Seeking advice on undergraduate major/minors for Grad School in Mech/Aerospace

[reazon1n1]

Hi, I am a rising sophomore at Lehigh University. Currently, I am a Mech E major with an Aerospace Engr minor. My main interest is Aerospace Engineering, and so i plan on going to grad school(the best ones, obviously) in Aerospace Eng. research. However, I need some advice regarding choosing certain majors and minors. At Lehigh, although I'm a Mech E, I currently applied for a 5 years Integrated Business and Engineering(IBE) Honors Degree program, which is a 5 year dual degree in Business and Mech. Eng. Doing so, I will have two degrees with an Aerospace Eng and Economics minor. although I plan to go to grad school for Aerospace Research, I still plan on doing IBE because Business too interests me.

The main question is, when I do IBE beginning sophomore year (fall 2012), I will have to take about 16 credits each semester for next 4 years. Adding one 3 credit class each semester will however give me an Electrical Engineering minor. So, it comes down to whether should I be minoring in Electrical Engineering as well, or should I just stick to the regular IBE degree with 16 credit hours and rather get involved in research if i plan on going to good grad school.

I know research means a LOT for grad school, but taking 19 credits each semester and ending up with dual degree in Business and Mech E and triple minor in Aeropsace Eng, Electrical Eng and Economics would be more useful for grad school or just the IBE with Aerospace Eng. plus Economics and some research throughout my college would suffice? I sometimes think that since Aerospace involves both Mechanical and Electrical, Electrical Eng. minor would give an edge to my grad application.

Or should I not do IBE-Mech Eng. degree and rather do Mechanical Eng. degree with Aerospace and Electrical Eng. minor and some research? Would the 5 years IBE honor's degree make no positive influence? I just think that IBE dual degree and triple vital minors with grad degree would get me great job, so...

Also, I am an international student doing my undergrad here at the US. Does it affect my grad application by any way? And for internationals, does GRE matter just as much as it matters for the native applicants?
More about myself, I ended up with 3.99 in my freshman year and target on maintaining above 3.90 throughout college. I am involved with the Aerospace club and some Mech E clubs, and my Aerospace minor adviser invited me to get involved in research with his graduate students right from my sophomore year this fall 2012, until possibly i graduate.

I have to start taking IBE and Electrical Eng. classes beginning this fall 2012 if I really plan on doing IBE and minoring in Electrical Eng as well. I love aircrafts and so i want to get into Aerospace but I somewhat like business too, and Electrical- I just think Electrical eng minor would be very useful as an Aerospace engineer. I am very motivated to work hard to get into a top notch grad school for Aerospace Eng. but I really need some genuine suggestions from people who know what's involved with this whole grad school thing. So some detailed genuine suggestions for each major and minor case I have described above on this thread would be GREATLY appreciated.

thanks for reading

 

[boneh3ad]

The factors important to graduate schools will be:

• Major and relevance of coursework to the graduate program you are entering
• GPA
• GRE scores
• Letters of recommendation from professors
• Research experience (if any)

Unless you intend to do some sort of research that heavily cross-pollinates with electrical engineering, they aren't going to care at all about an electrical engineering minor. They will care even less about a dual major in business with an economics minor. Additionally, taking 19 hours per semester over a long period of time is almost never worth it. You are better off using a chunk of that time to get research experience, and the earlier you start that the better since it could eventually lead to publications with your name on them if your research group is sympathetic to undergraduates publishing.

This all remains essentially the same regardless of whether you are international or domestic. The only real thing to watch out for is that in aerospace, there are a lot more projects that are ITAR-restricted so there are some projects you just won't legally be allowed to work on. That shouldn't stop you though. I have plenty of international colleagues in aerospace doing just fine.

 

[NatSusan]

Hi there! It sounds like you have a lot of great options and interests in both business and engineering. It's great that you have a clear goal of going to grad school for Aerospace Engineering research and that you are already getting involved in research during your sophomore year. Here are some thoughts and suggestions based on the options you presented:

1. IBE-Mech E degree with Aerospace and Economics minor: This seems like a great option for you since you are interested in both business and engineering. Having a dual degree in these fields can definitely give you an edge in the job market and also in grad school applications. Plus, having a strong foundation in business can be very useful for a career in Aerospace Engineering, especially if you plan on working in a management or leadership role.

2. Adding an Electrical Engineering minor: This could also be a great option for you, as you mentioned that electrical engineering is closely related to aerospace engineering. It could also give you a more well-rounded and diverse skill set, which could make you more competitive in the job market. However, keep in mind that adding an extra 3-credit class each semester could be a lot of extra work, so make sure you are able to handle the workload and maintain a strong GPA.

3. Doing a Mechanical Engineering degree with Aerospace and Electrical Engineering minors: This could also be a good option, as it would give you a strong foundation in both mechanical and electrical engineering, which are both important in aerospace engineering. However, keep in mind that this would mean not pursuing the IBE dual degree, so you would have to weigh the benefits of having a dual degree in business and engineering vs. having a minor in electrical engineering.

4. The 5-year IBE honors degree: This can definitely be a positive influence for grad school applications, as it shows that you have a strong academic background in both business and engineering. However, keep in mind that grad schools also value research experience, so make sure you balance your coursework with research opportunities.

In terms of your question about being an international student and the GRE, it really depends on the specific grad programs you are applying to. Some programs may have specific requirements for international students, so make sure you research those requirements beforehand. As for the GRE, it is generally considered an important factor in grad school applications, so make sure you prepare well for it.

Overall, my suggestion would be to focus on doing well in your coursework, getting involved in research, and