S.P. asks: My son (in 11th grade) is very clear that he wants to be an engineer, but he doesn’t know whether he wants to apply to a specialized technology research college like Georgia Tech or a place that has an engineering program in a liberal arts setting. How should he decide?
When it comes to curriculum, your son can have the “best of both worlds” in a liberal arts setting and at many technological research universities. Most institutions in each category have core curriculums that require students to take courses outside of their majors. In most cases, whether at Georgia Tech or Williams College, he wouldn’t miss out on thought-provoking classes that aren’t directly related to his course of study.
However, a liberal arts institution is typically going to grant him greater flexibility if he changes his mind about engineering. At most liberal arts colleges, students aren’t required to declare their major until the end of their second year. And switching majors can be a much more challenging task at non-liberal arts institutions, not to mention that timing or the popularity of the desired major might make the change impossible.
Institutions like Georgia Tech typically expect students to apply for a specific major and commit to that major once admitted, before they even attend their first college class. But students who want quicker access to more niche and focused engineering disciplines and to surround themselves with like-minded students might feel more at home at a technological research university.
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