Currently, I am trying to get recruited to play field hockey, but I also want to major in Engineering (or have the option to). One of the issues that I face is determining the correct program, either 3-2 “pre-engineering” and getting a BS in engineering or going to a school that offers the degree straight out of their school.
Could you explain the differences between these types of education?
What is a good second school if I was to do a 3-2 program? The schools that I have seen have Columbia as one of the options.
To give you an idea of the schools I have looked at, here are a couple that I have been in contact with: Swarthmore College, Hartwick College, Middlebury, and Stevens Institute of Technology. Elms College andJohnston and Wales University have also expressed interest in me.
Transferring away from your first school to the second school.
Meeting high GPA requirements or passing competitive admission to transfer.
Uncertainty about financial aid at the second school (e.g. Columbia does not promise as much financial aid for 3+2 transfers as it does for frosh and other transfers).
Restrictions on your major at many of the first schools.
In most cases, it is better to go for a regular engineering program at a school that has it natively.
See the myriad posts here on CC about 3/2 programs; most, including mine, are negative.
As for Field Hockey, in addition to several of the Ivy League universities and elites like Stanford, Duke and Michigan, here are some fine colleges that sponsor D1 Field Hockey teams and have solid engineering departments;
Ohio University
Saint Louis University
Lehigh University
U of Massachusetts-Lowell
Bucknell University
Drexel University
Miami University (Ohio)
D2 and D3…
Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute
Tufts University
Smith College
The prevailing wisdom on these boards is that very few kids follow through on their plans to do a 3+2 plan, as it’s pretty wrenching to leave all of your friends and everything else you love about your college just as you’re about to start your senior year. If you like the LAC vibe at Swarthmore and Middlebury, other posters above have already mentioned most of your other options for LACs that have an engineering major: Swarthmore, Bucknell, Union and Trinity (in CT). Another one that’s well worth a look is Lafayette in PA.
Another vote against the 3+2 programs. Too many people don’t complete them either because they don’t meet the requirements needed to go on to the engineering part or they just don’t want to leave their current school. Stevens Institute which is on your list has a very good engineering program. Spend time looking into what colleges have engineering as well as field hockey. I’m not sure how it works but maybe you or your coach could contact some people at schools like Lehigh,Lafayette, Bucknell which have engineering.
Take a look at www.ncsasports.org, a website that colleges coaches use to help them evaluate high school athletes. According to ncsasports.org, full ride scholarships for field hockey are rare. Apparently the tradition is to divide partial scholarships among the entire Field Hockey team (not altogether surprising, since Field Hockey is a non-revenue sport at the D1 level). At D2 there is virtually no scholarships available for Field Hockey; and of course D3 doesn’t offer scholarships for any athletic program. Keep in mind, however, that many D2 and D3 schools offer extra assistance to entice applicants whom commit to a particular sport. Depending on your family income, such extra assistance could be substantial. The daughter of a family friend attended a very well respected (and pricey) university to play D3 basketball, a school she was attracted to because of the significant financial aid provided to her. She had excellent high school grades and the coach “guided” her application through the admissions process. She graduated three years ago nearly debt free.