Author Topic: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?  (Read 15337 times)

Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« on: 09/17/2014 02:41 am »
Hey all!

I'm a high school senior and college student who plans on majoring in aerospace engineering. I'm having a hard time choosing where to apply to college because my GPA is pitiful in my opinion. My transcript is currently as follows:

2.94 weighted GPA
1780 SAT (630 Reading, 610 Math, 540 Writing)

Also worth noting is I was diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive Type this summer. Before being diagnosed, I struggled in school. I struggled not from the concepts, but from the inability to concentrate and complete the necessary out of school work. The concepts actually came easy! Now, after being properly diagnosed, I was prescribed and am now taking Adderall which works like a miracle. Currently I am taking AP Physics C which is an advanced physics class that involves calculus. Also, my struggle with ADHD is the basis for my college essay.

In high school I also took hard classes; mostly AP and Honors classes. I will also be taking the ACT and retaking the SAT before applying to colleges.

I've been looking at colleges and have narrowed my choices down to two main colleges: The University of Colorado at Boulder and The University of Maryland, College Park.

Now for the questions. What are my chances of getting accepted to the above colleges? What colleges do you think are a good fit for me? Is there anyway I can make myself or my college application more attractive to colleges? Any general advice?

I also searched and found that there was no general thread regarding the best aerospace colleges for a prospective college student. So I invite others to converse about their grades and interests surrounding applying to colleges for a major in aerospace engineering.
Clayton Birchenough

Offline Tomness

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #1 on: 09/17/2014 02:55 am »
I looked up and seen that Oklahoma University and Oklahoma State University might have the Aerospace Engineering Degrees your looking for and at the pace that you could do your curriculum in. Just remember you can do anything you want with the right motivation and determination. Doesn't matter how long it will take you.  Don't over whelm your self, Good Luck.

Offline Antares

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #2 on: 09/17/2014 04:26 am »
If you're just looking at state schools (and there's nothing wrong with that!), go to a community college to get the basics out of the way and your GPA up and work at a local aerospace company (even a local airport) or engineering firm or hands-on we-build-hard-stuff firm.  That'll help show the big name aerospace schools that you're for real.  And it saves cash.
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Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #3 on: 09/17/2014 05:31 pm »
I looked up and seen that Oklahoma University and Oklahoma State University might have the Aerospace Engineering Degrees your looking for and at the pace that you could do your curriculum in. Just remember you can do anything you want with the right motivation and determination. Doesn't matter how long it will take you.  Don't over whelm your self, Good Luck.

Thank you! I'll look more into those. I do have the motivation and determination to be an aerospace engineer; it's the only job occupation I'll have!
If you're just looking at state schools (and there's nothing wrong with that!), go to a community college to get the basics out of the way and your GPA up and work at a local aerospace company (even a local airport) or engineering firm or hands-on we-build-hard-stuff firm.  That'll help show the big name aerospace schools that you're for real.  And it saves cash.

How long would it take at a community college to prove that I have changed and can transfer into a better school? 6 months? A year or two?
Clayton Birchenough

Offline strangequark

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #4 on: 09/17/2014 06:36 pm »
You might as well stick it out for two. A lot of them have transfer programs with 4-year universities that will let you still graduate in 4 years total anyway (though doing a co-op and stretching it to 5 is usually very beneficial). Had friends that did that in Florida for both Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering. Your first two years are pretty much the math and physical sciences fundamentals anyway, along with humanities electives. Frankly, at a state university, you're going to mostly be taught by a TA for those classes anyway. The quality of education won't vary, you'll just pay more.

So, do your research, and find out if there are any community colleges that have such a partnership with your preferred schools.

