For colleges that have a degree in engineering specifically, what colleges did you cross off your list after visiting and what colleges moved up after visiting and why. Thank you!
We crossed off RPI for safety, but Lafayette (great all around), Villanova (beautiful campus, friendly professors, train to Philly on campus) and Boston University (loved the city campus feel, walkable opportunities and the rocketry club) all went higher on the list.
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Interesting question - but of course, everyone’s answer is for them and doesn’t mean you should follow.
Moved Down
School’s my son eliminated and why:
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FSU - engineering is a few miles off campus, requiring a bus
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NC State - different campus, also a bus although you can walk
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ERAU Daytona - not very nice and when asked where we should eat, the person at the info desk asked, do you have a car - i.e. the food stinks.
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Florida Tech - was liked til we discovered they have a smoking area and it was a huge turn off
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UTK - simply didn’t like the campus
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U Illinois - son despised the campus aesthetic, more than any other. Couldn’t wait to leave
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UAH - just not enough happening
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Rose Hulman - really, really small and nothing around
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U Washington - red squre turned him off
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Ohio State - way too big for him
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Case Western - I think it was in part because it was a 2nd visit in the day (tired) but he did not like the campus or sculptures throughout. I think 2nd visits are tough.
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Lehigh - what’s not to love. Hills I guess and a bit eery like they could film a horror movie there - I loved it.
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Syracuse - too cold - honestly, he went simply for me - it’s gorgeous but for him would be too cold.
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Penn State - another gorgeous campus and has the Accuweather near by (another passion of his). I guess, for him it didn’t click. It was really nice I thought.
Moved Up
My son’s favorites that he visited were
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Alabama - I was not there. He went on visit a college or job shadow day. He went with three friends. Came home, applied, didn’t tell us - and it was game over. You get your own dorm room in Honors with shared bath with one other and the engineering campus is as modern and nice as anywhere. The campus is stunning. He was headed to Purdue - Boiler Up. He had zero intent to ever look at Bama and went for a fun day with friends - and then it was game over.
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Purdue - this is where he was headed. He loved everything about the campus - from the density to the food. What he didn’t like was the dorms. It was 2019 so it’s likely changed but he’d have been tripled up or housed miles off campus in an apartment.
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Arizona - who doesn’t love a desert? He loves nature and it’s in spades.
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Wash U - was his favorite til we visited Purdue and it fell back a notch but he still loved it. He loves that it was contained and compact.
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School of Mines - cool town, great campus, close to skiing..
My son was considering engineering and business majors so he applied to schools that had both. He was admitted to Illinois, Rutgers, George Washington, Boston University and Northeastern. He chose Northeastern, which has the Explore Program for undecided students and ended up doing a double major in economics and business.
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RPI moved way up after a visit, great clubs and feel… UVM moved down the list.
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It’s been a while but…
Down
Notre Dame - d was very underwhelmed with their facilities and wasn’t a fan of the theology and philosophy requirements. Felt too theoretical and not hands on enough. Hated the food.
Northwestern - hated the quarter system and thought it gave country club vibes
Cornell and CMU - too intense. Tied for the most unhappy students.
OHU - too big, not academic enough
CWR- too urban (same for Pitt)
Up:
Purdue - top choice from the moment she walked on campus(anyone is welcome to message me for details)
Michigan close second to Purdue but D didn’t live the split campus and they weren’t as generous with AP credits and didn’t have as well supported of a co op program
UMD liked the living learning communities and campus set up and program structure
RPI would have been her second choice if she hadn’t been accepted to Purdue Felt like a smaller version of Purdue and had the right career readiness hands on vibe that d wanted
Lehigh gorgeous campus and d liked the entrepreneurial spirit
JHU the one reach school that stayed on the list D lives the facilities and felt the engineers were very collaborative when she sat in on classes
Clarkson very impressive outcomes and her solid safety that she would have been happy to attend
Same: Akron strong safety for her intended major
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Kid shifted interests in the middle of search so it wasn’t all about the engineering programs, but…
Northeastern- didn’t connect with it and just didn’t see himself there ( off the list)
Michigan Tech - loved everything about it on paper. Thought it was #1 or 2 choice until we tried to visit for a scholarship interview. It would be a two day ordeal every time we wanted to get there or back Due to flight schedules. ( reluctantly off list)
DS23 didn’t want to visit due to it being 20 minutes from home, but I forced it just to give him ideas for making a list of things he did and didn’t like . He loved everything about it but the location. Especially the project based model and how student centered they were It was also one of the only schools where he felt he could play both of his sports and they encouraged him to do so rather than coaches getting into a pissing match. We visited just as he was deciding engineering wasn’t what he wanted to do, but I think WPI could have been on the list if his plans hadn’t changed
Two reasonable people could like very different schools. Perhaps it would help if you provided some basic academic stats as well as some preferences (ex. size, preferred type of campus, preferred location, financial constraints, etc.).