Recommendations for engineering schools?

[Pocketa]

I'm looking for schools that are in the midwest, mostly consisting of white males from the state the college is in (keep reading, I'm not racist), with an engineering focus, generous financial aid, and low standards.

Why?

My scores are qualified enough to get me into a tier 1 school. Scratch that, were. I haven't been published enough (only twice) and I haven't competed at a national level. Thus, I'm looking for some safety schools. Plus, it's a recession, so obviously money is a concern.

Why midwest?

Usually, fewer applicants apply to midwestern schools, acceptance rates are higher, and I won't feel like I'm wasting $50-75 to get a rejection letter. Plus, I like the midwest. Many schools offering my intended major (petroleum engineering) are midwestern.

Why mostly white, male, instate?

Many colleges will be more likely to accept and even offer better financial aid to URM's (under represented minorities), so basically, non-white males from out of state. Most midwestern schools consist of white males from instate, and thus, they'd offer me a bigger package. Many schools on the coasts already can afford to be super selective and have a diversify amount of highly qualified students to pick from. Seeing as I'm an Asian female from CA, I will be considered a triple URM, and thus, qualify for a better package.

Why an engineering focus?

I want to be a petroleum engineer and thus I want a school that considers my major to be important.

Why the generous financial aid?

I won't have to pay as much out of pocket, simple as that, but on paper, I don't look needy, even though I sort of am (it's personal and not important).

Why the low standards?

It means that I'll have a better chance of receiving merit-based aid rather than aid based on residency. As an out-of-state resident, tuition is usually higher. I won't be applicable for aid that isn't based on merit. Some schools offer merit aid for students with GPAs as low as a 3.0 (B average) and thus a 4.0 unweighted GPA (straight A's) would have a great chance of getting financial aid. Plus, I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond.


Any suggestions for me?

So far...


Missouri University of Science and Technology - I went there for an engineering camp, loved the campus, love the people, and I love the hands-on approach. Plus, they offer my major.
University of Tulsa - Somebody I know received a full ride even though they were only average in high school. They offer my major.
Case Western - Recommended by my mom's friend.

[ForzaFiori]

I don't know many schools in the midwest, but Clemson has a fairly good engineering program, is mostly male (not sure about the white part. Alot of the math and engineering program seem to be Chinese and Indian. It may just be that they were all in my friends class though) and they gave me merit based stuff with a 3. something unweighted GPA (3.9 weighted)

Georgia Tech has an amazing engineering program, but would be hard to get into and even harder to get scholorships though.

University of Virginia and Virginia Tech are alot like Clemson.

All of this, however, is based on second hand knowledge. The Clemson stuff is from two friends who did engineering (one who got in last year, one who is going in this year) and VT and UVA are from the friend going in this year.

[Pocketa]

BTW, mostly white male doesn't really matter, it's just that I need some sort of hook. To some places, I'm a URM, some places, I'm not. I don't care if it's a distinguished U or anything.

I know UVA and GTech are super hard to get into. A relative of mine teaches at GTech, admissions are ridiculous but worth it.

[Mando Knight]

Any suggestions for me?

So far...


Missouri University of Science and Technology - I went there for an engineering camp, loved the campus, love the people, and I love the hands-on approach. Plus, they offer my major.

Oops, my job is done here already. :smalltongue:

[Nomrom]

I'm at Texas A&M, which I know isn't exactly midwest, but we have an excellent engineering program. Actually, our petroleum engineering program is considered one of the best in the nation. And if you have a 4.0 you'll have no trouble getting in and getting very good scholarships, possibly a full ride. One of my best friends is from out of state (Washington), and he has a full ride studying nuclear engineering. Also, most students are white, so you would be a minority. Plus, Texas A&M rocks.

[SDF]

U of Idaho has one of the best engineering programs in the country. It was better than several Ivys including MIT as of three or four years ago. My dad got rejected from them in the 70's. Went to Wyoming, then got his masters (engineering) from Stanford. Maybe a bit outside the midwest epicenter, but fits your criteria pretty well. If you were to somehow end up there you would have witness my Uni's (BSU) football team decimate UofI for the duration of your schooling. :smalltongue:

[Pocketa]

Oops, I forgot to put Texas A&M on my list. One of my friends is going to go there, they've got a great engineering program with great connections to the industry.

U of Idaho looks great. Is that Idaho State University? If so, I definitely fit the SAT range, and it'd be a great safety based on acceptance rate, which is by no means a barometer of educational quality, obv.

[borninbones]

University of Nebraska. engineering. I have little knowledge on them beyond, hard to get into their engineering dept and you dont get much more midwest then nebraska. go huskers.

[Holocron Coder]

It was mentioned already and isn't midwest, but I'll have to mention Georgia Tech again (and not just 'cause I graduated from there).

One of the top engineering universities in the country and not quite as hard to get into as everyone claims (really, I got in without much to pad my application at all other than good grades).

Petroleum engineering would be Chem&Biochem from what I see. Not my speciality by any means (Computer Science graduate, here), but I hear great things about the chemistry program here.

[JediSoth]

Purdue University (http://www.purdue.edu) has a good engineering program. No fewer than 22 astronauts have/had degrees from Purdue, including Neil Armstrong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Purdue_University_people).

If you prefer city schools to schools in small farming towns, then Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI (http://www.iupui.edu)) also has a good engineering program and your degree will say "Purdue University". IUPUI is basically a joint campus in Indianapolis for IU and PU. It's also within walking distance of Gen Con. :)

For the record, I'm biased: IUPUI is my alma-mater.

[The Glyphstone]

University of Milawaukee? I'm honestly not certain how strong their chemical/petroleum engineering program is - I was looking at it for civil/architectural, but that was going to be my second choice if I didn't get into my #1 pick (I did).

[Cyrion]

Also take a look at University of Wyoming. I don't know what their standing is now, but when my father went it was one of the best engineering schools in the country.

[Erloas]

Well I didn't go to the University of Wyoming (I went out of state) but from what I hear it is a good place for petroleum engineers, we do have a lot of petroleum around after all. Although Laramie generally isn't considered that great of a place to live. Utah, Montana, and Colorado are also probably good choices.

Considering where you are likely to end up as a petroleum engineer I would look at those places first. It makes it that much easier to find a job if you don't have to travel half way across the country for interviews and employment once you do graduate. And schools generally have pretty good connections with local operations of businesses. Of course there are a lot of options that fit that.

[dawnsolara]

University of Michigan, though as a (now former) Texas A&M student I have to pump our reputation - we're excellent at engineering, and one of the top universities for petroleum engineering. Oh, and don't worry - you'll be one of the few women in engineering here.

