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<p>No analogy is perfect. And sure, I agree, more engineering students are likely to work as engineers than other majors are likely to stay within their majors.</p>
<p>Yet I suspect that engineers at certain schools - UVa probably being among them - are among the least likely to actually work as engineers. Let’s face it. UVa students, engineers included, are competitive for many of the prestigious non-engineering careers such as consulting and finance. </p>
<p>The sad truth is that engineering, while still a desirable career choice relative to most others, is unfortunately not viewed as being as desirable of a career as certain others. Let’s face it - most engineers are not paid as well as consultants and financiers, nor do they enjoy the same acceleration of their career path. I wish they were; I think they should be. But until that happens, we will continue to witness engineering students who don’t really want to work as engineers.</p>