did anyone go to MIT?

[billwagnon]

I think Wayne did.

My son is a junior in high school and got a 35 on the ACT and 2210 on SAT (he is taking them again to see if he can improve). He is really interested in MIT and I'm trying to get information about the process of getting in, and maybe get him the chance to correspond or talk to someone who has been through it.

He is very good at math and I think he is leaning toward computers or engineering but he is also interested in psychology.

[m21sniper]

Wayne is an MIT grad.

[nostatic]

My advise is generally that students think more broadly for undergrad, then consider narrowing down in grad school. With the state of the world and technology right now, being focused in a particular content area can hinder you later on. MIT is a great school (though there is another *IT that I think is better ), but a good liberal arts college can be a better choice for many students.

[rick-l]

He is in St Louis.
I think he means Merrimac In Town (MIT). <--- A JC
Or Missouri Institute of Technology.
Or (since they reciprocate with MO.) Minnesota Institute of Technology.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by nostatic

(though there is another *IT that I think is better )

Illinois Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology

Originally Posted by nostatic

My advise is generally that students think more broadly for undergrad, then consider narrowing down in grad school.

This is good advice.

[Don Plumley]

Originally Posted by nostatic

(though there is another *IT that I think is better )

He means California Polytechnic Institute of Technology, or CalTech, home of the rocket scientists...

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Don Plumley

He means California Institute of Technology, or CalTech, home of the rocket scientists...

Fixed it for you

I actually wouldn't recommend CalTech for undergrads, though it likely is a little better socially than it was when I was there. For grad school it kicks arse.

Cal Poly (there are two of them: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona) are part of the Cal State system. CalTech is a private university.

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by nostatic

My advise is generally that students think more broadly for undergrad,

MIT has a big name recognition factor that will open a lot of doors even with just a BS degree. Is it worth the tuition and living expense?

Originally Posted by nostatic

but a good liberal arts college can be a better choice for many students.

I wouldn't recommend someone who wants to be an engineer enroll in College of Liberal Arts. It may damage him for life.

Originally Posted by nostatic

, then consider narrowing down in grad school.

Grad school is a lot easier if you know the professors and the department (and they know you).

[nostatic]

The MIT diploma carries a lot of weight and you make important connections. That is part of what school is about. Is it worth the $$$? Good question, and one that has become harder to answer over the past decade or so.

As for someone who wants to be an engineer, getting a BA degree from a good liberal arts school then getting an MS in engineering will (arguably) set someone up to succeed later in life better than a BS from an engineering school. While some know exactly what they want to do when they "grow up", most don't. And increasingly the reality is that people will change careers, often fairly radically (said the trained chemist who now does digital media and produces films). A BS degree often does not give as much breadth as might be helpful later in life.

But everyone is different and has to find their own path. Just giving my opinion and my experience, both personally and professionally, having done a couple of career changes, and also teaching and advising college students for 5 years as faculty (and then as staff for the past 9 years). There isn't a single answer, but often people think narrow focus is best. I disagree.

[dd74]

I always thought of undergrad as just general studies, which gives a taste of specific subjects. It wasn't until I hit graduate school that everything focused in on what I knew I wanted to do.

At any rate, education seems a packaged deal these days. It's as if one is expected to go to graduate school to qualify for a mid to high-level job.

[Schumi]

I was accepted to MIT, CalTech, and UMR (Now Missouri S&T)

I went to the one who gave me the most money, which just happened to be the one that I lived closest to.

Now I get paid to go to school here. My degree is not costing me a dime. 'first one's on us'

I worked my ass off early in my years, thanks to motivation from my parents, so that my college time can be smooth sailing, especially financially. I'm sure your son is no different.

If I had to do it again... even without the scholarship money, i would still have went to UMR.

I know many people who start at one university and find out it's not for them, and later settle down at another where they love the program. I teach classes here now and will probably be hanging around for a PhD. I have a very hard time believing the quality of education at MIT is that much better than here or a comparable school like Virginia Tech.