University of Texas is also good for engineering, and for anything, really (I've recently discovered it is freakishly good for a state school) but is also rather expensive and doesn't give out scholarships too readily.

TAMU is good, likes giving out scholarships, and make sure you get into the Honors Program ASAP - it has its problems, but they take care of their students.

In the end, though, look for schools that have more than just engineering to their credit, in case you end up like me and realizing your passion lies elsewhere.

[SDF]

Idaho has three main unis. Idaho State University is in Pocatello in the east. They have a great nursing program, but I don't know much about their engineering program. University of Idaho is in the northern panhandle in Moscow. And, my uni, Boise State University is in the capital in the south west. We are mostly known for our business school, and our biology programs (one of two places you can get a masters in raptor biology :smalltongue:) We are getting bigger, though. Mostly because of our football program. Normally I could care less about football, but every time we win a national title we get at least two multimillion dollar academic buildings. And the new cafeteria food is WAY better since they built the new one. Tee hee.


Petroleum engineering would be Chem&Biochem from what I see. Not my speciality by any means (Computer Science graduate, here), but I hear great things about the chemistry program here.

Oil companies would have a few chemists. (Mostly analytical chemists) But chemical engineering would be the career field, and that is most definitely an engineering degree.

As a biochemistry major there would be a few things I could do with oil. All of it involves hours of pipetting. :smallyuk:

[The Watchman]

Something you really, really, really want to consider is the J. B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville. Not only is it a prestigious school, but it offers a five-year master's degree program. Five years, skip bachelor's entirely, graduate with master's. That's where I am.

[blackfox]

UMich Ann Arbor
U of Wisconsin
UWashington
U of Colorado Boulder
Colorado School of Mines
Georgia Tech
NC State University
UPitt
Virginia Tech

[ninjaneer003]

Don't really have any suggestions for ya but best of luck to ya

[SDF]

Another thing to consider is the city the school is in. As long as it is an accredited 4 year uni (Ivy's, little Ivy's, and state schools especially) your degree will be worth about the same. (Less you go to a Harvard/Yale/Stanford/ect where the name is what is prestigious about the degree) If you plan to go to grad school at all go to a state school for your undergrad. Get as much funding and scholarships as you can. Do a lot of extracurriculars and get good grades, THEN bankrupt yourself with debt going to a name brand school (not literally mind you :smallbiggrin:)

Go somewhere you want to be. I mentioned U of I as a great engineering school and it really is. The caveat is that it is in a small college town surrounded by a lot of nothing, and unless you like to party or do a lot of outdoors wilderness stuff it might not be the best location to be in.

My current plan is to finish BSU with a Polysci degree then go to U of M in the Twin Cities to finish my BS in biochem before going for a PhD and/or MD. Minnesota is a great science school, but more importantly I have a lot of friends there as I grew up there and I love the area. If you can get closer to the east coast all the cities are very close together, and you'll never want for something to do. The midwest is pretty good with urban sprawl, and the west... well the west is the frikin Mojave desert! (At least Nevada has gambling. I made a couple hundred dollars last time I was in Jackpot. Math and blackjack kids, thats the key!) Sorry about the drifting rambling, I think you get what I'm saying, though. If you are going for a higher degree no employer is going to look at your resume and care for a second that you went to Montana State if you went somewhere prestigious for your grad school. And, don't forget that career experience will trump a PhD from Princeton 4 out of 5 times anyway. Go where you want to be, enjoy college. The journey is more important than the destination. Last, and most important of all - marry rich

[toasty]

University of Texas is also good for engineering, and for anything, really (I've recently discovered it is freakishly good for a state school) but is also rather expensive and doesn't give out scholarships too readily.

I briefly looked at this school (as someone looking at it from a Business/English Major, but still) and wasn't really impressed. Basically, one of their Admissions guys explained how they get sooo many people they HAVE to accept now because of some stupid law that says if you are in the top 10% you get into any Public University that they don't really need you. Mind you, while I AM a white-male I've grown up overseas and I'm a homeschooler. But from what I've know, the homeschooler part puts me on the bottom wrung because of the way they work through their applications...

So while I suppose they might be a good school... bah, I didn't think it was very good.

Oh, and then we went to a seminar that made me feel like their English program was total crap, because they guy talking was saying, "in Highschool... you do this... and High School isn't teaching you properly." And my responses was, "erm... actually I don't do that... "

Oh, and its also in the top 10 party schools in the US, I read, and while I suppose there are some people that like that... I'm really more of a "you know... studying is a good thing." Still, I have had relatives go there and it does have some good points, I suppose.

Texas A&M is supposed to be a good school. Again, I don't really know a whole lot about it, I glanced at the website in my searching for colleges, but since I was leaning towards small private (Christian) schools, it really didn't hit my radar that much. Plus the stupid, "we accept 10% top graduating class people" when as a homeschooler I am not 10% nor do I rank, which messes me up. :smallfurious:

Oh, and I hear Georgia Tech is good because my physics teacher was a former professor there, and he seemed pretty cool.

edit: while I'm at it, I'll mention your school isn't everything. My uncle went to some random school and got his business degree. He is now a top exec in Kraft and get's a really nice salary (or at least... I assume he does, I don't ask such things. :smalltongue:). Though, a big paycheck isn't necessarily everything... though generally that's why we go to College, eh? :smalltongue:

[Mando Knight]

I mentioned U of I as a great engineering school and it really is. The caveat is that it is in a small college town surrounded by a lot of nothing, and unless you like to party or do a lot of outdoors wilderness stuff it might not be the best location to be in.

Small? Champaign-Urbana (or however they style themselves today), the engineering campus, is two (small) cities smooshed together. Only problem I see is that it's fairly near Chicago. [rimshot]

Rolla's smaller. You don't need a shuttle service to get around campus, for example. ['nother rimshot]
Purdue University (http://www.purdue.edu) has a good engineering program. No fewer than 22 astronauts have/had degrees from Purdue, including Neil Armstrong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Purdue_University_people).Ooh, Purdue. One of my favorite profs went to Purdue.

[SDF]

You're mistaken, people confuse Idaho with Iowa. Not Illinois. :smallwink:

[mucat]

My scores are qualified enough to get me into a tier 1 school. Scratch that, were. I haven't been published enough (only twice) and I haven't competed at a national level.[/LIST]
You're talking about a place to get an undergraduate degree, right? The sparse publication record won't hurt you. Even the best engineering schools won't expect their incoming undergrads to have published anything. Your couple of papers, if they're good, put you ahead of the game already. Especially if you give an interesting account of your research in your interviews (if any) and essays for the school.

