Engineering Schools

[rocketboy]

ill have to talk with some of you guys later. i am gonna be busy today, so i wont get around to it. thanks again!

 

[bliz]

Contrary to popular opinion on this thread, there are Christian colleges with ABET accredited engineering programs. Check out the list here: http://engr.calvin.edu/ces/webSites.htm I am not personally familiar with all of them, but a number of them are very strong and well regarded. I know that LeTourneau students and faculty have done work for NASA in the past.

Meanwhile, do some research into the industry... is a degree in aerospace engineering required? I don't know... it would be good to know.

Anyone who tries to tell you that there's no sex or drugs or booze at Christian colleges is a fool or they lie a lot. The difference is how much of it is going on and how the institution handles it. But if you are selecting a Christian school for those lifestyle reasons, you are making a huge mistake! The most important aspect of a Christian college is what goes on in the classroom - approaching the subject matter and it's applications from a Christian perspective.

 

[Wroth]

The University of Alberta's engineering program is one of the best schools of engineering in North America. I don't know if coming up to Canada appeals to you for your schooling, but it's something you should consider. (http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/engineering/about.cfm OR http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/engineering/nav02.cfm?nav02=26348&nav01=18440)

And Edmonton weather is exagerrated - I've been here the last two winters and it is currently sunny, no snow, and +10. It's warmer here right now than in my hometown, which is considered the California of Canada (Okanagan Valley).

 

[Ellesar]

The only difference is the external appearance...the christian schools still have drug problems, drinking problems, and everything a secular school has.

isn't that kind of placing all Christian universities in the same boat? as far as I know, my school doesn't have that problem.

personally...I think my school (Seattle Pacific University) has a great engineering program. we don't have aerospace engineering...but we do have other forms of engineering. I'm a bio-engineering major, and I'm loving it so far.

 

[BohemianChris]

I would recommend looking into RPI. Their aerospace engineering programme is amazing. Personally, I will be heading their next year for dual degrees in nuclear engineering and particle/atomic physics. Right now I am at UC Berkeley studying maths.

Oh, not to mention, if you're a girl, you'll be in high demand: the male to female ratio is 5:1.

It is strictly an engineering school. They just spend two billion dollars on a biomedical building. The campus is very nice in the spring and fall. It does get very cold here, so I would recommend bundling up.

Also, the courseload is extremely hard. You regularly see students sleeping on the side of halls in buildings. Most of the professors are not from America - since America's education system is horrible. However, most are brilliant. At least in the nuclear engineering and physics departments.

Not to mention, the hockey here is awesome. We have a great team, and it's a great outlet after a hard week's worth of work. However, you won't be free your entire weekend - like I said, the courseload is intense.

At RPI, or any engineering school, you will not find a high number of Christians or religious people on campus. In a recent Nature magasine, it states that 9 out of 10 engineers are atheist. I don't even think RPI has a Christian club, though I am sure you could start one.

The town itself is quite crappy. Though, there is a wonderful pizza place. There is not much crime, and you are about 30 minutes from the Adirondacks - historic Lake George, Gore Mountain, Whiteface, and hundreds of thousands of acres of open land.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

With best wishes,
Chris

 

[BohemianChris]

Hey, if you wanted it easy you'd be aiming for liberal arts, right?

That's an extremely poor joke. I'd like to see you get a philosophy degree.

With best wishes,
Chris

 

[BohemianChris]

both my parents work at Indiana Weslayan, so i can go there with a free tuition waver. i think i may get my gen-eds overwith there, then transfer to an engineering college.

That's a pretty usless idea. You'd be lucky to have 24 credits transfer.

With best wishes,
Chris

 

[Manda_24]

That's a pretty usless idea. You'd be lucky to have 24 credits transfer.

With best wishes,
Chris

That's so true, I've had some friends transfer from Christian colleges and they have a hard time transferring credits. It is sometimes hard even if you transfer from another university, classes aren't exactly the same and it causes problems, so you have to be really careful and communicate with both colleges.

 

[BohemianChris]

Admittedly, I wasn't even considering Christian v. Secular colleges. I was talking college in general with engineering programmes. If it's not an engineering school, you're gonna have trouble.

For example, for my major, 7 social sciences electives. The rest is engineering based.

With best wishes,
Chris

 

[daveleau]

The Citadel, my alma mater, is routinely touted as a top engineering school in the US. It scored in the top 50 this year, and has done so for the past 10-15 years. It is a military school, much like West Point but without the free education or required military service. You get discipline like no other, beautiful surroundings and great education in one school.

 

[Grunt]

Admittedly, I wasn't even considering Christian v. Secular colleges. I was talking college in general with engineering programmes. If it's not an engineering school, you're gonna have trouble.