Antares already stated it, but it can't be said enough, practical experience is hugely valuable. Also, a lot of young engineers are very weak on understanding manufacturing and machining. It simply isn't taught at most schools; or taught only in passing. One benefit to a CC is that they will offer vocational classes like welding or basic machining operations. Depending on the area, some CCs even offer vocational Aerospace technology courses. A couple of vocational classes while you are there gives you practical knowledge that most of the "traditional" students will be lacking. It won't matter so much in the transfer to a 4-year, but it's a huge edge when you're looking for employment out in the real world.
« Last Edit: 09/17/2014 06:37 pm by strangequark »

Offline wolfpack

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #5 on: 09/18/2014 01:04 am »
I'll throw in a mention for my username's origin, North Carolina State University. Although I was able to trick them into bestowing an EE degree upon me, I've heard their aerospace program is pretty good! Even had a hand in something called an HL-20 lifting body. Chasing a dream? ;)

Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #6 on: 09/20/2014 03:54 pm »
Thanks for the advice! I still am going to try and apply to the University of Colorado. I'll probably come back with more questions soon!
Clayton Birchenough

Offline mheney

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #7 on: 09/20/2014 04:12 pm »
I'm wondering why you narrowed it down to just those two colleges ...

My alma mater - the University of Michigan - has a good program.  And over my years as
a space advocate, I've been impressed by the people at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University,
which has the added advantage of being located in Daytona Beach  (and near KSC ...)

I live about 5 miles from the University of Maryland's campus, and work at NASA/Goddard.
There's a good partnership between the two; most of what I see is onthe science side rather than
the engineering side of things.

The community college idea is a good one.  Montgomery (County) Community College does have a
transfer agreement in place with UMd, and it's an excellent school in its own right.  (putting my
money where my mouth is - I have a daughter who is a HS freshman; we're looking at MCC -> UMd
as a viable option for her).  And it is less expensive than a four-year university.

So, if you haven't looked at ERAU, do so.  And look at the community college option to work around
the GPA issue - there are good community colleges out there.

You didn't mention where you live - is there a family connection with Colorado or Maryland that gets you
residency or a place to stay part of the equation?  (I took a year off to establish residency in Michigan
back in the day - out of state tuition was expensive, or seemed so at the time ...)

Offline M_Puckett

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #8 on: 09/20/2014 04:15 pm »
Another well-regarded Aerospace school is VA Tech, alma mater of Dr. Chris Craft.

Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #9 on: 09/21/2014 03:36 am »
I'm wondering why you narrowed it down to just those two colleges ...

My alma mater - the University of Michigan - has a good program.  And over my years as
a space advocate, I've been impressed by the people at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University,
which has the added advantage of being located in Daytona Beach  (and near KSC ...)

I live about 5 miles from the University of Maryland's campus, and work at NASA/Goddard.
There's a good partnership between the two; most of what I see is onthe science side rather than
the engineering side of things.

The community college idea is a good one.  Montgomery (County) Community College does have a
transfer agreement in place with UMd, and it's an excellent school in its own right.  (putting my
money where my mouth is - I have a daughter who is a HS freshman; we're looking at MCC -> UMd
as a viable option for her).  And it is less expensive than a four-year university.

So, if you haven't looked at ERAU, do so.  And look at the community college option to work around
the GPA issue - there are good community colleges out there.

You didn't mention where you live - is there a family connection with Colorado or Maryland that gets you
residency or a place to stay part of the equation?  (I took a year off to establish residency in Michigan
back in the day - out of state tuition was expensive, or seemed so at the time ...)

First off, thanks for the advice!

Second, I hadn't necessarily narrowed down my selection as much as I just wasn't sure where else I would be able to go. Embry Riddle looks like it could be a good fit for me!

I also keeping CC in the back of my mind, but would like to get out of the house and see the world. I'm from New Jersey.

Another well-regarded Aerospace school is VA Tech, alma mater of Dr. Chris Craft.

I don't have the grades right now, unfortunately.
Clayton Birchenough

Offline vt_hokie

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #10 on: 09/21/2014 05:32 am »

I don't have the grades right now, unfortunately.

Gotta be pragmatic and find a path that works for you, but definitely stay determined, and be flexible but never give up in following your dreams. 