By the way, you're in the SF Bay Area, right? Some of the better two-year colleges in the area are academically superior to almost any four-year university. The catch, of course, is that they offer only lower-division coursework; you transfer to a university for the last two or three years of your degree. It's a great deal; they cost almost nothing compared to University tuition, and the flagship science classes might have 20-40 people taught by someone whose chief passion in life is teaching, rather than a University lecture hall with hundreds of students and a bored professor who really wishes class was over so he/she can get back to his/her real work, which is research.

De Anza college in Cupertino and Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz are two that I personally recommend for engineering and science students. There are others I emphatically don't recommend, but I won't list their names here...

[Pocketa]

The problem with the local transfer programs is that they're overimpacted, plus, although I am ELC (eligible in local context, determined basically by whether or not you receive a letter telling you you're ELC and thus in the top 2 or 4% of your class or something). Getting into a UC is ridiculously hard if you're a local Asian.

Also, publications:

Dedication in a book
Interviewed for a French paper about a technology convention
Video interview with me for the school paper on a race and equity panel


Also, Red Cross Community Service award for 2 years in a row (2000 and 2001, so a while back) at the county level. 2 major service programs this year, and I'm the lead community outreach coordinator (add capitals please) for one of the programs, and I have interns.

Georgia Tech is excellent, but I thought it was really selective?

[Dr. Bath]

Even though this is for a back up, make sure to bear in mind what the campus and general feel of a college is like. You have to feel comfortable with the atmosphere and the people or the resources and teaching won't make as much of a difference.

For example! Both I and a couple of people I know had a good shot at Oxford or Cambridge, but just didn't like the place, feel, or general populace (or that method of teaching (heavy, constant workload)) etc etc.

Just something to note when looking at unis/college/thinkboxes/academicals.

[dawnsolara]

With the Top 10% Law (which I hate, by the way) it's a state law. All Texas schools follow it. However, it also means that if you get in out-of-state or non top-10%, they really want you.

As to UT being a party school, I suppose it has that reputation - but then again, in a school with over 40,000 undergrads (if I remember correctly) you'll find pretty much any sort of crowd to hang out with that you want. As to UT being a good school, I'm taking that from grad school rankings, not undergrad. In Engineering, overall, they scored 11 in the country in 2009, with their Petroleum engineering department being rated #1 in the country, and chemical engineering in the top 10. Their law school is #15 overall, now, and their physics, math, and chemistry departments are 16, 14, and 12 overall. Freakishly good for a state school - yes, by my measure.

I'll second that publications are not essential to getting into undergrad - they're more icing on the cake than anything until grad school, and even then they really aren't considered (as far as I can tell) that essential to an application. From what I can see, you need to really push your excellent resume and grades. That, and a strong essay, should be fine.

[Holocron Coder]

Georgia Tech is excellent, but I thought it was really selective?

In a sense it is, and in some senses it isn't. They pick from the top of schools (which it sounds like you are) and, for the most part, expect that anybody that shouldn't have gone to the school will leave after the first or second semester. Which is surprisingly accurate. Many fail out.

But don't let that scare you (too much :smallbiggrin:).

And, as you've pointed out yourself, your one of the lucky minorities when it comes to college. With good grades and the fact that you aren't a guy, you're all but in already.

(stupid 3:1 ratio... :smallannoyed: -grumble grumble- :smallwink:)

[Knaight]

There is also always Colorado State. Its among the best in the nation for Engineering degrees, though relatively unknown. Furthermore, its cheap -In state is about $5,000 a semester, out of state $20,000- and does have some financial aid. You are well above the standards they have, though the engineering school has higher standards than CSU in general (CSU in general requiring a 2.3 GPA, and something along the lines of a 21 on the ACT), and the city around it is pretty good. Its not huge, bike friendly (consider how much car insurance costs, add that to maintenance, gas, the occasional ticket, etc. and this saves more in the way of cost), has a reasonably low crime rate, and does have affordable housing. In short, it is a good school, in a good city, which meets all of the requirements you outlined.

Given that you should be able to get a full ride scholarship in quite a few schools, employment and cost of living in the cities in question should be large concerns. CSU is in Fort Collins, which resisted the recession fairly well, has a huge number of students passing through and moving out, meaning that job openings will not be difficult to find, is cheap to live in (I already mentioned biking being viable, public transportation is also very good, rents aren't absurd, and food costs are fairly typical. That said, actually buying a house can be pricey.), and it is a nice place to be on top of that.

[snoopy13a]

Texas A&M- I don't know that much about it but it is the engineering state school for the 2nd biggest state in the country. Plus petroleum is big in Texas.

University of Oklahoma- Again, I think petroleum is big here.

Petroleum engineering is a bit of a niche major so the usual engineering suspects (MIT, Caltech, Princeton, Cornell, etc) might not be best. For example, my alma mater (Cornell) has a very good engineering college but I'm not sure if we have a petroleum engineering program (I wasn't an engineer).

[blackfox]

For example, my alma mater (Cornell) has a very good engineering college but I'm not sure if we have a petroleum engineering program (I wasn't an engineer).Environmental engineering is the closest we've got. Also. What year are you and what school were you from.

[snoopy13a]

Environmental engineering is the closest we've got. Also. What year are you and what school were you from.

'01, Arts and Crafts (Biological Sciences)

[blackfox]

'01, Arts and Crafts (Biological Sciences)So as not to derail the thread I'll just say that I'm glad to see other Cornellians around this site. :smalltongue:

[toasty]

With the Top 10% Law (which I hate, by the way) it's a state law. All Texas schools follow it. However, it also means that if you get in out-of-state or non top-10%, they really want you.

I know that... but I know the UT and A&M follow it, that's enough for me. :smalltongue: The school I'm going to sure doesn't follow it.


As to UT being a good school, I'm taking that from grad school rankings, not undergrad. In Engineering, overall, they scored 11 in the country in 2009, with their Petroleum engineering department being rated #1 in the country, and chemical engineering in the top 10. Their law school is #15 overall, now, and their physics, math, and chemistry departments are 16, 14, and 12 overall. Freakishly good for a state school - yes, by my measure.

While I recongize that UT has a lot of good programs, and I wouldn't say, "Don't go there, its a bad school," because its really not a bad school, my personal thoughts where, "this isn't a school that I'd like to go to." And, grad =/= undergrad. When it comes time for grad school I will give UT a second chance.

[Pocketa]

UT=University of Tulsa? Or Texas?

[Don Julio Anejo]

UT=University of Tulsa? Or Texas?
University of Toronto :biggrin:

Out of curiousity, does Northwestern count as a tier one school? I'm not too familiar about US schools aside from Ivy Leagues and some of the better med schools.

