As a college counselor, my #1 goal is for the students we work with is for them to be prepared for what comes after college (read: careers). For aspiring engineers, there may be no better real world preparation to change the world through technology than the Olin College of Engineering. Olin is the future engineering and it has attracted business and government leaders from all over the world to study how it educates its students so well.  

Located next to Babson College outside of Boston, the Olin College of Engineering requires students to learn about software, electronics and mechanical systems, and offers students opportunities to work with students from other majors on interdisciplinary projects. While this in itself may not be unique, the way students learn is.  An Olin education is project focused—students learn not just theories in classrooms, but solve problems, in groups, like adults, with an entrepreneurial spirit.  The result: they are prepared for the real world when they graduate.  Employers and grad schools know this and Olin grads place incredibly well into the most sought after tech firms, labs, graduate school programs, and businesses.

You may not have heard of Olin before. It only offers engineering programs and is on the small side with 334 students. However, Olin offers a traditional residential college program, and given its proximity to Babson, there are plenty of opportunities to meet lots of other students outside of the tight knit community.

Sound too good to be true? For the overwhelming majority of applicants it is. In the past several years, it has been as difficult to get into Olin as Harvard or Stanford.  However, a student looking to excel in a STEM field in an intimate and cutting-edge environment should not be deterred and consider Olin.