And we all have ups and downs - I may have had the grades going into college but my GPA wasn't too stellar at VT!  :)  Engineering can be humbling, but I don't regret it - still the best decision I made.  I later went on to get my MBA and had decent numbers there (710 GMAT going in, and a 3.65 GPA coming out) so I didn't let my crappy 2.7 undergrad GPA stop me from continuing my education, though if you want to stay with engineering into the masters and certainly the Ph.D. level, you'll of course want to have competitive grades.  But another thing I'll mention is someone I know from my MBA class overcame attention deficit disorder and graduated with nearly a perfect 4.0, so stick with it.  Life's all about grit and overcoming obstacles after all! 
« Last Edit: 09/21/2014 05:35 am by vt_hokie »

Offline strangequark

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #11 on: 09/21/2014 07:50 am »
I also keeping CC in the back of my mind, but would like to get out of the house and see the world. I'm from New Jersey.


No law that says you have to go to a nearby community college. And yeah, UMich has an excellent aerospace program, especially on the spacecraft side of things. Strongly recommend based on my interactions with alumni. I didn't attend, and have never even been to Michigan, mind you.

Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #12 on: 09/21/2014 11:06 am »
Gotta be pragmatic and find a path that works for you, but definitely stay determined, and be flexible but never give up in following your dreams. 

And we all have ups and downs - I may have had the grades going into college but my GPA wasn't too stellar at VT!  :)  Engineering can be humbling, but I don't regret it - still the best decision I made.  I later went on to get my MBA and had decent numbers there (710 GMAT going in, and a 3.65 GPA coming out) so I didn't let my crappy 2.7 undergrad GPA stop me from continuing my education, though if you want to stay with engineering into the masters and certainly the Ph.D. level, you'll of course want to have competitive grades.  But another thing I'll mention is someone I know from my MBA class overcame attention deficit disorder and graduated with nearly a perfect 4.0, so stick with it.  Life's all about grit and overcoming obstacles after all!

Thanks for the encouraging words! I am doing a lot better now I know I have attention deficit disorder and am receiving medication.

I'm keeping my options open but I definitely want to receive the highest aerospace engineering degree I can from the best college I can.

No law that says you have to go to a nearby community college. And yeah, UMich has an excellent aerospace program, especially on the spacecraft side of things. Strongly recommend based on my interactions with alumni. I didn't attend, and have never even been to Michigan, mind you.

I know! However, I do have one of the best CC in the country right next to me: Raritan Valley Community College. So that is a big plus. I would love to go to UMich, but isn't it terribly cold up there!?
Clayton Birchenough

Offline Hog

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #13 on: 09/21/2014 01:57 pm »
Arent people students with disabilities pooled differently than the regular streams of students?  If you have a Physicians paperwork, selection its a lot different up here North of the border.
Who cares how you enrol, so long as you prove yourself once you have a seat?  No matter what the weather is like.
Paul

Offline mheney

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #14 on: 09/21/2014 01:59 pm »
You're in New Jersey?  Ann Arbor isn't really all that different.   It's similar to NYC.  You do get an occasional (every couple years) cold snap where it drops below -5F at night (coldest I remember in 18 years was about -12 or so), but generally, similar to Chicago and Cleveland.  I.e, they DO have a real winter - but they can deal with it.  (Unlike Washington DC, which has been known to close down on the RUMOR of snow ;) )

And there's nothing that says you have to go to a local community college.  As an example, Montgomery Community College is mostly a "commuter" campus - lots of evening courses, most of the students have homes / apartments in the area, and drive to campus.

Finally, keep in mind that GPA is not an albatross that hangs forever around your neck.  Once you complete your undergrad, nobody will care about your high school GPA.  Once you get into the job market, college GPA becomes less relevant - it's the fact of the degree(s) that matter, and your real-life (work) experience that will open the doors for you.


Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #15 on: 09/23/2014 02:37 am »
Arent people students with disabilities pooled differently than the regular streams of students?  If you have a Physicians paperwork, selection its a lot different up here North of the border.
Who cares how you enrol, so long as you prove yourself once you have a seat?  No matter what the weather is like.