[Pocketa]

University of Toronto :biggrin:

Out of curiousity, does Northwestern count as a tier one school? I'm not too familiar about US schools aside from Ivy Leagues and some of the better med schools.

Definitely Tier 1, however, financial aid isn't great, plus, I'm looking for places with really low acceptance rates and standards.

[SilentDragoon]

Soon to be grad of UT (University of Texas at Austin to be precise) chiming in. The engineering school is really quite good. Mechanical Engineering in my case, never took many classes with Petro so I can't say much about that section of the school. UT in essence is large enough to be whatever you want it to be for you. If you want to go to a party school and party all the time, Sixth isn't too far away and there is a bar right across the street from the Engineering buildings. One of my old undergrad classmates took his sweet time and was in year 6 of undergrad because almost all he did was party and bomb tests. If you want athletics/sports stuff, UT has or is the training location for many of the top in that case too. There are a couple museums in the area, good theaters, plenty of traditional performing arts, and any given night there will be a live band performance you can probably sneak into.

Texas A&M is definitely up there as well in the quality of engineering education, I looked into going there before deciding on UT. Can't really speak as to ethnicity/gender issues as after five years I kinda just see my classmates as other engineering students. I suppose there aren't quite as many gals, and there are several organizations that'll give extra aid (scholastic, possibly help in finding financial) to those who do enroll here.

As far as scholarships go, you can compensate for that with the usual grader position or research stipend to help cover costs. Never needed to myself but I think there's usually a decently big need for graders, especially in ME for Thermal/Fluids/Thermal Fluids. Not really quite as applicable for your first year unless you are really proficient in something and already placed out of it. Again, not personally familiar with the Petro dept. so there might be different needs. In the ME department, some of the professors will hire on undergraduate students for assistance to the graduate research. Do a reasonably good job in a class or two and you can probably swing by and talk to the professors about some opportunities. Another route often taken is to get part time to full time work at the Pickle Research Campus, as they will hire even those fresh out of high school and start getting you good money and experience.

[toasty]

UT=University of Tulsa? Or Texas?

Sorry. UT = University of Texas at Austin.

[Pocketa]

Sorry. UT = University of Texas at Austin.

Are other campuses okay as well? What is Austin like?

Which Texas A&M campus is really recommended? I like the College Station campus because they have an Amtgard group there and I love Amtgard. Wyvern Spur, representing. Level 6 healer, level 2 monster, soon to be level 2 druid, ftw.

[Nomrom]

The College Station campus is the main one. That's where you would go. The rest all are pretty small, and not nearly as good in most fields.

Same thing for UT. The only campus you would want to go to is the one at Austin.

[dawnsolara]

The other campuses are more niche schools - UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, there's a campus in Dallas (I believe), and several others, but none of them will be what you want for undergrad.

Austin is - well, I'm in love with the city, and that's probably good since I'll be attending UT Law this fall. It has a great student life from what I've seen, good music, and best of all good tex-mex, which I cannot live without (that ruled out about half the schools in the country for me . . . :smalltongue:). I'm not sure of UT's student diversity, but I'm sure its more diverse than A&M, which is pretty much 70-80% white and just over half male (engineering, except chemical and biomedical, at A&M, were all way less than 50% female when I was an engineering major). The only downside to Austin, from what I've seen, is that they're in love with that ugly burnt orange color UT chose. Maroon is *so* much more pleasant, but I guess I'll have to get used to burnt orange. If you like activism, don't forget that Austin is the capital of Texas, so you can lobby while you attend school, or just stay in touch with what's happening in Texas (though I imagine that's less important to an out-of-state student than me).

Either way, for both A&M and UT, go to the main campus. A&M Galveston is for marine stuff, and the rest (except Qatar) probably won't have what you want. As an aside, if you go to A&M, you could look into spending some time at the Qatar campus - you'd almost certainly be one of a very few females there.

Really, the best way to get to know a school is a visit, but I can tell you from experience that A&M is friendly, and UT seemed fairly friendly too when I visited - but A&M is hugely conservative, at least the outspoken students are, so that can color interactions if you don't agree with the prevailing attitudes. UT has the same problem, from what I understand, but in reverse - it is a typical, liberal university.

Beware, though, if you don't like football - both schools LOVE THEIR FOOTBALL! So Saturdays get pretty crowded on both campuses.

[toasty]

Are other campuses okay as well? What is Austin like?

Which Texas A&M campus is really recommended? I like the College Station campus because they have an Amtgard group there and I love Amtgard. Wyvern Spur, representing. Level 6 healer, level 2 monster, soon to be level 2 druid, ftw.

I haven't seen much of Austin but I find it hilarious that its a "big city" by American standards (15th largest?) and yet has less than 1 million people. I've grown up in Dhaka and Dhaka now has like... 12 million people and is 1/4 of Austin's size. :smalltongue: dawnsolara summed it up a lot better than I could, I guess.

[Erloas]

I haven't seen much of Austin but I find it hilarious that its a "big city" by American standards (15th largest?) and yet has less than 1 million people. I've grown up in Dhaka and Dhaka now has like... 12 million people and is 1/4 of Austin's size. :smalltongue: dawnsolara summed it up a lot better than I could, I guess.

One thing to keep in mind is that in the USA a lot of places like to count their suburbs as actual different cities. Like Phoenix itself only has 1.5M people, but the Phoenix metro area has 4.3M. And of course people in those suburbs like to act like they don't live in the big city (I found it especially ironic for those in Scottsdale acting like they were their own special little city). (I just mention Phoenix because I lived there for entirely too long, 8 years)
Austin specifically has 750k people, but the metro area has 1.7M people (35th in population in terms of metro areas instead of a city itself).
And when you get to some areas like the north east coast it might be 3-4 major metro areas, hundreds of individual cities and pretty much no space between them driving from one to another without ever leaving a city so when they decide to break it up is fairly arbitrary.

Of course personally I hate bigger cities and would avoid them. Going to a college in a less populated area would be a good thing for me. The entire state of Wyoming has less then 1/8th the population of Phoenix and almost twice the area of the entire country of Bangladesh.

[Deathslayer7]

My advice is apply where you want to go. Don't look at any other requirements. Just apply. When you get you acceptance/rejection letters, then you start deciding by which college stays and which goes.

[skywalker]

Case Western - Recommended by my mom's friend.

A high school friend attends Case-Western. It is by all accounts a decent school, but Cleveland suffers from awful weather, and while they'll tell you there have been significant "livability" improvements in Cleveland, I don't really believe that. It's just not a great place to live.


