<p>Prospective engineering students can figure out pros of each school through ranking, reputation, etc. But they may not be fully aware of the cons associated or the specific challenges they face when it comes to choose a school. Let’s say factors like financial, fit, and others are not considered here. </p>
<p>Prospective students - I mean students who do well in HS math and science, but not die-hard engineering oriented. The ability for them to study engineering at college level is untested. I am confident that many will do well. But how do we communicate the cons or challenges without discourage them from seeking the toughest program and not to put some preconceptions into their thinking? Some of the cons are listed below:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Excellent flagship state universities - they obtain and maintain good reputation by weed-out students who can’t survive. Because the universities are obligated to accept many more in-state applicants, students in engineering are left to “Sink or Swim”. For example, GeorgiaTech may flunk engineering students who end up with different majors. UCB puts low graders on probation, who can’t switch out of the engineering school to something else because of low grades. Some may end up flunking out UCB altogether.</p></li>
<li><p>Excellent private schools - they achieve good reputation though “Tough Love” by grade-deflation. An example would be Cornell. The grades may affect students who want to attend graduate or law/medical schools. The bottom line is minimally a 3.5 GPA for competitive graduate school or 3.0 for finding a job (the grade-deflation is also a problem in above Cons #1.)</p></li>
<li><p>Good all-around school - some have argue for going to a good all-around school in case students change their mind later so they still can go into a reputable major within the university. An example is GeorgiaTech vs. U Virginia. I have nothing against the idea for changing majors. But I see this as also giving some students the notion that there is a way to avoid it when the going gets tough - an “Escape Hatch” (here I am only talking about students who like engineering majors and are capable of getting through.) But if they are given the “hatch”, they might just conveniently pull it. In a battle field, wouldn’t soldiers fight harder when they know their escape routes are gone?</p></li>
<li><p>Ives - some had described Ivy engineering (with the exception of Cornell) as more for students who are interested in working in financial/banking sectors. An example would be Brown, which is trying to build its engineering school to be competitive. But with the perception, the school can’t attract better engineering-minded students. Without those determined engineering students, the school is stuck with its current reputation, a catch 22. Meanwhile, students considering the school are under the biased idea that they will end up more likely to be consultants in financial/banking than real engineers. It may work well for some who know what they want, but for the rest of the prospective students, are we telling them that they should have a “Hidden Agenda” if they choose to go to those schools?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>At the end, what and how much we discuss may influence their decision. I am all for the full disclosure, both pros and cons, for students to better mentally prepared. But on the other hand, I just don’t think that the cons should rub the wrong way or for them to become risk-aversion as someone else put it.</p>