Ideas to show interest in Engineering

N

NavyUMO

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2020
Messages
244
My DS is a rising Senior so it is a little late in the game but is looking at ways to show interest in Engineering on his college apps. He is looking to do SA or NROTC and wants to do mechanical engineering. He has taken/will take strong AP coursework in Calculus, physics and chemistry but is looking at other ways to show additional activity and interest. Any ideas out there for his senior year?
 
Clubs, hobbies, learning to code a language, building some robotics projects, etc. Just get some real-world knowledge and experience while he has the time and mobility to do so. It'll also help in interviews if he can talk about specific experience/projects from clubs or hobbies rather than just a vague interest in the subject. Have him jot down a few different fields of engineering he's interested in and maybe use ChatGPT to help you brainstorm some easy projects or activities for beginners to gain some experience.
 
Taking calculus and physics - and doing well in them is the most important thing.

An interest in a major at this point at a SA is premature imo. My son went in to USNA not considering engineering, graduated with BS in aerospace engineering, and passed the mechanical PE test.

I assume the civilian colleges that have strong engineer programs are similar (they were for my son’s HS classmates).
 
A1Janitor said:
Taking calculus and physics - and doing well in them is the most important thing.

An interest in a major at this point at a SA is premature imo. My son went in to USNA not considering engineering, graduated with BS in aerospace engineering, and passed the mechanical PE test.

I assume the civilian colleges that have strong engineer programs are similar (they were for my son’s HS classmates).
Click to expand...
Agreed.
 
A1Janitor said:
Taking calculus and physics - and doing well in them is the most important thing.

An interest in a major at this point at a SA is premature imo. My son went in to USNA not considering engineering, graduated with BS in aerospace engineering, and passed the mechanical PE test.

I assume the civilian colleges that have strong engineer programs are similar (they were for my son’s HS classmates).
Click to expand...
Agreed. At the civilian universities to which my DD is replying she has to apply for a specific school or college (ie, College of Engineering), but biggest indicators of interest are course selection and grades, and supported by extracurricular.
 
My son graduated a civilian university in Mechanical Engineering. He did apply USCGA and it was about being a well rounded, great GPA, active, time management balanced, etc. He also duel enrolled in a community college as well.
 
so7 said:
Clubs, hobbies, learning to code a language, building some robotics projects, etc. Just get some real-world knowledge and experience while he has the time and mobility to do so. It'll also help in interviews if he can talk about specific experience/projects from clubs or hobbies rather than just a vague interest in the subject. Have him jot down a few different fields of engineering he's interested in and maybe use ChatGPT to help you brainstorm some easy projects or activities for beginners to gain some experience.
Click to expand...
Do not go to the dark side. We don't need the next generation to lose the ability to turn a thought into a piece of written communication. We already ruined a generation's math skills by giving them calculators in 1st grade.
 
I believe that @A1Janitor and @jbm2m are spot on. The best predictor of future academic success is past academic success and 90% of an engineering education is hardcore academics. Engineering programs and colleges/universities want their students to be successful, but they can't guarantee it. They will give a student ample opportunity to switch majors, like after the first Calc exam. ROTC programs are a different story. Check out threads regarding their policies on switching majors.

My comments are based on the experiences to two DS's. Both were academic superstars- 800s on Math SAT, finished College Calc 3, while in high school, etc.

DS 1 (AROTC) enrolled in Big 10 U Chem E against the advice of his academic advisor. Prior to college he spent his free time doing everything other than engineering EC's. He could do proofs and reactions in his sleep, but could barely stick two legos together. It took him about 30 min. to realize that he hated the engineering part of engineering. There was no room in his schedule for CS and foreign language classes. First chance he got he changed his major to Chemistry and was happy as a clam. That academic freedom literally made him the the Army officer he is today. Less Q (Bond Reference). More Milo Minderbinder.

