D2 or D3 over College Major?

I would say keep looking for a D2 or D3 that offers engineering. If he's got d2's looking at him seriously, he should be able to find other D2's and 3's who want him fairly easily. At the very least, he can find one with a 3-2 program. Imho, there is no point going to a college that doesn't have what he wants to major in. He does have to get a job when he gets out (even if he is lucky enough to make the minor's the salary is lousy, he'll need an offseason job).

If your son is a good student and is serious about engineering, the Juco route is probably not a good idea. Engineering is rigorous and Juco level classes will not be at the level of most 4 yr engineering programs. Plus, college coaches told us that more often than not, JUCO tends to kill the college drive in kids.

Tough to be on a D2 schedule with an engineering major. It will make him a 5 yr. student at least.

Good questions.

Some thoughts...

An Engineering degree is perhaps the most difficult degree in all of undergraduate studies. Even a full time student, 100% committed to academics alone, often take five or more years to complete one.

Engineering and baseball is an extreme challenge and would very unlikely be able to be completed in four years even in the most positive of circumstances.

All that said, this does not have to be an either/or situation. An Engineering degree can always be obtained in the future. A baseball opportunity cannot be delayed until the future however (for the most part - unless your talent is like Josh Hamilton) imho.

One way to satisfy things is go for a bridge-type degree such as computer science (assuming Electrical Engineering is the choice). Many of the credits for computer science (e.g., calculus, software design, humanities, etc) could be applied toward an Engineering degree down the road without setting the student too far behind while also enabling a fine professional career (e.g., software designer) to begin in the mean time.

There are actually many ways to skin this cat. Obviously, taking more time to complete a degree adds to the expense of the situation which is of course a major consideration in these tough economic times we live.

I agree with Cleveland Dad. One thing that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is the amount of schoolwork our kids will still be responsible for while putting in the long hours required to play college ball. I remember (way back in the 80's) when I was in school my roommates were Engineering majors. They barely had time for a normal college social life with all the work and grade pressure that Major brings with it. I couldn't imagine a kid being able to carry a full time Engineering course load and still play competitive baseball. The suggestion to take a less challenging/competitive major that still fulfills many Engineering requirements plus taking less than the typical 15/16 credits a semester is probably the best way to accomplish his goals.
Just my 2 cents.

quote:

Originally posted by Jones fan:
If your son is a good student and is serious about engineering, the Juco route is probably not a good idea. Engineering is rigorous and Juco level classes will not be at the level of most 4 yr engineering programs. Plus, college coaches told us that more often than not, JUCO tends to kill the college drive in kids.

Respectively disagree here Jones fan. I attended a JUCO and was accepted into some of the finest Engineering schools in the country. Calculus is calculus no matter where it is taught. Same with physics, chemistry, thermo dynamics, statics, differential equations, and all the other qualifying courses that satisfy a typical engineering degree. I would argue that a JUCO could help some Engineering students by offering them more personalized instruction during the beginning years of this most rigorous endeavor.

I will let you know how it goes. I have a son at a D3 doing EE and baseball - in fours years. ABET certified. Hope he has time to breathe.

quote:

I will let you know how it goes. I have a son at a D3 doing EE and baseball - in fours years. ABET certified. Hope he has time to breathe.

fever....can you share what that son's experience has been like as he's balanced baseball and EE?

baseballdad13,

What does your son want to do, and how much time does he have to decide? My son (baseball player and engineering major) was willing to forego baseball for engineering if he had to. It wasn't his preference, but that piece of information helped set our priorities and narrow down the list. IMHO something has to be #1 and something has to be #2. I suggest you let him tell you what is #1 and #2. BTW.....it is very difficult to do both. I suggest you look at any potential schools schedule to know in advance how many games they play, and how often they practice, and how much do they travel (and when).

My two cents....I suggest a sit down goal setting discussion without bringing up specific schools or finances. It could start like this....."In a perfect world what would your college experience look like?" See where the conversation takes you, and it may surprise you. I know I was very surprised at my son's answers.

Thanks for replies:
Fever- I would like an update on your son and how his situation is, it would let me tell mine what to expect.

Cleveland Dad- good info, keep all that in mind.

fenwaysouth- i think priority is an issue, my son's passion for baseball outweighs being a student. Unfortunately, he won't be a draft pick out of HS so he has to choose a college and a career. As far as the Engineering goes, that might be more likely to change. This is why I am looking into it now, he is a 17 yr old junior with great grades and high hopes of accomplishing alot. We will continue looking at other schools.

Baseballdad,
Have you looked at the Missouri University of Science an Technology? It is a DII school specializing in Engineering located in Rolla. Could be a good fit.

The best thing to do is talk to coaches at the schools you're interested in that have engineering and find out if any of the players are engineering majors. There are some schools where many players are engineering majors (Washington University in St. Louis comes to mind from my visit there) and there are some engineering-only schools that have baseball teams. Colorado Mines a D2 (a poster here has a son going there I believe) and Milwaukee School of Engineering a D3 are some examples.

You might take a look at the University of West Florida. They have engineering.

They've got a respectable baseball program, and a coach who seems to care about academics. We liked him. 2B had a discussion with the coach about redshirting but decided to go JUCO instead.

It's a public D2, so may be more affordable too.

He is only a freshman. First semester a 2.5. This from a kid who had a 3.5 in HS with AP classes. Tough academic school. He said he will have to miss classes for games - this I am not thrilled with as some are labs. He said school is really hard. He loves baseball though and told me "I am going to out work everyone and prove I can start." Gotta love the attitude. We shall see if he can do both and get his GPA up to a 3.0. In four years it is mostly engineering classes. I will keep you posted as the season progresses. He is headed to Florida for spring games.

Thanks for the input. College recommendations are great. I would like a Texas college but a good one farther away is fine especially if they pay for it.

Fever-thanks for the update. Seems like our sons have things in common. I know academics are alot tougher, the schedule as a whole, takes up so much. He wants to excel in both but like yours, my son will have to miss and make up classes too. High school academics seem easy for him but its not gonna stay that way.

We still have time. I have work to do too in helping him achieve both goals. thanks

quote:

Originally posted by ClevelandDad:

Respectively disagree here Jones fan. I attended a JUCO and was accepted into some of the finest Engineering schools in the country.

+1 on that.

I went to a JUCO then transferred to UC Berkeley and graduated with a BA in Physics 2 years later.

The JUCO prepared me just fine. I'd argue that for lower division classes the JUCO might even be better, albeit not nearly as fun as a 4 year.