Since you're in the STL area, If your son ever wants to come down for a tour PM me & I can show you both around.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Went to Florida Tech for undergrad. They have some excellent programs. Ditto Georgia.

[TerryH]

I heard the degree from Southern Hollywood Institute of Technology aint worth S.H.I.T.

[jyl]

I am another who thinks the most important thing is that (1) in undergraduate the kid figures out what s/he really wants to do/be, (2) and goes to a good graduate school.

For (1), I think exposure to a variety of subjects and people is more helpful than being funneled down a tight path. Take me for instance. From early on it was assumed that I would be a mathematician. It wasn't until I received my mathematics BA that I realized "gosh, I don't really like this". Now I do something entirely different. My 4 years of getting the degree weren't "wasted", but I could have gotten more from them.

For (2), that requires accomplishing (1) and having enough money left for (2). Which is hampered by an expensive undergraduate school.

So, I don't think it is important, in most cases, that the kid goes to the best or most focused undergrad school. There will be exceptions I suppose.

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by nostatic

As for someone who wants to be an engineer, getting a BA degree from a good liberal arts school then getting an MS in engineering will (arguably) set someone up to succeed later in life better than a BS from an engineering school.

They are two very different career paths. Very very few credits that apply to a BA degree will transfer to an MS or even a BS for that matter. Technical writing might help but for what I want to do I have found it advantageous to write at an 8th grade level i.e. no one wants to read it so there is little point in my writing it.

I thought the University of Missouri Rolla was now called Missouri Institute of Technology. The only knock I have heard about it from people I work with is the area of the state it is located in. and the lack of girls

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by rick-l

They are two very different career paths

I don't understand this comment. An undergrad degree is a stepping stone to a career and/or graduate school. Typically the difference between a BA and BS in a particular discipline is the number of units in the discipline. A BA will require less specialized courses and more general education requirements. In the end a person will still have a degree, eg in chemistry, but one will have a BA, the other a BS. You could argue that the person with the BS is better equipped to work in the field (due to the extra courses in the major), but they will also be less exposed to non-major fields unless they choose to overload.

So in the short term, a BS may have an advantage over a BA. But in the long term, and if one wants to change fields, the BA may provide more insight/breadth/etc. In my case a BA from a small liberal arts college did not hinder me in getting into any/all of the phd programs to which I applied. And in fact an inordinately high percentage of my classmates for my incoming phd class had BA degrees from small liberal arts colleges.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by billwagnon

My son is a junior in high school and got a 35 on the ACT and 2210 on SAT (he is taking them again to see if he can improve).

When did the SAT scoring change?

[dd74]

Originally Posted by rick-l

Technical writing might help but for what I want to do I have found it advantageous to write at an 8th grade level i.e. no one wants to read it so there is little point in my writing it.

The strange thing about this is I can't understand what you're writing.

Writing is highly important for any job, including science-related positions. How is one supposed to publish a paper or write a technical manual without the skills to convey a hypothesis on paper?

[Don Plumley]

Originally Posted by red-beard

When did the SAT scoring change?

When they added the new Essay section.

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by nostatic

I don't understand this comment. An undergrad degree is a stepping stone to a career and/or graduate school. Typically the difference between a BA and BS in a particular discipline is the number of units in the discipline. A BA will require less specialized courses and more general education requirements. In the end a person will still have a degree, eg in chemistry, but one will have a BA, the other a BS.

From the University of Minnesota Grad school page http://www.catalogs.umn.edu/grad/programs/g061.html

Prerequisites for Admission—Graduate work is open to students who have shown exceptional scholarship and ability in an accredited undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering or physics. Consideration is given to students who have completed another curriculum in engineering, science, or mathematics that includes sufficient preparation to pursue a graduate program in electrical engineering. In some instances, additional preparatory studies may be required after admission. Students whose training is in engineering technology will not be considered for admission.