This is why community colleges are often such a great deal. They usually have agreements with the state schools so that you end up with a lot more classes transferring. For example, in North Carolina the community colleges have an agreement with the UNC system (which covers the 17 or so state colleges) so that if you get your core requirements at a community college, they will automatically transfer to cover the core requirements at any of the state uni's, even if some of the courses wouldn't have transfered on a course-by-course basis. They have similar agreements with many of the private colleges, but they're usually nowhere near as comprehensive.

 

[BohemianChris]

Yeah, most CC's do. Though, I would personally never attend a CC. It, but their nature have the worst students. I don't want to be surrounded by that.

With best wishes,
Chris

 

[Super Gnat]

Not necessarily the worst; more often, the poorest (or as close to poor as you can get without being able to write it off through FAFSA), or the folks who wanted to go to a 4-year but didn't quite have the grades to make it, or the folks who are trying to do a degree part-time. There's also a stereotype about CC classes being easier, but generally CC classes are a college level of difficulty, as they should be. YMMV depending on the specific CC, of course.

 

[Grunt]

Though, I would personally never attend a CC. It, but their nature have the worst students. I don't want to be surrounded by that.

I'm guessing you've never been anywhere near a community college.

 

[rocketboy]

Yeah, most CC's do. Though, I would personally never attend a CC. It, but their nature have the worst students. I don't want to be surrounded by that.

With best wishes,
Chris

i agree, the one here isnt so bad, but its not a place i would want to go.

 

[Grunt]

Not necessarily the worst; more often, the poorest (or as close to poor as you can get without being able to write it off through FAFSA), or the folks who wanted to go to a 4-year but didn't quite have the grades to make it, or the folks who are trying to do a degree part-time.

Not really. In general the only real difference between the average CC student and the average university student is that the CC student doesn't have mom and dad footing the bill for them. Even for those who do have mom and dad footing the bill, it's almost foolish to ignore the CC offer: essentially the same education for the 1st year or 2, at about 1/12th the price.

 

[Wroth]

Yeah, most CC's do. Though, I would personally never attend a CC. It, but their nature have the worst students. I don't want to be surrounded by that.

With best wishes,
Chris

I guess that's your opinion. And while opinions "can't be wrong"... this one is so far off base it's not even funny. I spent most of my life wandering through CC halls (my dad has taught at one since before I was born) and a vast majority of my friends attend the same one that I've been walking through. They aren't the "trouble kids" you make them out to be. Kids who had higher grades than me (I've said elsewhere on this thread that I'm an engineer, so not exactly a dunce) decided they could get what they needed at our college here and just stayed. Tuition here is like 3 grand a year. Tuition at my university is 5.5 grand. And I have to pay about an extra 7 grand in living expenses. I think they may have made a good choice for their degree.

 

[BohemianChris]

Though, my opinion is supported by facts. Community colleges have no requirements - anyone is accepted. That lures the dumbest students. Four year schools have stringent requirements. I don't know of many that are open admission.

With best wishes,
Chris

 

[Grunt]

Though, my opinion is supported by facts. Community colleges have no requirements - anyone is accepted. That lures the dumbest students.

Actually, you've done nothing but draw a conclusion based upon your own opinions. You've stated one fact -that community colleges are fairly open- but you've provided nothing to support your opinion that community colleges have the worst students.

You are, though, more than welcome to continue sitting on your high horse congratulating yourself on not being surrounded by those idiots that populate the community college. Just be sure that you don't fall off - it's a long way down to planet Earth.

Four year schools have stringent requirements.

Laughable, at best. For all those "stringent" requirements, somehow 65% of uni students fail to graduate within 4 years, not to mention the numbers who fail or drop out (which I don't remember right offhand). The truth is, anyone with semi-decent grades, SAT scores and etc can get into a 4 year school.

 

[bliz]

Community colleges vary greatly, just like four year colleges. Some are a joke academically and some are excellent. If one has only visited one CC and found it lacking, one is foolish to assume that all CCs are the same.

Community college student bodies have a higher average age - more adult students. Seasoned college students know what that means - there goes the grading curve! Adult students tend to get excellent grades and really devote themselves to their studies and raise the level of in class discussion.

CCs often have specilized programs that have their own requirements. I live in a county where the CC offers what many people to consider the best program for air traffic controlers in the nation. Students come from all over the US to this CC to take this program, and it has additional admission requirements. No slackers need apply.

Admissions requirements at 4 year schools are only as good as their enrollments allow them to be. Many private colleges and less popular state schools are fighting for their economic lives. If they have the seats and the beds, they are going to admit as many students as possible so they can run at full capacity. Don't kid yourself - it happens everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

Bottom line - the lable CC or University or private college tells us nothing about the quality of the education going on inside.