As to UT being a party school, I suppose it has that reputation - but then again, in a school with over 40,000 undergrads (if I remember correctly) you'll find pretty much any sort of crowd to hang out with that you want.

This is the same thing they say about my current institution, the Real UT (Tennessee :smallamused:). They tell you "It's a big school, you'll be able to find your crowd for sure!" But the fact is, of our 21,000 undergrads, about 7/8 to 15/16 of them are partiers. Some bigger than others, but most of our campus is like this. The kids who don't like to party are often recluses, so if you want to be social, it's often hard to find a way to do that without a can of natty light in your hand.

I did eventually find a niche, but that's because I turned 21 (so I could legally party, laws are scary) and learned to party a little bit. I also should have graduated this May, meaning on a four-year plan I would've found my niche about 3 months before graduation. Contrast this with the high-school friends I visited who went to smaller schools that matched their personalities, who were functioning in friend groups by the end of first semester freshman year.

My personal advice to high school upperclassmen is, visit a lot of schools. Find a medium-sized school where you like the people you see and interact with. If you are certain of your career path, make sure it has decent rankings in that direction. But keep in mind that you may change your major (the average undergrad changes majors 3 times now?). For instance, my ex-girlfriend went to a highly-rated research university for physics. She was a member of the most populous major (physics, duh). When she graduated, tho, she had a degree in the second most popular major. Any guesses for that one?
...
Creative writing. All the nerdy physics washouts major in creative writing. Guess how impressive your Creative Writing degree from what is effectively "Physics University" looks? Exactly. Not very.

So, don't go to a small niche school (they're usually too expensive anyway), but also don't go to a massive state school, unless you actually like the majority of people you see there. If you see a bunch of Greek letters during your visit, and you don't plan on joining a fraternity/sorority, you might want to consider another school. Etc, etc, etc.

Also, as to UT-Austin specifically being a party school, a girl from my high school went to UT-Austin. Her facebook status at 8:00 AM that day was "Blank is so sad to be leaving Knoxville and all her friends. I'll miss you SO MUCH!" Her status at 7:00 PM? "3rd floor strip and slip and slide!!! WOOO!" She found one of the few schools in the country that can out-party Tennessee. Trust me, we go hard here.


In a sense it is, and in some senses it isn't. They pick from the top of schools (which it sounds like you are) and, for the most part, expect that anybody that shouldn't have gone to the school will leave after the first or second semester. Which is surprisingly accurate. Many fail out.

But don't let that scare you (too much :smallbiggrin:).

Very, very true.

From my perspective, I know several people who went to GT. None of them (and I mean none of them) could or should or did consider Ivies even remotely a possibility. They're mainly horrifyingly average academically (none of them were top 10%, I did go to a snooty private school but we were not that academically rigorous) or worse. Altho one did flunk out, the others have done fine there in the engineering program. It's a selective school, but if you've got even close to the numbers you should have to apply to those other schools you're applying to, it will not be that rough getting into GT.

Also, Atlanta is so much prettier than the Midwest. "City Too Busy to Hate?" I'm in love already. It never snows there. Do you know how much happier that can make life in the winter part of term?


CSU is in Fort Collins, which resisted the recession fairly well, has a huge number of students passing through and moving out, meaning that job openings will not be difficult to find, is cheap to live in (I already mentioned biking being viable, public transportation is also very good, rents aren't absurd, and food costs are fairly typical. That said, actually buying a house can be pricey.), and it is a nice place to be on top of that.

Houses are pricey because it's one of the nicest cities in one of the nicest states. Very good environment, very good air quality, etc. Cold state, but not cold in the bitter, horrific way I consider the Midwest to be. Also beer! They make Fat Tire there!


Austin is - well, I'm in love with the city, and that's probably good since I'll be attending UT Law this fall. It has a great student life from what I've seen, good music, and best of all good tex-mex, which I cannot live without (that ruled out about half the schools in the country for me . . . :smalltongue:). I'm not sure of UT's student diversity, but I'm sure its more diverse than A&M, which is pretty much 70-80% white and just over half male (engineering, except chemical and biomedical, at A&M, were all way less than 50% female when I was an engineering major). The only downside to Austin, from what I've seen, is that they're in love with that ugly burnt orange color UT chose. Maroon is *so* much more pleasant, but I guess I'll have to get used to burnt orange. If you like activism, don't forget that Austin is the capital of Texas, so you can lobby while you attend school, or just stay in touch with what's happening in Texas (though I imagine that's less important to an out-of-state student than me).

Really, the best way to get to know a school is a visit, but I can tell you from experience that A&M is friendly, and UT seemed fairly friendly too when I visited - but A&M is hugely conservative, at least the outspoken students are, so that can color interactions if you don't agree with the prevailing attitudes. UT has the same problem, from what I understand, but in reverse - it is a typical, liberal university.

Austin is right up there with Fort Collins and Boulder. It is considered one of the best places in the country to live in. A quick glance at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin,_Texas)indicates it has been ranked the greenest city in the US, the "Live Music Capital of the World" (Austin City Limits! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_City_Limits_Music_Festival)), and its unofficial slogan is "Keep Austin Weird." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Austin_Weird)

Truly, it is a place of wonder.

[dawnsolara]

Well, I'm going to have to disagree with you on the party school thing, but that's because I know several people currently attending UT-Austin, and having attended Texas A&M (also a school known to party, though ours generally involve the more idiotic students here going to Northgate, getting smashed, and acting like fools in the cafeteria - breaking glass, yelling, etc etc) I can say that the trick, for me, to finding people I wanted to hang out with was joining clubs. My friend at UT-Austin is heavily involved in martial arts, and so am I, but there are also a plethora of clubs, many specifically directed at majors - for instance, A&M has a Student Engineering Council and a club for each Engineering major, which is probably present at most other universities. By getting involved in these clubs (and others, like the Polo Club, the Physics club, etc) I found plenty of people to hang out with, study with, and even party with when I wanted to (seldom if ever).

However, joining clubs takes some courage, and certainly seemed weird to me when I first arrived at A&M, so for anyone who's more reticent, socially, or who isn't the kind to throw themselves into something, then going to a smaller school could be fun.

Oh, I forgot - Honors Programs - they really help with finding people, too, though there are plenty of partying Honors students at A&M, and I'm sure they exist at UT-Austin too.

Really, it comes down to what you're willing to do to find people. I joined martial arts and haven't looked back, but the first semester was a bit rough, when I wasn't sure if I could balance studying and hanging out. If you're not sure what you want, apply to the schools that interest you the most, and visit as many as you can. If you are lucky enough to be National Merit or some other kind of stand-out student, many schools will even pay for you to come hang out on campus.

