Help completing a list of Engineering Schools. - Page 2

barrons · 06-20-2012, 01:11 PM

Wisconsin has a top rated BS program in nuclear eng that has very good placement and an overall undergrad experience second to none.

http://www.engr.wisc.edu/ep/ep-resea...gineering.html

https://ecs.engr.wisc.edu/public/inc...ual_Report.pdf

dadinator · 06-20-2012, 01:21 PM

Yes, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Rochester, RPI, Cornell - also, consider Worcester Polytechnic Institute, outside of Boston

OsakaDad · 06-20-2012, 01:24 PM

I am gratified that you have Cal Poly SLO on your list. This school is excellent and offers outstanding mechanical engineering classes. I completely agree with whydoicare regarding an undergrad degree in nuclear engineering. Go mechanical like my kid (which he says is really a "gerneral engineering" major). I know that Cal Poly SLO students have done internships at the nearby by nuclear power plant, so that is an option. Most importantly, Cal Poly SLO is one school that I think you can afford. My son is 100% satisfied with the school and your son seems like he would be a fit and it is relatively close to home. By the way, our family like yours is Asian mixed. Not sure if it made any difference but our kid got in!

Other schools that I think you should consider for mechanical are Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Arizona, both of which offer courses (or a masters) in Nuclear engineering. These are good schools and safeties for you as well. I noticed that you did not have a lot of "safe" schools on your list. Additionally, since you are applying to some UC's, I'd just add a few more as it is all the same application. We applied to 5 UC's and even though my kid turned them all down, it was nice to have 5 offers from the UC's. Schools that I would add are UCI, UCSD and UCSB that would round it out well.

santookie · 06-20-2012, 02:33 PM

My son really liked what the people at Northeastern and Drexel had to say. No idea how they are on aid.

I've thought about adding WPI, RPI, and Case Western. I just know zero people that go there. Beyond the information I got from CC not very familiar. In addition these colleges never offer any recruiter visits in CA to explain things.

I thought Wisconsin would be a fantastic school. But its like going to Berkeley out of state really expensive and very little aid.

University of Arizona, never really thought of them. I'll do some research. They did mail us a lot of stuff.

I was also thinking about places like Stonybrook. Hmm no idea. My wife has never heard of tons of places. But took her to Olin thing and they sold her on the alternative teaching style. She being a teacher agrees with alot of their practices. Plus didn't hurt that all their alums there were extremely successful.

barrons · 06-20-2012, 03:01 PM

If he gets into UCB fine but that is not a lock. UW would be a good backup and there is some money in eng for scholarships. Worth a shot.

PackMom · 06-20-2012, 03:33 PM

My DH has a Mechanical Engineering degree from NC State University. He has worked at a nuclear power plant (31 years) ever since he graduated from NCSU.

OsakaDad · 06-20-2012, 03:40 PM

Good luck santookie! The UofA is a safety for your son and a really good school to boot. I went there and can attest that it has really moved my career forward and I was able to get into a top MBA program for grad school. I've also worked for some of the most competitive firms in America and overseas with an undergrad degree from them. It is a major center of learning and they sent me overseas for a year (which I extended to 3 years!) during undergrad.

Arizona is a beautiful state and if your kid likes the outdoors the desert is magical once you get to know it. The state has interesting people and embarrassingly ridiculous politics -- it is certainly a unique environment that I miss very much.

Anyway, keep Cal Poly SLO high up on your list. One thing that we love about the school is that it is 3 1/2 hours away. Far enough away for the kid to feel that he is on his own, but close enough to home that in an emergency we can be there or he can be here in less than half a day. We in fact, had an unexpected medical emergency this year that required us to be together as a family on very short notice. It is completely resolved now. However, I was grateful that he was close enough for us to come together as a family the same day and not have to get on plane. Never thought that we would be in this situation, but it happened to us. Something to think about. Nuff said.....

rjkofnovi · 06-20-2012, 03:52 PM

Just so you know, when it comes to the top nuclear engineering programs, Michigan is #1.

Best Nuclear Engineering Programs | Top Engineering Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools

Yes I know this is for graduate school, but there is no undegrad rating for nuclear engineering at USNWR.

