So I am a Junior in high school and I think want to study mechanical engineering as an undergrad. I have talked to my college counselor and she told me that engineering can be hard to get into and I should do something that relates to it over the summer. She suggested a few engineering camps, but most of them are filled up or are for younger kids. So now I am thinking of what to do over summer that would help my application the most and show colleges I’m interested in engineering.
There are a few options.
- I could take a class related to engineering at a local community college. (There aren’t very many, one of them is a basic auto mechanics class and the other two are MATLAB or autoCAD).
- I could try and find an internship related to engineering (although I think it’s too late).
- I could try and find a job related to engineering (although again, it might be too late).
- OR I could restore a car and get a job at a local restaurant.
Not sure if this matters or not, but if I do choose to restore a car, it would probably be a 1970’s BMW 2002. Which would be the best for my application and why?
Thanks,
Max
Is there any way you can take the basic auto mechanics class + restore the car + work at a local restaurant?
The vast majority of schools don’t care about ECs, even for engineering. Are you looking to get into MIT? The best thing you can do is have good grades and good scores for the SAT/ACT.
If you really have the ability and resources (money, access to garage and tools, etc) to make restoring a car a viable project, this is an absolute no-brainer.
Restore the car, document the process (maybe blog about the process?) and you will learn a lot, have a great extra-curricular activity, something interesting to discuss in an interview, etc. Incoming engineering students are usually highly qualified academically but lack real world experience / hands on ability. This is a great way to separate yourself from the pack.
Plus, you come out the other side with fun car you know inside and out.
Agree totally with NickFlynn. Do what you love - and it sounds like you love restoring cars. Cool hobby and definitely differentiates you.
Restoring a car is an awesome summer activity. As @NickFlynn suggested, document your progress in a blog with plenty of photos and some gear-head details if you can. Very cool indeed and adcomms will be impressed–it’s a sustained activity that requires persistence, problem-solving skills, and expertise-building, all great uses of your time.
I like the idea of restoring a car AND working in a restaurant. You will be amazed at how much money you will spend on the car. My son is working on one and belongs to an internet forum for the specific brand and model of the truck. They have a “build thread” area and a lot of owners have created long threads with pictures. They ask technical questions and members answer. People also offer spare parts for bargain prices. You can do something like that to record your efforts. You might find a member locally who can help you with the tough tasks. What kind of car are you thinking of?
Let me get this straight. You have the golden opportunity to restore a 1970 BMW 2002 and you are worried about it’s effect on your college application? LOL!
Sweet car! You have things way backwards.
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