<p>"‘Engineering’ is a broad category. You need to pay attention to exactly what type of engineering she’s interested in" - Yes and No. Let’s face it. Many students that express interest in Engineering are not really even sure if they are 100% interested (especially if they only have not taken advanced math/science courses yet). It’s a stretch to think they’ll know which type they want. Better to strive for a school with variety of engineering/STEM options, ideally with shared core Freshman classes. </p>
<p>OP - Yes, Olin (and Mudd and MIT) are tough admits! DS is a freshman at Olin, and it is grueling workload too. But it’s an exciting place - if your D likes the Olin visit, discuss with her what factors were most interesting. That can help you refine “the list”. (Note - Your D will need to be organized in order to survive the rigors of any engineering program. It’s good that she has time to work on that.)</p>