Kettering University

Date: Jan 29 2006
Major: Mechanical Engineering (This Major's Salary over time)
I'm sure you've heard by now that Kettering requires a minimum of five work semesters of co-op work/study with a company employing people in your field of study. Those semesters can start the day you walk in the door. You don't have to qualify for them. There is nothing better on your post-undergrad resume than several years' experience as a co-op, and few schools carry the scholastic gravity of Kettering, particularly when it comes to the automotive/mechanical fields.

The school may or may not say this to incoming students now, but Kettering will force you to work harder (faster/better/etc) than you likely ever will in your forthcoming career. That isn't something to be afraid of, unless you aren't willing to work for it.

Some quick advice…study up on calculus, chemistry, and physics in high school BUT don't try to test out of first-level classes. The college versions of those classes build upon one another, and I can pretty much guarantee getting lost in the second class of any subject if you haven't had the first. Besides, it makes a class a whole lot easier if you've already taken the high school version. First-level chemistry and calculus is a lot heavier than the high school versions. You can be sure of that!

So don't be afraid of an engineering school that doesn't even occupy an entire city block. You'll have more opportunities to participate in things that are usually only reserved for the talented elite. Wanna shoot photos for a newspaper/yearbook but have a hard time with even a point-and-click camera? No sweat. Kettering gives normal people the chance to do things they couldn't qualify for elsewhere, and allows them the opportunity to make something great.