I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be OK with that. I feel very strongly that kids with certain disabilities should not be pooled separately. In the workplace they are still required to be as timely and productive as everyone else!

I also am not ruling out colleges because of weather, but I am not too interested in below freezing temperatures!

You're in New Jersey?  Ann Arbor isn't really all that different.   It's similar to NYC.  You do get an occasional (every couple years) cold snap where it drops below -5F at night (coldest I remember in 18 years was about -12 or so), but generally, similar to Chicago and Cleveland.  I.e, they DO have a real winter - but they can deal with it.  (Unlike Washington DC, which has been known to close down on the RUMOR of snow ;) )

And there's nothing that says you have to go to a local community college.  As an example, Montgomery Community College is mostly a "commuter" campus - lots of evening courses, most of the students have homes / apartments in the area, and drive to campus.

Finally, keep in mind that GPA is not an albatross that hangs forever around your neck.  Once you complete your undergrad, nobody will care about your high school GPA.  Once you get into the job market, college GPA becomes less relevant - it's the fact of the degree(s) that matter, and your real-life (work) experience that will open the doors for you.



I understand all this. Thanks for the advice! Any tips for getting into colleges? Any good universities that have strong partnerships with companies to provide better chances for internships? Anything outside of my college classes that I can do to help transition/gain experience before I enter the workplace as an aerospace engineer?
Clayton Birchenough

Offline Antares

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #16 on: 09/23/2014 04:20 am »
1) Hands on, hands on, hands on.  Be it a job (summer or not), extracurriculars (SAE, design build fly, lab time), etc.

2) M&P classes (hands on also helps with this).  M&P stands for materials and processes.  It turns out everything is made of hardware or software.  When trying to get hardware to fly with flaws, understanding how the material behaves when it's not per print is crucial.  It also helps improve designs so that they are manufacturable and cheaper.

3) Systems engineering.  Not necessarily the requirements management part, which is a (sometimes necessary) crutch.  The real part is being able to evaluate "if I change this over here, these are the cascading effects to the rest of the vehicle."  It's a mindset.  I think the lack of this at the undergrad level is one of the biggest flaws of the "good" aerospace schools.  If a design class does not teach this at a *system* level, not just vehicle level, it's not worthy of being considered a senior-level, capstone class; yet plenty do.
If I like something on NSF, it's probably because I know it to be accurate.  Every once in a while, it's just something I agree with.  Facts generally receive the former.

Offline strangequark

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #17 on: 09/23/2014 06:51 pm »
I understand all this. Thanks for the advice! Any tips for getting into colleges? Any good universities that have strong partnerships with companies to provide better chances for internships? Anything outside of my college classes that I can do to help transition/gain experience before I enter the workplace as an aerospace engineer?

University of Washington in Seattle has a very tight relationship with Aerojet Redmond, where all the small in-space propulsion stuff is done (hydrazine, hypergolics, HAN, and electric propulsion). Though, I did also run into a good contingent of UMich people too.

Like Antares said, anything hands on. Along with M&P, classes in non-destructive evaluation are also extremely useful, for a similar reason. As part of acceptance, and for troubleshooting, hardware routinely will go through X-Ray, Ultrasonic testing, Dye Penetrant inspection, and various other methods to check for damage and proper construction. Understanding those methods, their application, and their limitations is phenomenally useful. Some universities offer these from a theoretical perspective, and there are a decent number of CCs that offer the vocational side (if you do go that route).