DS 2, on the other hand. loved building things. The first thing he ever bought with his own money, at about age 5, was roll of duct tape, which--along with toilet paper and paper towel rolls he scavenged from the garbage--he made a gun. By high school he was making potato guns. Most important, he could withstand the tedium of the Mech E curriculum which his older brother could not. He now works for a company which builds the very complicated machines/systems and is very demanding of his attention to detail.

In each case, their ECs were a good predictor of future career success, but had little to do with their academic success.

Wish you the best of luck!

Edit. Forgot something.

DS 1 was active in academic competitions--Math Counts, State Nat Geo Bee Champ, Quiz Bowl, Science Bowl. This would be a good place for your DS to concentrate energies. Aside from what looks good on the CV, it's an excellent place to learn to perform under pressure in front of an audience. Every question you get, every time you buzz in represents a 5 foot putt to win the hole.
 
Last edited:
Take highest math, physics, chem you can in high school and do as well as you can. If your DS really likes robotics, then I would gravitate toward your HS's robotics team. But there is really not anything much in HS beyond the three R's (done well at the highest level) that matters. Getting a 36 in math on your ACT would be a good indicator. Honestly, algebra is WAY more important in engineering than Calc (I generalize, but not much - I've been an engineer for 40 years, an engineering professor, and my two oldest sons are Chem E's - I use a couple of particular differential equations a lot but almost EVERYTHING is numerical analysis now adays.). Learn Python scripting - that's my advice - by far the most useful programming tool. And believe it or not, FORTRAN is till a valuable programming language. I would also put a lot more effort to being on a team - be it varsity athletics, Scouts, etc. - than trying to figure out one more EC that looks like engineering.
 
cb7893 said:
Do not go to the dark side. We don't need the next generation to lose the ability to turn a thought into a piece of written communication. We already ruined a generation's math skills by giving them calculators in 1st grade.
Click to expand...
While I understand the sentiment of this post, I suggested using a large language model to suggest some creative ideas to help spark the thought process of someone interested in engineering. What I didn't suggest is that they utilized this same program to write papers or do homework which I think is what you were implying. As OPs DS is interested in engineering, I am more than confident that he will be introduced to AI/Machine Learning in his curriculum and it is important for him to start developing healthy habits and utilizing it in place of something like google or a brainstorming session.
I understand being skeptical of the use of AI in middle/high school, but in higher education, it needs to be viewed as a tool, much like how calculators are viewed. Yes, I know how to solve a triple integral or a laplace transform by hand, but as an engineering student, I need to know how to utilize it more than I need to understand how to do the arithmetic so I will utilize a calculator or programming language. The same goes for using tools like ChatGPT. It can be used as a tool to help speed up the process of learning and it works better than Google would since it pulls from millions of sources.
Again, I get where you're coming from and it's important to be skeptical, but it's also important to see where these technologies should and can be utilized instead of just saying they're evil all around. To that matter, yes, first graders should not be using calculators (which is the common consensus among educators and is generally enforced—they're not usually introduced until late middle school, and even then, sparingly).

Sorry, this is off topic from the original post.
 
There’s a difference between showing strong interest in engineering and showing strong aptitude for engineering.

Doing well in calculus and physics and the math portion of the SAT/ACT are all good indicators of aptitude. Participating in STEM clubs and activities are all good indicators of interest. As we all know, interest doesn’t always equal aptitude, and vice-versa. What looks cool from the benign vantage point of high school can look very different once in college.

I don’t think the SAs are looking for a hard-core declaration or demonstration that one is “all in” on engineering. Aptitude — and openness — are probably more important. Just by self-selection, SA applicants tend to lean toward STEM. But most schools know there’s only so much an applicant can do or show, and chances are they’ll change their major anyway.

I say this as a college professor, and as father of DD (USNA) and DS (ROTC). Both kids’ majors are in STEM fields. DD thought she’d like chemistry, until she realized what studying chemistry in college meant. DS thought he’d like civil engineering, but decided he preferred an engineering field with more of a human element. Neither ended up majoring in what they thought they would when they entered. And so far, so good.