[Knaight]

Houses are pricey because it's one of the nicest cities in one of the nicest states. Very good environment, very good air quality, etc. Cold state, but not cold in the bitter, horrific way I consider the Midwest to be. Also beer! They make Fat Tire there!


Air quality isn't as good as it used to be, though the tap water remains amazing. As for the cold, sure it gets chilly in winter, but nothing out of control if you dress for it. Summer gets extremely hot, and the upside to the chill is skiing, if you like it. As for beer, yes, it has New Belgium brewery, and yes, they are pretty good. But nearby Greeley has the far superior Crab Tree brewery, and you can get their stuff in Ft. Collins fairly easily. Or in Boulder, or even Denver, or I suppose Colorado Springs or Greeley. But that would involve living in Colorado Springs or Greeley, so its already a terrible plan. Plus, some of the people associated with New Belgium are kind of sketchy.

[Pocketa]

I hope this helps some.

Personality-wise, I'm a studious person. I want to keep a high GPA, and community service is also very important to me, especially in the fields of educating youth and helping disadvantaged youth in particular. I won't major in Sociology or something, but it is something that's important to me. I would prefer that whatever college I'll attend will have some sort of service organization, or be willing to one being started.

I work hard, I play hard. I'm in high school, constantly studying, but I LARP on the weekends (Amtgard, if anyone's familiar with it). There are a ton of Amtgard groups in the midwest, and Texas has the majority of "lands", as groups are known, with at least half of the counties having a group, according to old stats but eh.

I'm a straightedge, technically, but without the religious component. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I won't start in college. I'm also really careful about my reputation, and so I don't want to be the stereotypical college co-ed at a party school with the aforementioned "slip and slide" moments.

I appreciate my friends, family, etc. but I'm a people person and can easily make new friends. Case in point: last year, Jackling Engineering @MST. I was one of the few girls that really wanted to be there. There were maybe 10 girls total out of 300 students. First night, they had a mixer, and the girls hung out in a lounge, and the guys all played video games. I asked them to teach me how to play Halo after trying my hand at Guitar Hero.

Boom, instantly made a ton of friends. Guys were walking me to classes, to dorms, to activities, saving me seats, pulling out my chair, opening doors, etc., and that's the sort of guy I like being friends with, but I also made it easy for them to like me. I never "hooked up" with anyone or even held anyone's hand, but I made an effort to make friends and within 24 hours was the most popular person on campus, not to brag.

I've started clubs in high school that have been successful and I don't over-think joining organizations unless there is a huge fee ($15 and up) to do so. So "joining in" was never a big problem.

Ideally, I'd like to go to a school with people that are polite and respectful above all else. I've lived in the Bay Area for a while and not to generalize, but many people here are rude, even though they may tell you to "have a nice day" at the grocery store, or say they love your clothes. I'm looking for something genuine and real as well.

Activities I do for fun:

LARP, but more with a weapon-wielding focus than a role-playing focus
Cook and bake
Standard girly fashion stuff (makeup, clothes, shopping, etc.)
Girl's night out sort of things (manicures, chick flicks, etc.)
Go to new places
Go to the park
Go urban spelunking, as I call it (exploring the city and all the nooks and crannies)
Hang out with friends
Play video games
MtG, DnD, WoW, neckbeardy sort of things
Community service

[dawnsolara]

Really, out of the two Texas universities being discussed, it sounds like you'd fit in much better in Austin, if for no other reason than it's a larger town. Another place to consider, though it is not quite as good (as far as I know) a university as A&M or UT-Austin, is University of Houston. Houston is a huge city, over 3 million people, and much larger if you take into account the rest of the metropolitan area, and sounds more like what you want, except for the courteous part, though I think most of those at U of H are pretty nice (but Houston drivers are horrible). There's also Rice University in Houston, but it is more of a party school than even UT-Austin (take it from someone who has friends who went to Rice and reported on all the crazy parties they have - though they do have fun and study while still partying, or so I'm told).

Most universities should have some sort of service organization, and even if they don't, it is generally easy to find a club heavily involved in service, like A&M's service dog training club and their activist clubs. I know A&M also has the Camarilla on campus, but I'm told they are really into LARPing and it can be hard for newcomers to stay alive after their first session (probably somewhat exaggerated reports). However, there is also AggieCon and Cephid Variable, the nerd club, that also actively RPG, etc, and are generally good people.

I wish I could tell you more about UT-Austin, U of H, and Rice, but I haven't attended them, so I'll leave it to someone who's attended those schools to detail them.

[PJ the Epic]

I glad CSU has gotten posted here a couple times already. I assure you, it is a very nice area, as I live close to it. Also, in Colorado, there's School of Mines, which, as far as I know, is exclusivley an enginerring school. I don't think they're a top tier school, but I haven't looked to much on the benefits they can give. Good luck, though. :smallbiggrin:

[Knaight]

I hope this helps some.

Personality-wise, I'm a studious person. I want to keep a high GPA, and community service is also very important to me, especially in the fields of educating youth and helping disadvantaged youth in particular. I won't major in Sociology or something, but it is something that's important to me. I would prefer that whatever college I'll attend will have some sort of service organization, or be willing to one being started.

I work hard, I play hard. I'm in high school, constantly studying, but I LARP on the weekends (Amtgard, if anyone's familiar with it). There are a ton of Amtgard groups in the midwest, and Texas has the majority of "lands", as groups are known, with at least half of the counties having a group, according to old stats but eh.

I'm a straightedge, technically, but without the religious component. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I won't start in college. I'm also really careful about my reputation, and so I don't want to be the stereotypical college co-ed at a party school with the aforementioned "slip and slide" moments.

Ideally, I'd like to go to a school with people that are polite and respectful above all else. I've lived in the Bay Area for a while and not to generalize, but many people here are rude, even though they may tell you to "have a nice day" at the grocery store, or say they love your clothes. I'm looking for something genuine and real as well.
[/LIST]
Yeah, go to CSU.

In regards to being a studious person, and concerned about community service. CSU has a lot of dedicated students, as well as opportunities for community service. Many of the elementary schools have programs that are heavy on outsider involvement, and if you expand educating beyond youth, there is a system called Conversation Partners connected to the Intensive English Program (basically ESL) at CSU, where you help people learn English.

On LARP. I don't think Amtgard is big here, but Dagorhir is decently sized, and there are a few local groups as well. Cooking is pretty easy anywhere, the park is decent, and the city is far more friendly towards nerdy, "neckbeardy" activities than most.

As for tendencies to avoid a more..interesting life, there certainly aren't drug problems, and while you do have college students going out and drinking, that isn't exactly easy to avoid. Same thing with the highschool students going out and drinking really.