EDIT: As an addendum, don't get hung up on big name aerospace companies for your co-ops/internships either. A lot of the down in the details "real" work is subcontracted out anyway, often to surprisingly small companies. Getting through the wall of HR and computerized resume evaluation (yeah, that's a real thing) at a big aero company can be a real luck of the draw. Boeing, Lockheed, SpaceX, and all the large companies get FLOODED with resumes for every internship posting, and the culling can be pretty arbitrary (missing a key word for example). Whereas, for instance, there are test labs with <10 employees that are subcontracted to do vibration and shock testing on space-rated hardware, and you can directly email the owner a resume.
« Last Edit: 09/23/2014 09:10 pm by strangequark »

Offline PahTo

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #18 on: 09/23/2014 07:16 pm »

I think Tomness and Antares (and Strangequark) have nailed it--get your feet wet and get hands-on as much and as soon as possible, and a (lower cost) CC may be the best ticket.  Also be patient!
And remember that "Aerospace" has many many avenues--from material(s) science and engineering to computational fluid dynamics.

Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #19 on: 09/26/2014 07:11 am »
PahTo! Could you please mention a few smaller aerospace companies looking for people with the knowledge of computational fluid dynamics? I know the big players, but as it was pointed out above, it is easier to start at a smaller lab.

Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #20 on: 05/01/2015 12:50 am »
Hey all! Thought I'd let you know I am attending ERAU in the fall and will be majoring in aerospace engineering! I am excited! haha
Clayton Birchenough

Offline RonM

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #21 on: 05/01/2015 01:06 am »
Hey all! Thought I'd let you know I am attending ERAU in the fall and will be majoring in aerospace engineering! I am excited! haha

Congratulations!

Offline ClaytonBirchenough

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #22 on: 05/01/2015 02:27 am »
There are specific rules (EEO) in the US for not discriminating what school a potential hiring candidate is from. 

However, that being said, the aerospace business is extremely fussy about picking the 'right' students from specific schools. 

There are articles from aerospace companies that talk about their extreme process to grab the top 1% from universities.  But again, this is likely the top 1% of the top 10% schools in aerospace.  Employers these days are really looking for advanced degrees (masters, PhD, ScD, etc).  So you need to have an extreme drive to get your GPA up in college in order to be accepted into a masters program at all costs to get into aerospace.

It is great for companies that are able to attract these candidates in the top 1%.  Except for the rest of the plopulation that doesn't get hired, you have just spent a lot tuition that cannot be easily applied anywhere else (unless you go international).  To me this is a policy in the industry that stinks bad.  It is elitism that really has channels back to the military doctrine.

It's hard to see over the horizon past 2016, but I think right now I would tell my kids to wait until NASA actually states in clear and notorious fashion that they are absolutely funded for a Mars mission by taxpayers.  I would honestly state you have better chances for your career by steering away from aerospace. If there is a war on when you graduate in 4+ years, this can have extremely damaging effects on your job hunt near graduation. 

There are stats that will show you that you would be better chances for a successful career by gaining more broader skills in software, systems, mechanical or electrical engineering as well as a few others.  Aerospace was at the bottom of the pile for number of job postings versus all other majors.  And then propulsion engineering is a fraction of aerospace...

The problem is that most companies are just looking to cut costs to meet earnings expectations (if they are public).  A company these days is not pushing research.  They will take new ideas and throw them into an idea bin/dumpster for consideration later if needed.  Right now most companies seem to have their formula figured out.

But if you do have to jump into aerospace.... try to get into one the top 5.  Purdue, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and if you can afford it MIT.  These seem to be some of the schools with better reputations.  University of Maryland is great in certain aspects of aerospace, they may not get the full attention by some aerospace companies. However, they are collaborating with one major aerospace company in one research area. 

Right now nobody is claiming they have an official Mars program (funded by a international group of governments at least).  And nobody is designing radical new aircraft. 

So you will emerge out of an aerospace engineering program having been educated for something very specific for projects that will likely not be realized. 

Software engineering right now is #1 out of all other majors.

Good luck!

Thanks for all of this! I plan on starting my own company though... haha
Clayton Birchenough

Offline AndrewM

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Re: Best Aerospace Engineering Colleges for Me?
« Reply #23 on: 06/22/2015 08:04 pm »
ERAU Prescott was in my final three but I decided to go to RIT where I will be entering studying Electrical Engineering with a focus on robotics before I transition to what I originally applied for - Mechanical Engineering with a focus on aerospace.

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