To E School, or Not to E School--That's a Good Question

The University has 4 schools one can apply into directly: the College of Arts and Sciences (CLAS), The School of Engineering (E School), School of Architecture (A School), and the School of Nursing. Later, students may apply into specialty schools like Education, Commerce, and Public Policy.

*Note: for UVa, apply the initial school of which you want to be part. For example, nurses do not apply to UVa and then to the nursing program. Some schools do that; we don't.

If you look closely, there are some areas of overlap in between the College and E School, particularly in computer science. Since CS is often the biggest area of debate for E School versus the College, that is where I want to focus.

Thornton Hall, the main Engineering School Building
Photo Credit: http://www.student.virginia.edu/estud/ (another good source if you have questions)

The Requirements:
In the College (assuming the student is not an Echols Scholar), they have several area requirements to fill, including 4 semesters of a foreign language. The complete list may be found at http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/college/requirements/area/index.html.

The Engineering School does not require a foreign language but has far more math and science requirements, including accompanying labs. To learn more on the exact requirements and electives, please see: http://www.seas.virginia.edu/advising/undergradhandbook.php#requirements

Picking a Major and Double Majoring:
In the E school, students choose their majors in early April of their first year. They have the chance to attend open houses and ask questions. Students can double major in the E school; however, my understanding is that with E school requirements, picking a second major that is unrelated (such as English) is harder in the E school. Thus, it has less flexibility.

In the College, students have until the end of their 2nd year to choose a major. A typical college major is 30 credits. Students will take 120 credits in their time. Double majoring is not unusual, but students have the option for a broader experience with course topics because the College has so many more courses to offer.

Scheduling and Planning
For students in the College, planning can be a nightmare because there are so many options. That said, it can also be exciting because there are so many options available. The E school has a more structured expectation of course progression than the College. This makes planning easier for E schoolers, but it can be frustrating if E schoolers want to take things in a different order or if they want an elective in the College that does not mesh well with E school class times.

Students in the E school can (and will) take College classes, and College students are welcome to take engineering courses. In that way, there are very few restrictions on either set of students.

The Major Itself
The E school offers the B.S. in Computer Science whereas the College only has a B.A. available. E schoolers are required to take more computing classes, while College students have integration electives (college classes that reveal the applications of computing). Also, if you want Computer Engineering, then you have to go to the E school because the College does not offer that program.

Thesis
All Engineering school students must write a thesis in their fourth year. College students are not required to do that across the board, but some majors (like Human Biology) do require it.

(Photo credit: http://writelikecrazy.wordpress.com/category/organizing/)

Please also consider visiting http://www.seas.virginia.edu/admin/ricehall/renderings.php to learn more about what one of the University's newest buildings has to offer, especially for computer science majors from either school.

The AP Conundrum

Well, here it is--the last few days before I start the last semester of my undergraduate career. I've really enjoyed my time here and the classes I've taken. To date, I've only not enjoyed one. That's it; however, there are many classes I wished I had had time to take. That got me thinking: Is there anything I wish I had done so that I had fewer required courses?

As an Echols Scholar, I had fewer requirements than most students, but Echols status does not remove prerequisites. For example, needing a 200 level lab before taking a 300 level lab. For students who do have to have course requirements fulfilled, a common piece of advice is to take AP or IB. I don't know many IB students, but I took several AP tests in high school and know lots of UVa students who took them, too.

Pros to AP courses and tests
Advanced Placement classes are a great opportunity to get an idea for the rigor of entry level classes at four year universities. Depending on your college and test grade, you could even qualify to skip certain classes like Intro English Writing or Calculus I. Who doesn't want more free time in their schedule?

After all, it means less time here.

Cons to AP courses and tests
For the course, I can think of no downside. Students get great experiences from being challenged, and as long as you're not drowning in the material, there's no reason not to pursue these kinds of classes. The problem is in the tests. In my experience, they are not an accurate judge of how well students understand the material. I received a high grade on my Calculus test, but I decided to take UVa's Calc I course as a refresher. It was not a refresher. We covered more in that class than the AP class, and we went far deeper into topics. In other words, I would have been totally unprepared for Calc II if I had trusted my AP score, and in the Spring when I took Calc II, I saw a lot of people who decided to skip UVa's Calc I, and they were hurting. Similarly, a friend of mine passed his Physics AP and yet felt completely out of his depth with Intro Physics at UVa.

What does this mean for Dual Enrollment and other tests like it?
UVa is not a cake walk. Students can succeed here, but especially in math and science, you need to have a strong understanding of the material. I do not think that two years at a community college are on par with two years at a four year institution. I've seen too many people transfer in the Fall as 3rd years and leave after a year feeling overwhelmed. Some community colleges might have the same rigor; many do not, and it's not fair to people who think they are equivalent. AP tests, too, are less accurate than touted at predicting competency in an area. In classes that require a certain SAT II subject test, I have found that those are good markers, but I only have three classes on which to judge.

It's just something to be aware of when planning for college. Trust me, no one says their introductory classes were their favorites. They may have met great teachers, but people will still find a way to take fewer classes. My advice? Take AP classes if you can. If you get credit for something not in your major (for example, I got elective credit for history for my AP score), take it, but if it moves you out of something important (like math for a biology major), take time to think very hard about moving too fast.