Then there is that small matter of politeness. Individual rudeness tends to be noticed, which seems to suggest that it is not the norm.

[Pocketa]

Yeah, go to CSU.

In regards to being a studious person, and concerned about community service. CSU has a lot of dedicated students, as well as opportunities for community service. Many of the elementary schools have programs that are heavy on outsider involvement, and if you expand educating beyond youth, there is a system called Conversation Partners connected to the Intensive English Program (basically ESL) at CSU, where you help people learn English.

On LARP. I don't think Amtgard is big here, but Dagorhir is decently sized, and there are a few local groups as well. Cooking is pretty easy anywhere, the park is decent, and the city is far more friendly towards nerdy, "neckbeardy" activities than most.

As for tendencies to avoid a more..interesting life, there certainly aren't drug problems, and while you do have college students going out and drinking, that isn't exactly easy to avoid. Same thing with the highschool students going out and drinking really.

Then there is that small matter of politeness. Individual rudeness tends to be noticed, which seems to suggest that it is not the norm.

Assuming CSU = Colorado State...

www.ironmountains.org/content/view/18/51/

Amtgard's kingdom of Iron Mountains has a group in F. Col, and for me, I don't need an epic-scale sized group. Or else I'd definitely be going to Austin/Houston no matter what.

[Mando Knight]

Activities I do for fun:

LARP, but more with a weapon-wielding focus than a role-playing focus
Cook and bake
Standard girly fashion stuff (makeup, clothes, shopping, etc.)
Girl's night out sort of things (manicures, chick flicks, etc.)
Go to new places
Go to the park
Go urban spelunking, as I call it (exploring the city and all the nooks and crannies)
Hang out with friends
Play video games
MtG, DnD, WoW, neckbeardy sort of things
Community service

Rolla's got all of that... though for the standard girly stuff you generally have to look around, since, y'know, The Ratio and all.

I don't know if the LARPers at Rolla do Amtgard (since I'm not a part of their group), but they do meet somewhat regularly... and we've also got a pretty laid-back fencing club.

There's a park and a gaming store within walking distance of the campus, and the guys who run the shop pretty much all play Magic and WoW, and if you know how to ask questions, they'll probably help you find whatever other game group you're looking for. The town in general has a "small-town" feel, though, so there won't be soaring skyscrapers or anything to gawk at when exploring it, and the prettiest buildings in the town are all on campus.

[Pocketa]

I love the Rolla area, I visited for camp at MST last summer. What is the predominant personality of the average MST guy? How is the petroleum engineering program? How about job placement?

[Mando Knight]

I love the Rolla area, I visited for camp at MST last summer. What is the predominant personality of the average MST guy? How is the petroleum engineering program? How about job placement?

I'm not a petroleum engineer... so the best I can do there is point you here (http://petroleum.mst.edu/).

With job placement, there's a career fair every semester and a fairly helpful career center. Actually getting a job will depend on the economy and your abilities...

The predominant male personality is probably your basic "nerd" personality, except for the frats, which are mostly made of your average fraternity guys. Beta Sigs are generally nice guys, though. Also, although the predominant personality is rather nerdy, most guys generally keep at least a somewhat presentable appearance (i.e. no half a month of neckbeard or toxic levels of BO).

[SDF]

I'd email most potential schools about their job placement assistance programs. Most decent sized schools should have a decent department that helps out with that. I wouldn't worry too much about a schools rep for a party school if it is in a decent sized urban area. (read: things to do away from campus) All schools will have that element, but in my experience it is really easy to avoid. My aunt went to chico state and didn't drink, so hey. I'll ask my pap if he knows any good chem engineering schools. He was in charge of the engineering project to revamp one of the main exon plants in Cali a few years back, so he probably knows quite a few professionals in the field.

[Pocketa]

I'm not a petroleum engineer... so the best I can do there is point you here (http://petroleum.mst.edu/).

With job placement, there's a career fair every semester and a fairly helpful career center. Actually getting a job will depend on the economy and your abilities...

The predominant male personality is probably your basic "nerd" personality, except for the frats, which are mostly made of your average fraternity guys. Beta Sigs are generally nice guys, though. Also, although the predominant personality is rather nerdy, most guys generally keep at least a somewhat presentable appearance (i.e. no half a month of neckbeard or toxic levels of BO).

Neckbeard can look cute on a neckbeardy guy.

http://images.nymag.com/images/2/daily/2009/06/20090605_badgely_190x190.jpg

We had some Rolla guys teach us some stuff, and they were really chill. Funny, smart, great to hang out with, and attractive as well. I'm betting that the summer instructors were the rule and not the exception.

The only reason I really care about the male population is because I care about what the majority of my school is like. It's easy enough to go hide in a library if you attend a school a la Mean Girls, but you'd also have the reputation of going to Mean Girl U. I'd rather be known as the nice girl that went to Nice Person U. Seeing as one of my criteria is mostly male (so that it'd be easier to get in as a girl), I specified that the male population should be nice. And I don't mean super posh, by any means. But just decent people would be great.


I'd email most potential schools about their job placement assistance programs. Most decent sized schools should have a decent department that helps out with that. I wouldn't worry too much about a schools rep for a party school if it is in a decent sized urban area. (read: things to do away from campus) All schools will have that element, but in my experience it is really easy to avoid. My aunt went to chico state and didn't drink, so hey. I'll ask my pap if he knows any good chem engineering schools. He was in charge of the engineering project to revamp one of the main exon plants in Cali a few years back, so he probably knows quite a few professionals in the field.

Thanks in advance!

[Keld Denar]

I
Activities I do for fun:

LARP, but more with a weapon-wielding focus than a role-playing focus
Cook and bake
Standard girly fashion stuff (makeup, clothes, shopping, etc.)
Girl's night out sort of things (manicures, chick flicks, etc.)
Go to new places
Go to the park
Go urban spelunking, as I call it (exploring the city and all the nooks and crannies)
Hang out with friends
Play video games
MtG, DnD, WoW, neckbeardy sort of things
Community service


Wow, are you single? :smallcool: j/k

I'm a mechancial engineer and I've worked in the petrochem industry (mostly the construction side, rather than the design side), and I can tell you that I've NEVER met a single petrochem engineer. Everyone I work with is either MechE, ChemE, or EE. Once you graduate and get a job, it REALLY doesn't matter what your major was. You probably didn't learn what you are doing in school. What engineering school mostly teaches you is how to learn specialized engineering fields. I do use some of my statics and deformable solids classes, which I'd assume a Petrochem major would have as well, but thats mostly for calcing out things like pipe sag between supports, stresses on the supports themselves, and similar. The last place I actually used my engineering skillz was sizing grating for a catwalk that ran through a part of the plant NEAR some piping that was being installed. You will be expected to do a little of everything, especially if you work for a small company (highly advised, best advancement opportunities). Plus, doing a little of everything keeps things interesting and keeps you from burning out. I guess the point of this paragraph is to say that I wouldn't discount a school because they don't have a Petrochem program, if that is your desired career field. Most people who work in the industry don't have Petrochem degrees, most have MechE, ChemE, or EE(control systems) degrees.

