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How good is LSU Engineering?
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:31 am
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:31 am
I closely follow the threads that pop up here frequently talking about the relative importance of gpa, work experience,internships, etc. My initial impression was that LSU has a great engineering program and is highly respected by LA and Texas oil companies. However, I've also seen people disregard LSU when talking about the upper echelon of high school graduates. My kid just started high school, but for several years he has been talking about going into mechanical engineering. I think he loves LSU by default since I'm a huge LSU fan (despite being a UNO grad), and most of his friends will likely go to LSU. However, he's one of those kids that falls into the 97-99th percentile and will certainly finish high school well above a 4.0 (subtle brag thread). Should he have his sights set higher than LSU? Or will a very high gpa and good internships at LSU be all that he needs while giving him the awesome experience that is LSU? My initial thought is that if he wants to go into a field that is not oil/gas related, he should go to the best school he can get into, but LSU is all he needs if he goes the oil/gas route. Thoughts?
36
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:35 am to 911Moto
quote:
Or will a very high gpa and good internships at LSU be all that he needs while giving him the awesome experience that is LSU?
Absolutely. Saw this first hand with some of my roommates.
Obviously there will be exceptions depending on his career ambitions. In most situations however, I believe your statement to be true.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:35 am to 911Moto
LSU Engineering is highly regarded in the LA/TX region and will open many doors for him if he does well
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:38 am to 911Moto
quote:
Should he have his sights set higher than LSU?
Yes.
Shoot for the stars. MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, etc.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:39 am to 911Moto
quote:
911Moto
You come to the OT for parenting advice a lot.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:40 am to 911Moto
quote:
My kid just started high school, but for several years he has been talking about going into mechanical engineering.
quote:
However, he's one of those kids that falls into the 97-99th percentile and will certainly finish high school well above a 4.0 (subtle brag thread).
He better get used to being excited for Cs if he goes into LSU engineering.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:40 am to 911Moto
Yes, absolutely. If he wants to be a manager he should get the social college experience of LSU and develop relationships/contacts. That said, there are probably higher-rated programs out there that can provide similar college experience as LSU (Texas comes to mind).
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:40 am to 911Moto
Tell him to go to LSU and have a blast. I'm three years out. All of my mechanical engineering buddies are absolutely killing it right now.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:41 am to 911Moto
It's really not about where you go to school to a certain degree but about how well you perform once you are there. I work with outstanding Engineers from schools most people have never heard of.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:42 am to 911Moto
LSU will be tougher than MIT would.
The better schools graduate so many with good GPA's because it is in their best interest to. They hold your hand through, and push you to graduate.
Schools like LSU collect the tuition, and say good luck, figure it out.
The better schools graduate so many with good GPA's because it is in their best interest to. They hold your hand through, and push you to graduate.
Schools like LSU collect the tuition, and say good luck, figure it out.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:43 am to 911Moto
quote:
Should he have his sights set higher than LSU?
Yea why sell yourself short
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:43 am to 911Moto
Plan on a 5 year degree if you expect him to get the whole experience that is LSU.
And make sure the kids gets internships every summer.
And make sure the kids gets internships every summer.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:43 am to 911Moto
quote:Very much so; I've seen it firsthand recently with a number of friends. If he wants nearly unlimited opportunities upon graduating though, make sure he is one of the top students and has 2 good internships.
Or will a very high gpa and good internships at LSU be all that he needs while giving him the awesome experience that is LSU?
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:44 am to 911Moto
If he wants to stay in the region -- LSU. If he wants to work elsewhere -- aim higher.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:47 am to 911Moto
Engineering schools should (a) be judged based on specific discipline and (b) be looked at based on desired outcome.
If the end game is oil/gas, LSU would be perfectly fine. Ultimate success in this field will be based on the individual, not the school.
If he has scholarship opportunities and/or an no general career direction, I would shoot for best school possible. Another possibilty would be LSU undergrad, and then, if he desires more, try to get in grad school at another school.
Good luck to both of you
If the end game is oil/gas, LSU would be perfectly fine. Ultimate success in this field will be based on the individual, not the school.
If he has scholarship opportunities and/or an no general career direction, I would shoot for best school possible. Another possibilty would be LSU undergrad, and then, if he desires more, try to get in grad school at another school.