Sam Lee · 06-20-2012, 04:04 PM

Texas A&M is a solid school for engineering and I believe it's relatively cheap even for OOS.

ucbalumnus · 06-20-2012, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santookie

I'm afraid of not having enough matches or safeties.

Looks like you have likely safeties:

Alabama with automatic Presidential + engineering scholarships
CSUs like SJSU, CPP, etc.
community college, then transfer to UC or CSU
New Mexico with Regents' scholarship (has nuclear engineering if he wants to major in it, or take a few courses in it while majoring in something else)

Does your son like any or all of the above?

Regarding matches, Cal Poly SLO looks like a pretty likely admit (low match), and its list price falls within your recently stated price limit. Berkeley is probably a match if its net price is affordable to you.

Some of the out-of-state publics mentioned previously are low match or safety for admissions, but are likely high match or reach for getting the merit scholarships that you need for affordability.

MD Mom · 06-20-2012, 04:22 PM

Iowa State will probably give him some money and to me, it is one of the prettiest campuses I have ever seen. I know that is important to young men.

I think we have talked about Pitt before, but depending on those SAT scores, he might get either full tuition or the $10k scholarship. Pitt offers additional engineering scholarships as well. One young electrical engineering major at Pitt is interning at CMU this summer. Being from California will be an advantage for your son at both schools. Have him do the application early and he will hear starting in October. Good luck with the application season.

I had a friend tell me that our family should eat noodles if my daughter got into a certain school. I thought at the time that the idea was over-rated, and DD took the scholarship.

santookie · 06-20-2012, 04:32 PM

I did think about Michigan, but out of state is so expensive. It's like going to Berkeley but paying out of state.

Iowa State has always been on my list, but wife cringes. Aah son would be willing to go. We've been reading college essay writing books and he's been self teaching himself calculus at this summer program. Now they're doing 3D animation with this program MIT created called Alice. He has a storyboard and everything. Last part of this summer thing is engineering. So lucky he got into something for free. But its a 1.5-2 hour bus ride each way =(

I've thought about Texas A&M just no idea if the merit/financial aid was there.

Never considered New Mexico, thats really off the radar. Will look into it.

Cal Poly Pomona was sort of a safety. I've even tried to figure out if he could get reagents at Davis. But those things are so competitive since the state has so little money. SJSU is definitely a safety.

I thumbed through Iowa States scholarships he's definitely a URM there, but I doubt we fit the financial need component there. Is there merit only awards at Iowa State?

I doubt UW could be considered a backup, tons of people apply its really competitive in my mind. Berkeley, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas A&M, Texas Austin are all up there. Seemed like reaches to me. Plus I go by the theory will he be in that high percentage that they offer money too. Which is likely no.

Pitt is sort of a dream school to him. He likes the location and the buildings. They invited him to a sleepover and tour. But wife was against me sending him alone.

MD Mom · 06-20-2012, 04:39 PM

Tell your wife he can stay with my daughter at Pitt. Hahahaha. He should go do the sleepover (kidding about with my daughter). It is an easy city to get around and is quite safe. I am sure they would take good care of him.

My daughter got a little merit money at Iowa State and a little more because I am a grad. It seems like it was about $7500. total. I do not remember what the split was.

barrons · 06-20-2012, 04:41 PM

Might be an URM for Wisconsin too. They have many URM only eng scholarships.

UW-Madison College of Engineering, Diversity Affairs: Leaders in Engineering Excellence and Diversity (LEED), UW-Madison College of Engineering, Diversity Affairs Office

Scholarships

ucbalumnus · 06-20-2012, 04:51 PM

Re: #29

That link to the LEED scholarships says "The LEED Scholars Program is a competitive scholarship program, designed to attract academically talented women and students from groups historically underrepresented in the field of engineering: African Americans, Latino/a, Southeast Asian Americans (Hmong/ Cambodian/ Laotian/ Vietnamese), Native Americans, and Alaska Natives."

The second Wisconsin scholarship link says that "In most cases, students must have been enrolled at UW-Madison, College of Engineering for at least 2 semesters (excluding summer session) to be eligible."