@momsearcheng
Almost fifty years ago WPI took a very creative, but somewhat cumbersome step to try to improve the entire admissions process as they launched what was then a radical new approach to engineering education. The changes addressed project work, interdisciplinary thinking, individual student participation in the actual design of their studies and the self-realization that they had to play a new and critical role as a student. They had to become active and creative participants beyond the lecture hall presentations and classroom Q &A sessions.
The best professionals, engineers included, needed to see a wider, interdisciplinary world and to teach themselves new material in a wide variety of unanticipated areas long after they left the university incubator. New habits and attitudes had to be developed. It was not good enough to be able to recite back known processes and solutions. The half-life of scientific knowledge was not allowing time to continue with the older, recital system.
They knew it was not only about standardizes testing, coursework, and even GPA. We needed students who wanted to play a more active role in the design level of their own education. They felt that this understanding of their role and responsibility would “pull” their interest into that creative role of engineering design and better problem solutions.
How do you find students with these qualities?
Holistic admissions is not a marketing trick, but an attempt to identify students who bring with them an understanding. WPI is not alone looking for these talented students. They are identified in part by their own project research and clearly demonstrated interest in the subject matter. That sort of motivation counts. Most WPI applicants have enough of the GPA, test results and course background to manage standard classroom work. How flexible and self-motivated are they to cooperate with teammates to design real solutions for real people on real problems?
Check out the actual program details and see if there is a match. We want the students’ interest to “pull” them into a solution.
retiredfarmer, she is definitely a match for what you listed. She is all about design and project based learning. But we need to see school, environment and students. She needs to be engaged, and big fish in small pond will not work for her. She would loose interest. I think that WPI has many bright students (like UMD) given Boston area with so many educated people.
I am reading some old post, and interestingly there are many people who had overlapping schools like UMD, RPI, WPI, Stevens, Case Western, GaTech and even Northeastern. So it looks that we are on the right track. I bet that they used completely different criteria to arrive to the same list.
There is a long history of “chancing” students on CC where we state probabilities. I was never a fan of it. It really is true that the “self-selection” process at WPI at this point in its history is working well for it. Over 80% of the matriculating students have unweighted GPAs above 3.75 and that is after culling students who may not appear focused on the MQP, IQP, humanities sufficiency program.
We would rather have students motivated from day one to participate in our system. The attitude creates the cooperative environment which helps to drive the whole process. Please visit the campus. If she likes it, she will write a better application.
I like to call it human engineering!
There was a thread here from a parent with a DD deciding between Pitt(her state school) and UMD-CP, preferred school, that she ended up choosing at a price premium. Engineering too. If you can find it, some rationales there that I did not quite get being a non engineering person.
I like both schools, by the way, and have strong connections to them both. With an financial issues in the picture, I would not pay more to go to one over the other unless it was truly a directed program in one that makes a big difference.
Thanks , cpofthehouse. I will search. I totally agree. And yes, she is not interested in premed, pharmacy etc.
I believe DD final list after visiting and some digging is this:
- UMD (strong safety, match)
- Ga Tech (match, reach, legacy, will consider guaranteed admission in a year for legacy)
- Case Western (match, close to safety)
- Boston University (match, reach)
- Rice (dream)
- Franklin Olin (dream)
- University of Michigan (match, reach)
- Carnegie Mellon (dream)
- John Hopkins (dream)
I know it is a bit aggressive and may not produce much money. However, school counselor said that with my DD profile it is good list. We will see.
My feeling that she will not be accepted into 8 and 9 and will not get enough money in 7 to attend. 5 and 6 are very competitive. We are hoping for admission into top 4 on the list with some money from 1, 3 and 4. Ga Tech will not likely provide any money and will require study abroad, coop and a bit of creativity to be affordable.
^ No ED. EA for UMD, Ga Tech, Case and Michigan. All others are RD.
@momsearcheng - looks like she has a nice list. With BU and Olin on the list, I assume that you visited Northeastern and WPI - I am curious why they didn’t make the final cut?
We did not visited WPI. We did not feel it is good fit for her. We indeed visited Northeastern and were not impressed. Coop, coop, coop so what? You can do coop at many places. All fancy lab that they showed to impress my daughter did in 10th grade… She by her self said, that is not right place.
@momsearcheng Fairly off topic, but did your D do any of the ‘student for a day/overnight visit’ type events at any of the schools. I know my kids did them at Olin, Rice, and CMU from your list. My students decided to cut some schools off the list after those visits, even though they loved them during regular visits. I highly suggest them either before or after acceptances.
@MuggleMom can you share your experience? Which colleges were removed and why? We do not want spend time and money for applying to places that are not good fit. We could not do overnights at all. DD goes with her school to CMU this week. We visited Olin. We cannot go to Rice from MD. Too far and too costly just for the trip. What was your child’s major. Where did your child end up? So far we ruled out after visit only Northeastern. We would definitely visit selected school before committing. I am frankly over the fence for Case and Michigan. My DD hates cold weather. I realized that Boston is not warm either, but she really liked city and vibe there plus it has unlimited opportunities there with so many businesses and colleges.
Totally anecdotal, but for 2019 admissions cycle I know a science girl (not engineering) was was admitted to U Penn but flat out denied at BC. Pretty surprising. It’s really hard to know what they are looking for.
Congrats!
She’s got a FANTASTIC de facto safety at Case Western Reserve AND merit money to boot 