OOS students are something like 50K/year and they don’t give financial aid to meet the OOS surcharge. IMHO you can get the same oversize classes and lack of attention at an in-state public for a lot less money. Since you want to go into civil engineering, this is a field that is standardized by ABET so you’ll take pretty much the same classes no matter where you go, although they will be somewhat more rigorous at a higher ranked school.</p>

<p>edit: there is something called the Western Undergraduate Exchange that allows reduced tuition to a set of colleges in the West (although I don’t think any UC schools are part of that).</p>

<p>Thanks and Will Do! I feel very safe in terms of my core classes, all honors, 3 APs total, academic electives like graphic design and psychology, no BS classes, not going to catch any Senioritis for sure. I just don’t want something from my past like hospitality to damage my chances for my futures in engineering haha x) If UC looks at my low UC GPA of about 3.45, fine. I just hope they look at my rigor and maybe take a look at my REAL weighted GPA, 4.2 =) Just need to keep working, apply to my schools, get through high school and take it from there…</p>

<p>Sorry Mikemac! I missed your post… I am extremely worried about the finances that come with college and UC Irvine isn’t necessarily the best option when it comes to that. It seems to be my dream school, dream campus and dream location to be honest. UC Irvine will push $40000 a year since I will house there and even cal states will push $30000. I’m just realizing UNLV will cost me roughly $3500 A YEAR with the millennium scholarship. What a big difference. My parents have not worried about finances as of yet but the conversation will come anytime soon… I HAVE heard about WUE, I’m almost viewing it as my golden ticket to out of state. The ONLY Cali school that fits my preferences and has Civil Engineering is Sacramento State (still $20000) with housing. That’s why I’m going to take a break from the college search and begin hunting for scholarships. If you would like to look at my whole case and stats, here’s my chance entry </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1445953-chance-me-new-here-junior-high-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1445953-chance-me-new-here-junior-high-school.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Thanks!</p>