As a high school student, you might know what your interests are, but you might have no idea what you want to become. And if you do know, then sometimes you need someone's advice to make you different from the rest of the people. With this blog post, I will cover different career paths that are STEM-based, like Chemical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering. If you are interested in math, science, and engineering and want to combine them all, then a career in this field is great for you.
There are many AP recommendations for a career in this field, and if you take all of them throughout high school then you are ending up with about 5-10 different APs, which is a lot. To start, for any engineering career you should take AP Physics, AP Calculus, and AP Computer Science. As well as that, for any career (in any field of study) it is also recommended to take an AP course in the English/Social Studies area of study. These classes prepare you to write essays under pressure, as well as to help you improve your college admission essay. Next, if the career leans more into science, such as Bioengineer, make sure to add AP Biology and AP Chemistry, as these will show your higher-level thinking throughout the classes you enjoy. In addition to that, if you enjoy math, then make sure to take as many AP courses as in the mathematical field. If you combine all of those classes, then you would take around 5-10 AP classes during your four years of high school. But, if you are aiming to go to an elite college, such as MIT, taking an AP language class is very highly valued.
Extracurricular activities are super important to make your application shine, yet colleges get very picky when looking at which ones you took. Therefore, I have narrowed down some recommendations if you want to become any type of engineer. First, look at your high school website and community center websites to find a club that relates to the field of study of your choice, such as an engineering club (or a stem-based club). Your goal within this club is to become a “leader” or “officer” within the club, as it proves leadership skills. The next club you want to join is a general club that helps you gain educational values and leadership skills, such as your school’s student government or council. The third club you should join is a volunteer-based club that helps you gain hours of volunteer work while you are learning certain skills that help you, this includes clubs such as Rotary International. If you take any engineering classes or additional internships, such as the MIT MITES, will make your brightness show beyond the basic school classes. As well as all of this, if you can join an honor society, these will also help you stand out. If you are going to go into a science-based field then you should join the Science or Math Honor Society. Any additional clubs that you would like to join are going to be extra and could be in any field that you enjoy, such as the Art or Theater club.
To continue, I am going to be covering general tips (as well as for the essay) for a career in the science-based engineering field. To make yourself stand out, you need to be unique and sell to them who you truly are. In your essay, share the experiences that have made you the person you are today, share the events that have led to you choosing the career path, share who you are and not what you think they want to hear. Remember to stay positive and share YOUR unique experiences. They want to see YOU, not the kid you sit next to in English class. To stand out, take recommended AP classes for those fields, and join specified clubs.
If you want to study a Science-Based Engineering career, do these throughout high school:
AP Computer Science A or Principles
AP Calculus
AP Physics C: Mechanics & Electricity/Magnetism or AP Physics 1 & 2
An AP class in the English/Social Studies field
AP Biology (if interested in science-based field)
AP Chemistry (if interested in science-based field)
Additional: An AP language course (for elite colleges)
Additional: AP math courses (AB/BC Calculus, Statistics)
Additional: Dual Enrollment courses (Multivariable Calculus, a science course, etc. )
Engineering clubs (such as school, or community clubs, like SkillsUSA or FLL)
Volunteering club (such as Rotary International, or local clubs)
Additional: An Honor Society (such as Math, Science, or Engineering)
EXTRA INFO AT https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/
- By Raquel Paz
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