A Parent's Perspective of UTME

August 29, 2008

Background

I am in the unique position of being both the mother of a female ME student and an employee in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. I've worked at The University of Texas at Austin for about four years and my daughter is starting her junior year in ME after transferring from another engineering department.

I was a nervous wreck, especially by the junior year of high school about the college decisions. The first question was what to major in. She couldn't decide between English and Engineering, and the final choice was literally made as she completed the online application by a coin toss. Then there were so many other concerns—making high enough scores on the SAT, getting the application in on time, thriving in a large university, making it to early morning classes, understanding and completing the class work, being female in a male-dominant environment, and finally actually liking engineering, since she knew very little about it, since she wasn't from an engineering family.

If you're a parent of a college-bound student, you're probably asking yourself the same or similar questions. To ease your mind, things have worked out fine, and most of my concerns turned out to be for naught. Read on.

Acceptance into the Cockrell School of Engineering

71% of UT students are in the top 10% of their high school class ( Statistical Handbook, page 19), so UT admission is guaranteed for them, but not into the college of one's choice. If your child is bright enough to get into the Cockrell School of Engineering, then the admissions committee believes he/she is going to be able to do the work. It isn't easy, even for top students, but it's doable. So if your student works hard, he/she should succeed. Work ethic is key.

Can she do it?

I had three family members tell me that she wouldn't make it through the first semester because of the math, although luckily they didn't tell her that. However, female students at UT have higher GPAs than males in every college in every undergraduate year. According to the university's Office of Information Management and Analysis Statistical Handbook (PDF, page 59), the average GPA for male engineering students was 3.13. For women, it was 3.26. The assumption that women can't do it simply isn't true.

Getting through the first semester at UT

The first semester is the hardest for everyone. College class work is harder than high school. Often there are more people in one intro level class than in the student's entire graduating high school class. Even though she had graduated from a competitive high school, it is still much harder than she expected. Her first roommate only stayed one semester.

Being female in a male-dominant environment

Most of the female engineering students in her Freshman Interest Group (FIG) changed majors. But, through the FIG, she met another female engineering student who is now a close friend. I recommend freshmen women take advantage of the Women in Engineering Program (WEP). They've made more friends now, although most of their engineering friends are male. I worried a little less by the end of freshman year as she'd done well and was starting to have some fun. The female students have told me they naturally befriend each other and help each other out. Currently 15% of ME students are women.

Sophomore year was easier

By sophomore year, she had learned to navigate in this massive university and was starting to revel in it. She and her friends had now learned what they have to do to succeed in engineering. They developed study partners and better study habits. But they also had a lot of fun. There were music festivals like ACL and Lollapalooza, spring break on the beach, summer trips to visit school friends, and an Engineers Without Borders (EWB) trip, where she began to understand the importance of her career choice.

Hers isn't a typical coed college experience since most of her friends are male, but it has been fun and she's happy. I no longer worry about her social life or if she'll be left out in such a male-dominant environment. It became a non-issue. This was a tremendous relief to me as a parent, as it was my biggest concern initially.

University size

At first the large classes were intimidating, but as the students progress through the initial classes, the classes get smaller and friendlier. They have more and more classes with the same people.

Late hours

I worried about her taking morning classes. Ironically, that turned out to be the most valid concern of all. Freshman year she nearly missed an early exam and went to it in her pajamas. She stays up half the night (studying???), but most days she has arranged a schedule that doesn't start too early. Studying into the wee hours of the morning is not unusual. Most of her friends keep similar hours, so if your child emails you at 4 a.m., this should not be cause for alarm.

Holding down a job

She kept her high school job. It affords her needed extra money and a way to keep up with her work friends. Undergrad advisors told her not to work more than 10 hours per week, and that turned out to be true. Engineering requires a lot of study time. Students who must work more are allowed to take fewer engineering classes to accommodate their work schedules.

Best education for the money

After looking at other engineering universities in Texas and Colorado, it was apparent that the University of Texas at Austin was the most balanced choice in terms of national rankings and budgetary constraints. To get an equivalent or higher ranked school would have meant spending substantially more money and moving to Michigan, Atlanta, the East or West Coast. The Cockrell School is currently ranked #11 nationally and ME is ranked #10 by U.S. News and World Report. These rankings and the fact that Austin is a great place to live led her to only apply here.

Why rankings matter

Those high national rankings mean that students are courted by a huge number of prestigious corporations and graduate programs. Make sure your student attends the Career Fairs in the Fall and Spring so he/she can network with the corporations and find internships. We were told at a parent's meeting that 100% of engineering graduates received job offers. The average salary for a Mechanical Engineer in the U.S. in 2007 (2007 U.S. Census Report) was $75,130, compared to the mean U.S. salary of $40, 690 in 2007. The Princeton Review ranked The University of Texas at Austin as the fourth best school in the United States in career and job placement services (link requires log-in registration). The three above it are private and much smaller.

Read the college guides like Princeton Review and the Fiske Guide to Colleges for objective comparisons.

The next generation of entrepreneurs and creative thinkers

The entrepreneurial spirit is absolutely paramount to the economic success of any geographic region. Encourage your student to become active in one or more of the over 900 university student organizations and research projects. These experiences teach students to use their book knowledge to solve real-world problems under professional supervision before graduation as well as build lasting friendships and professional alliances. The next generation of engineers will inherit some of toughest problems in history. We must provide them the best education possible.