A family member claims that it is very difficult for anybody even a returned missionary to get into the Engineering Department at BYU. The student could not get what he wanted in another state.
Could it be that despite his good life long membership that he was a very early return from a hellhole of a third world country?
How good is the job outlook for graduates of Engineering?

When I was looking into it a few years ago at another Utah college there was strict entrance requirements. Certain classes had to have already been taken. And there may have been some faculty recommendation probably a 3.75 gpa or something? So if you got a b+ your screwed. But the job prospects aren't very good. Graduates have to send out tons of resumes and it could be years before getting a job.

Computer Science is suppose to be more in demand right now but even that has cooled off according to the OOH website especially programmers. There are too many in India doing the job cheaper apparently.

And it takes at least 7 years of full time torture locked up listening to academians go on and on. And all this for a job that isn't very certain, with terrible competition, working for a wage that isn't that great. This is the definition of stress. I'm glad I went for a no skill job that pays a little less wage, but is way less stressful.

Engineers with good grades and senior projects as well as anyone with a real computer science degree ( not a programming course from Central Utah Valley Comm. College or Ricks) are getting multiple job offers. You might have to leave Utah for a decent job however.

I beg to differ...…. Pretty much right now, if you can breathe and have a diploma, an engineer can find a job quickly. I am a Mechanical Engineer, with 40 years in the field now. I know what is going on.

If the kid cannot get into the Engineering programs at BYU, It is likely because they have the full allotment of students enrolled that their funding can support. BYU's engineering programs are actually quite good. Lots of spinoff companies from BYU professors. Two of the bigger ones still in Provo area are MegaDiamond and US Synthetics. They both make the PDC (diamond) cutters used on drill bits for oil and mining industries.

BYU-Provo is selective overall. The website below will give you the idea. "According to BYU, students admitted as freshmen in 2017 had an average GPA of 3.86, an average ACT of 29.5 and an average SAT of 1300." BYU also looks at other factors including the mandatory ecclesiastic endorsement for church members. Graduation from seminary is favored. I don't know for sure, but being an early return missionary for other than health issues likely would be a strike against a student.

https://www.thoughtco.com/byu-gpa-sat-and-act-data-786391

We know from various posts over the years that being an RM is no guarantee of admission.

You might find this article of interest:

https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2017/12/03/leaked-documents-suggest-brigham-young-university-gave-enrollment-preference-to-men-but-thats-not-as-weird-as-it-sounds/

I can't speak as to the Engineering department in particular in terms of admissions.

There was a recent post that addressed job prospects for newly graduated engineers. To sum it up, engineering students need to pay attention to their grades and resumes just like any other student. They need to have internships and evidence of curiosity and innovation through projects and hobbies. You just can't graduate with a B.S. and expect a job to fall in your lap.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2018 07:36PM by summer.

Not entirely relevant, but perhaps interesting...in 1987 I got admitted to BYU. 19 ACT (11 in math, something like 29 in writing, etc.). It used to be very easy to get into.

I didn't go. Good thing because I wasn't ready for anything difficult (yes, most universities are a bit more difficult than high school, where I skated by.) I went to a local community college, then transferred to a very prestigious state university and every so glad today that I didn't go away to college--Utah was another state--and fail out.

My high school friend would have started at BYU in the mid-70s. My impression then was that it was not particularly difficult to get in. I'm not sure when that changed. I also seem to recall that once upon a time, if you were an RM you were pretty much guaranteed admittance.

Looking at the chart in the first site to which I linked, a fair number of students turn down an admission to BYU. Perhaps if a student gets a good financial aid package to a state school, that becomes the more attractive option.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2018 01:40AM by summer.

summer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BYU-Provo is selective overall. The website below
> will give you the idea. "According to BYU,
> students admitted as freshmen in 2017 had an
> average GPA of 3.86, an average ACT of 29.5 and an
> average SAT of 1300."

I'll contest the idea of BYU-Provo as "selective."
In 2016, they admitted over 53% of applicants.
Compared to other universities, that's the opposite of "selective" (my lowly public university alma mater, Cal State Fullerton, accepts 36% of applicants and they have a 1380 median SAT; Cal Berkeley accepts 17% of applicants, with a 1420 median SAT).

Of course, as others have mentioned, there's the whole "church" aspect of BYU admission. Being a returned-early missionary may very well hurt your chances. No matter what your grades or SAT scores are. Which is just another reason to not go there :)

Overall national unemployment is way down. As they say, "your mileage may vary" according to academic credentials, areas of specialization, locale, etc. Listening to a talk show in Boston, an HR supervisor said he was short qualified candidates.

Especially useful in any career start is experience in the field: internships, part-time work during the academic year, research assistant, etc, not just for "paying your dues," but developing those first professional contacts, referrals, and recommendations.

Just a thought, but I'm pretty sure they run a quick perusal of applicant's social media activity in addition to the RM factor. A lot of people (of all ages) don't follow the say-it-forget-it vs. the write-it-forever mantra.

Thanks, I thought that I was just getting a line of propaganda.
Applicant got in and had connections in job market, so all is good.