Well, I'm a highschool senior in the U.S., and I'm wanting to go to MIT to get my bachelor's of science in Mechanical engineering. (MIT stands for Massachusetts Institute of Technology so you know....). If anyone has gone there, could you perhaps just give me general advice on what to do, how you got accepted, and just suggest ideas? thanks....

 

If you are only interested in a bachelor's level engineering degree, MIT may not be the most appropriate school- but if you are planning on going on for a Masters or Doctorate, MIT is among the best. The problem with their BS program is that it is too theoretical, and the curriculum is aimed more at those planning on advanced degrees. There are many, many better schools for the Bachelors degree- Georgia Tech, Texas A & M, University of Texas, and I am sure North Carolina has a fine school with which I might not be familiar. Look for a school that can provide you smaller classes in the engineering and mathematics departments. It is very difficult to wrap your arms around thermodynamics from the back of an auditorium...

 

Hm......thanks for bringing that up, I'll think it over. Have you gone to MIT yourself?

 

MIT used to by one of my customers. I earned my BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas. When I started looking for jobs that final year, I had several job offers at 25% or more of the national average for entry level engineers.
I have also over the years employed a number of entry level engineers- an MIT or Stanford BS would not even open my office door- although there were exceptions (one of the best engineers I ever competed against had a BS from MIT!).
The key to the smaller school is smaller classes- at least those that count. You get to know your professors, and they get to know you. Special attention, if you will. Also, you tend to get more lab/shop experience in the smaller schools, or so that was my experience 30 years ago...

 

hmm.....thanks alot for the reply. I was really betting the whole farm on MIT to be honest, but I will look at other schools....thanks. So like, what do you do for a living?

 

I am currently a cross between a beach bum and a consulting engineer in Panama. I bailed out of the rat race a few years ago aboard a sailboat, wound up on the beach where I met and married a lawyer, and now I work when I feel like it, or not...I will never, ever retire!

 

That's pretty awesome! I totally agree on the retirement thing; i mean, even if you can just make little greeting cards and sell them, i think man should still work 'till he dies...