Do you enjoy designing and building things? Well, how about the problem-solving skills that go hand in hand with engineering? We hope you're excited because it's time to dive into this blog post! If you’re here, we’re assuming you’re a budding 9th-grade engineer thinking about majoring in engineering in college. Engineering is a VERY broad field and it’s VERY popular, which means you need to become a specialist and you need to be prepared for the competition.
Before you start doubting us, no, freshman year is not too early to start thinking about college. Colleges are definitely looking at your academic record from day one of high school, so it’s crucial to take this process seriously if you’re aiming for a top-tier college.
At TKG, we help freshmen plan their summers and provide plenty of tips and tricks to make the most of your freshman year. That way, when you join us as a sophomore, you’ll already be a step ahead.
Explore What You’re Interested In
Engineering has been around for a long time (pyramids, hello? lol), and it has numerous applications across various industries. We see students with engineering majors go into fields like aerospace, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, software development, and much more. Knowing how to think critically and solve complex problems is a crucial skill, after all! Because there’s so much you can do with engineering and because it is a popular major, you need to start specializing and forming your niche early.
We get to know our students one-on-one to help you identify your niche or at least a starting point within the broader field of engineering. We ask a ton of questions, covering everything from the engineering projects you’ve worked on, your favorite STEM subjects, how you spend your time outside of school, and your hobbies. This helps us get a better idea of where to guide you academically.
As you’ve probably realized by now, it’s not enough to just say “engineering” on your college applications. Colleges want to see something specific—a niche that shows your deep interest. So what does that look like for engineering majors? Great question. Examples could include “Renewable Energy Systems,” “Robotics and Automation,” or “Structural Engineering for Earthquake Resilience.”
Don’t worry, you’re not expected to get there overnight. You have to start by exploring the field on your own, whether that’s through hands-on projects (which, as a prospective engineering major, you absolutely should be doing anyway) and online courses. Once you discover that you prefer one aspect or theme over others, follow that thread. If you join us full-time as a sophomore and already know you want to focus on aerospace engineering, that already puts you ahead.
Do Well in School
We don’t know who started the rumor that “freshman year doesn’t matter” and “it’s okay if I got all Cs freshman year if I improved after that,” but they were wrong. If you want to go to a top-tier school and you’re reading this blog post as a 9th grader, then you need to know that colleges care deeply about freshman year. Honestly, if that’s all you take away from this, it will be a good lesson to have learned. Colleges want to see you getting the highest possible grades in the most challenging classes you can take, starting on day one of high school.
We’re not trying to be preachy or naggy here; we just really care about your success! We want you to reach your goals. And we know freshman year is a big adjustment. If you find yourself struggling, we recommend using all the resources available to you. Whether it’s meeting with your teachers, attending peer tutoring sessions, or watching educational videos, you need to take the initiative to keep your grades high. Developing good study habits early on will also be beneficial–not just for your 9th grade grades, but for life.
Extracurriculars
As a 9th grader, you probably don’t have a lot of options when it comes to your classes. You may not be able to load up on cool engineering electives or AP Physics or AP Comp Sci right away, but you can start exploring your interests (even those outside of engineering!) through extracurriculars. In fact, we strongly encourage you to do so. Sometimes, students join us in their sophomore or junior year and have no extracurriculars related to their prospective major on their resume. This makes us wish we were time-science engineers (is that a thing) so we could invent a time machine to make them at least join the Robotics Club.
There are a lot of activities you can do as a prospective engineering major, both in and outside of school. You could join a robotics team, create a club dedicated to sustainable engineering projects, or start an annual bridge-building competition at your school. You could participate in math or science Olympiads, join the engineering club, or contribute to school STEM initiatives. Don’t have any of those? Start them. You can (and should) work on engineering projects in your free time, and maybe even showcase your work through a blog or a YouTube channel. You can volunteer for local STEM programs or mentor younger students interested in engineering. There are tons of things to try—you just have to go out there and try them!
Summer Plans
Now here’s where we come in. The summer is, in our opinion, the most important time you have to really dive into engineering, find your niche, and build impressive experiences for your resume.
Summer is the longest uninterrupted period of time you get as a student, and you need to make the most of it. We know vacation and relaxation seem more fun, and you can still go on that family trip, of course, but you also need to take steps to actualize your goals.
As a prospective engineering major, there are numerous summer programs available to you. Not all of them are great, nor are all of them a perfect match for who you are, which is where we come in. We get to know our students, understand their interests and learn about their personalities to help match them to the right programs. Many universities, like MIT, Stanford, UPenn, UChicago, Yale, Columbia, and Harvard, offer specialized engineering pre-college programs and classes that allow you to learn new things and get a taste of college life.
We help identify which programs are best suited to you and your goals, and we assist with every step of the application process. From selecting courses to brainstorming your application essays to helping you ask your teacher for a recommendation letter, we can help you plan the summer that’s right for you.
It might feel early to think about college as a freshman—and we get it (sort of). There’s a reason we don’t start weekly calls with students until sophomore year, but we also know that starting early, especially if you already have a few interests in mind, is crucial to getting ahead. Freshmen, we want you to take the pressure off and use this time to explore your interests. Keep your grades up, ask for help if you need it, get involved in activities you genuinely enjoy, and come see us if you need help planning your summer.
Freshmen, if you want to start strategizing for college, or just need help planning your summer, reach out to us today.