They don't teach you how to read, write, and interpret codes (like ASME, API, ANSI, NFPA, or any of the countless company specs and design codes). As a petrochem engineer, you'll be working primarily with B31.3 (inside piping) and B31.4 (long distance pipeline) codes. I'd look into familiarizing yourself with them at some point during your college tenure. I didn't even know they existed until after I gratuated, which I regret. Take a gander through ASME B31.3, and then find a MechE or Petrochem professor and ask questions while you have those resources available. Unfortunately, its kinda expensive, listed on the ASME website as $285 for a single license, so maybe ask a professor if they have a copy you can borrow. I garuntee that just about any professor who's a member of ASME (most are) will have a copy lying around, even if its from the 1970s, not a lot has changed in piping since then. :P

Also, TAKE YOUR EIT EXAM WHILE YOU ARE STILL IN SCHOOL!!!!!! Even if you have no desire to get your PE license when you graduate, you might change your mind like I did. And its REALLY hard to get back into it 3 years out of school, and I have my exam coming up in October and I'm already worried. Once you get your PE registration, you don't HAVE to practice it, but its nice to have that option, plus it looks great on your resume if you do any contract work (MANY engineers in the Petrochem industry work contract style temp jobs, especailly if its for a remote site like Algeria, Russia, or anywhere offshore).

Everyone else already covered the school selection, just thought I'd pass along a little bit o' wisdom and share some regrets I've picked up in my 3 years out of school working in your future industry. If you have any other questions, PLEASE feel free to ask, god knows I spend too much time here! :P

[Pocketa]

Wow, are you single? :smallcool: j/k

Did my post seem to neckbeardy? I'm sorry ;_;

I liked the points you had about the major. MechE is definitely more versatile, and I was totally planning on taking the PE test during school because I'm somebody that doesn't test well (SAT Subject Tests) unless I have recently taken the course and thus, I'd want to take the test ASAP. Money would not be an issue, seeing as I budget with school in mind and in the long run, it pays off to have a license.

[Mando Knight]

We had some Rolla guys teach us some stuff, and they were really chill. Funny, smart, great to hang out with, and attractive as well. I'm betting that the summer instructors were the rule and not the exception.

That's about my experience. Except I'm not a good judge on the "attractive guys" bit. :smallwink:

A lot of the guys who do things like that are the "better" guys anyway, since they're doing it because they want to do it. Fortunately, they're generally pretty easy to find by nature of them doing things.

[Keld Denar]

Did my post seem to neckbeardy? I'm sorry ;_;

Nah. Its just that if the forum had a competition for GitP's most eligable bachelorettes, that list would clinch it for probably 98%+ of single guys around here.

Real gamer chicks tend to be few and far between, and gamer chicks who also have domestic tendencies while being able to hold their own in a technical field...well, lets say that you are a minority there.

What has you so interested in Petroleum Engineering anyway? Of all the engineerings, its probably one of the most well paid, but there are generally some pretty heavy sacrifices involved since being involved in it often means going regularly to where the oil is. For instance, I worked up in the Arctic Circle at Prudhoe Bay, AK (just outside of Deadhorse, AK...they named the city DEADHORSE for pete's sake) for about a year and a half, and being away a lot REALLY cut into my gaming schedule as well as my personal life and the relationship I had at the time. Anything involving offshore work means you'll be on site for 4-6 weeks with 1-3 weeks of leave in between, similar to being a Navy sailor. On site work in Africa or the Middle East would probably be on a similar long-stay schedule as well. Sure, you can get a cooshy desk design job on a regular 6 AM - 5 PM schedule, but most of those require 10-15 years of field experience anyway.

And from what I've seen, the petrochem industry is VERY much a good ol' boys club, very difficult to get into the decent jobs unless you really know some one. I got really lucky and worked with a North Sloper at a previous job, and he was able to get me the job in Prudhoe Bay, and when I got laid off, I lost touch with him and it has been nearly impossible to get a similar job since, even with 1.5 years experience doing engineering in the arctic.

[Pocketa]

I'm into petroleum engineering not just for the pay but for the experience. Petroleum issues have been important to me before the BP spill. I'd love to be stationed far away, for weeks at a time. I'd love the stress, the responsibility, and the pay doesn't hurt, but it's not the appeal. About it being an old boy's club...many industries are, and most industries have that sort of club in some way, shape, or form. However, dinosaurs go extinct, and they are replaced. I am willing to wait. I'm from a Boston Brahmin family, so I should be fine if connections are deemed necessary.

Also, d'aww on the guys comment. But do they have what I want out there? A nice guy? Chivalrous, who'll defend me and my honor? Somebody with similar interests? A guy who is also able to be my friend?

[Superglucose]

Also, d'aww on the guys comment. But do they have what I want out there? A nice guy? Chivalrous, who'll defend me and my honor? Somebody with similar interests? A guy who is also able to be my friend?
Don't have to go that far to find a guy like that </shameless self plug>

[Keld Denar]

Also, d'aww on the guys comment. But do they have what I want out there? A nice guy? Chivalrous, who'll defend me and my honor? Somebody with similar interests? A guy who is also able to be my friend?

Well, fortunately for you, there is very little shortage of gamer guys. As my sister commented when she went to Michigan Tech (a geek school where guys outnumber girls ~6:1) "the odds are good, but the goods are odd". Its just a matter of finding one who is slightly less socially awkward then the rest, or who's social awkwardness you can smash through with a foamy nerf bat.

I recommend finding a gamer guy who also works out. Not only do you get the benefit of a hard body, but people who work out tend to have much better time management skills and avoid most of the laziness pitfalls that are frequent amongst the male gamer population. Also, people who work out often have better self-esteem and the ability to "defend you and your honor" if words alone don't suffice.

This is more a topic for the RW&A thread though.

I have the business cards of a few recruiters around the gulf area, as well as some names up in the arctic, if you are interested. Internships are GOLDEN, and like, 95% of engineering internships are paid, and paid well (take that lawyers, doctors, teachers, veternarians, and all you other schmucks).