Yes, I do think business could be a good fit for him, also. He applied to a business camp this summer, so hopefully he will have a chance to evaluate different business majors.
2 Likes
And in the end, many engineers don’t work in engineering, but in business. I had a VP of sales who was an aero engineer…I’m in the car business with zero to do with sales. We had a senior vp, just retired, in a business role - was an engineer - and I know two of my counterparts are engineers by education - I’m a history/journalism dual.
When I got my MBA, the engineer undergrads were the most sought after. Different world perhaps (nearly 30 years ago).
So what one studies won’t preclude them from a business role - whereas a person like me would be precluded from one day being an engineer or working in that type of role.
1 Like
Yes! I think ds would likely end up in engineering sales or management, which is where my husband has landed. He also has an MBA.
Your son should absolutely not give up activities he enjoys in HS. The skills being developed – public speaking, concern for others, and being part of a team are all positives – not just for ECs in an application, but for life.
IMO the most important thing is to raise a happy, healthy, well-adjusted person. Everything else will sort itself out. I imagine plenty of schools will be eager for your S to join their class.
7 Likes
Several of my relatives who earned electrical engineering degrees at Georgia Tech have earned an MBA degree after working as engineers for several years. The pay increase was/is substantial as engineers tend to peak in compensation fairly early in their careers.
1 Like
In a by-now well-known post a MIT adcom wrote Applying Sideways | MIT Admissions which I’ll quote from
- Pursue your passion. Find what you love, and do it. Maybe it’s a sport. Maybe it’s an instrument. Maybe it’s research. Maybe it’s being a leader in your community. Math. Baking. Napping. Hopscotch. Whatever it is, spend time on it. Immerse yourself in it. Enjoy it.
I can’t promise that every college sees it the same way but I think it is the norm. Colleges, especially selective ones, want to build classes of interesting kids with a variety of interests. If your son takes the core math and science classes in HS and does well in them he’ll be a competitive applicant without diluting his ECs to put in things engineering specific.
2 Likes
If he would enjoy a business-adjacent engineering program, have him look into Industrial/Systems Engineering which has business elements built in.
Since he’s interested in community service/involvement, he might want to highlight schools that offer specific programs in that direction. Formal programs in Humanitarian Engineering are becoming more common - here’s Ohio State’s page as one example: Humanitarian Engineering Overview | Global Engineering and Knowlton. Many schools have Engineers Without Borders chapters too. He could demonstrate interest in programs like this, without taking on a whole new EC, by doing something like giving a brief presentation about them to his NSBE chapter. If he’s already researching this subject for himself, simply passing on what he learns wouldn’t take a lot more time, but could become a meaningful line-item on his applications. But otherwise, it sounds to me like he’s already doing fine!
2 Likes
Good idea!
If he is interested in both business & engineering, then consider Lehigh University’s IBE Honors Program (Integrated Business & Engineering).
1 Like
I worked in high tech for nearly all of my career, after first spending a couple of years at a physics research facility. I also attended a couple of universities that are well known for engineering. As such I have known a lot of electrical engineers and software engineers, and a few mechanical engineers. I also have a relative who worked in structural engineering.
In my experience engineers have a huge range of interests, and when young did a huge range of ECs. Some did build something that resembled an engineering related activity. A surprisingly large number had something to do with music. A few played football. A few raced sailboats. Some hiked or bicycled and generally liked outdoor activities. Given that I was originally from Canada a lot of them skied, and a small number ski raced. The ECs that they were reporting on university applications (or would have reported if the university asked) were all over the place.
The only thing that comes to mind as common across all of them was that they are good at mathematics.
I do not think that I see any problem here.
2 Likes
Lehigh meets need and OP is looking for significant aid I believe, so they should run the NPC.
We don’t qualify for any need based aid, so we aim for merit scholarships.
I will take a look at the program at Lehigh and also do a search for similar programs. UT Austin used to have a business technology degree, but it doesn’t look like they offer it any longer.
Purdue has one too.
In the end, what’s the budget. It’s impressive your kids got full tuition or full ride, but what’s the budget and stats..
Then you find schools to hit the budget and take your shot at the full rides - but having done this a few times, you already know this!!!
1 Like
@HPuck35 has in the past cautioned against engineering majors taking a second major in business, since that can be a negative signal to some employers hiring entry-level engineers.
Industrial engineering, which is about designing and optimizing processes, is more business-adjacent than other kinds of engineering, so that may be more of interest to students who want more of a business flavor. Non-engineering operations research majors or operations research options within other majors (e.g. applied math, statistics, or data science) can also be of interest.
1 Like
Lehigh’s program is one major, not a second major. It is an integrated major.
1 Like
Seems like combo majors and double majors are on the rise. I want to believe that is not the case that it is a negative to employers. M&T at Penn was ahead of its time and now everyone seems to be following suit.
Why ?
because it is on-trend
Many engineering types also go into Supply Chain and Logistics - I suppose more on the business side of IE.
1 Like
I am definitely against second MAJORS in business for most engineers. I am not against taking a business CLASS if you think it applies to what you want to do as your career. But to get the second degree you must typically take quite a few business classes that only dilute the time you have to gain more engineering knowledge. And where is your career focus? Business or engineering?
Do you want to design and analyze a product, or do you want to market it, or do you want to do the financial accounting for it? Medium to larger companies will have separate groups to do these functions.
I was a manager for a larger company that produced highly engineered products. The engineering groups had absolutely no business responsibilities. I wanted the best prepared ENGINEERS I could find for the group.
You just have to figure out what your career aspirations are and where the opportunities are and go that way.
1 Like