Good luck to both of you
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:50 am to 911Moto
Right now, mechanical is one of the hottest fields. I highly recommend it.
If you want to stay in the Southeast US/Texas, LSU is a great option, so are the other SEC engineering powerhouses like A&M, State, Auburn, etc. (Note: Just mentioning some, not excluding all)
If your sights are outside the Southeast, sights need to be set on MIT, Stanford, or even Georgia Tech has some national appeal.
But you can have an awesome time at LSU, and do very well with an ME degree. After five years of a career, it matters a lot less where you went to school, so you will have the opportunities then.
The biggest difference is that your snowflake can work hard and get a good solid ACT score and get a mostly free education at LSU, whereas he would be a common applicant to a school like MIT.
Since he's a freshman in high school - he needs to do as well as he can, chase some tail along the way, and know that its important to keep his grades up. If your AGI is under $100k, he can go to an Ivy for free if he can get in and desires to do that.
Then he can get a ME degree, meet the daughter of some billionaire CEO that bought her in, and you are set.
If you want to stay in the Southeast US/Texas, LSU is a great option, so are the other SEC engineering powerhouses like A&M, State, Auburn, etc. (Note: Just mentioning some, not excluding all)
If your sights are outside the Southeast, sights need to be set on MIT, Stanford, or even Georgia Tech has some national appeal.
But you can have an awesome time at LSU, and do very well with an ME degree. After five years of a career, it matters a lot less where you went to school, so you will have the opportunities then.
The biggest difference is that your snowflake can work hard and get a good solid ACT score and get a mostly free education at LSU, whereas he would be a common applicant to a school like MIT.
Since he's a freshman in high school - he needs to do as well as he can, chase some tail along the way, and know that its important to keep his grades up. If your AGI is under $100k, he can go to an Ivy for free if he can get in and desires to do that.
Then he can get a ME degree, meet the daughter of some billionaire CEO that bought her in, and you are set.
This post was edited on 8/21/14 at 9:55 am
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:58 am to 911Moto
Depends on scholarships and what each school can offer for tuition assistance. If he is getting free rides everywhere then shoot high. If he can go to LSU for free but will be 120k in debt to go somewhere other than a top 15 school then go for free
Posted on 8/21/14 at 10:03 am to 911Moto
LSU Civil 08 Here
Posted on 8/21/14 at 10:09 am to 911Moto
It will be what he makes of it. My youngest sister graduated in bio engineering in the spring with a 3.9+ GPA (1 or 2 B's). On Monday she starts her PhD program at Vanderbilt. On top of that she got a national science foundation fellowship that will pay her something along the lines of 42K/yr till she finishes.
For undergrad she got into vandy and tulane but my parents wouldnt let her take out the loans that she would have needed. She pitched a fit and thought she was too good for LSU. Four years later she graduated with zero debt (tops, stipend, student job) and had a blast (went from thinking she was too intellectual for LSU football to being one of the kids lined up waiting for the gates to open).
If he's looking at grad school, I can't recommend LSU enough. If he's not looking at grad school, it's still probably his best bet.
For undergrad she got into vandy and tulane but my parents wouldnt let her take out the loans that she would have needed. She pitched a fit and thought she was too good for LSU. Four years later she graduated with zero debt (tops, stipend, student job) and had a blast (went from thinking she was too intellectual for LSU football to being one of the kids lined up waiting for the gates to open).
If he's looking at grad school, I can't recommend LSU enough. If he's not looking at grad school, it's still probably his best bet.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 10:21 am to 911Moto
My daughter could have gone just about anywhere but chose ME at LSU...
She's having a great college experience, summer intership, but the best she'll be graduating with zero debt. The zero debt is mainly due to tops, working part time, and some parental assistance. That may be short sided but I think with today's economic environment she won't feel pressured to take a position she may not be fully comfortable with.
I also like the fact she chose LSU is she'll likely be in the La. and Texas region for career employment and have very accessible contact with family with an hour flight or less than 6hr drive.
She's having a great college experience, summer intership, but the best she'll be graduating with zero debt. The zero debt is mainly due to tops, working part time, and some parental assistance. That may be short sided but I think with today's economic environment she won't feel pressured to take a position she may not be fully comfortable with.
I also like the fact she chose LSU is she'll likely be in the La. and Texas region for career employment and have very accessible contact with family with an hour flight or less than 6hr drive.
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