One more thing: As a rising senior, he doesn’t have much time left to make an impact with extracurricular STEM activities. So frankly, putting something on a resume at this point may come off as mere filler.
 
Last edited:
NavyUMO said:
My DS is a rising Senior so it is a little late in the game but is looking at ways to show interest in Engineering on his college apps. He is looking to do SA or NROTC and wants to do mechanical engineering. He has taken/will take strong AP coursework in Calculus, physics and chemistry but is looking at other ways to show additional activity and interest. Any ideas out there for his senior year?
Click to expand...
As far as EC’s go, is there a First Robotics Competition (FRC) team at his school? If not, he can look at schools around your area. Most teams, unless they are huge, need kids, and teams aren’t limited by high school. He probably won’t get a team lead position at this point, but it’s a great activity for future engineers, and a lot of fun. Same with the various high school rocketry teams.

Another idea would be to check with local elementary and middle schools to see if any of them are looking for student mentors to help with their First Lego League (FLL) teams. If he has no experience with FLL, I’m sure he could figure it out quickly, and the kids love having older kids helping. Bonus if his school will count it for service hours.

Good luck to your son.
 
Last edited:
so7 said:
While I understand the sentiment of this post, I suggested using a large language model to suggest some creative ideas to help spark the thought process of someone interested in engineering. What I didn't suggest is that they utilized this same program to write papers or do homework which I think is what you were implying. As OPs DS is interested in engineering, I am more than confident that he will be introduced to AI/Machine Learning in his curriculum and it is important for him to start developing healthy habits and utilizing it in place of something like google or a brainstorming session.
I understand being skeptical of the use of AI in middle/high school, but in higher education, it needs to be viewed as a tool, much like how calculators are viewed. Yes, I know how to solve a triple integral or a laplace transform by hand, but as an engineering student, I need to know how to utilize it more than I need to understand how to do the arithmetic so I will utilize a calculator or programming language. The same goes for using tools like ChatGPT. It can be used as a tool to help speed up the process of learning and it works better than Google would since it pulls from millions of sources.
Again, I get where you're coming from and it's important to be skeptical, but it's also important to see where these technologies should and can be utilized instead of just saying they're evil all around. To that matter, yes, first graders should not be using calculators (which is the common consensus among educators and is generally enforced—they're not usually introduced until late middle school, and even then, sparingly).

Sorry, this is off topic from the original post.
Click to expand...
No need to apologize for a thoughtful, well informed post.

I am of a different generation who is often reminded of the benefits of progress. However, Reading, Writing and Math with a pencil and paper and without a computer or calculator is something I obsessed about.
 
cb7893 said:
No need to apologize for a thoughtful, well informed post.

I am of a different generation who is often reminded of the benefits of progress. However, Reading, Writing and Math with a pencil and paper and without a computer or calculator is something I obsessed about.
Click to expand...
Computers and adding machines as a CPA have ruined my ability to do math in my head over the years.
 
See if there is a somewhat local company that focuses on engineering that need help! Even if it's admin help, he can turn that into an "internship" and learn lots by being aroundother engineers !
 
FastFood44 said:
See if there is a somewhat local company that focuses on engineering that need help! Even if it's admin help, he can turn that into an "internship" and learn lots by being aroundother engineers !
Click to expand...
Have you ever hung around engineers? 😅
 
Other than robotics her freshman year, my DS did not have 'engineering' stuff on her application (although she has worked at a hardware store for 3+ years). Civic engagements, volunteer hours, scores, classes and grades - that's what makes the difference, plus a knock 'em dead interview. The command and college will train your son in his chosen field.
 
A1Janitor said:
Have you ever hung around engineers? 😅
Click to expand...
"Three years ago, I couldn't spell 'enjiner' - now I are one!"
"Sex kills - go to _____ and live forever!"

These are two real bumper stickers from engineering colleges I attended. So be careful what you wish for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top