Schools

[DakotaH.]

Hello,
I am a junior in high school. I have wanted to be a naval architect since my freshman year. I have narrowed my choices of college to two schools the University of New Orleans and Webb Institute. University of New Orleans is an obvious pick considering I currently live only two hours away from it.
I would like to attend Webb because it is such a top notch school. The question I have is; Who does Webb accept? I know they only accept 26 students a year and I assume they have quite a bit of applications. But of those 26 are all of them 4.0 GPA with 30+ on their ACT. I am not one of those students I have a life outside of school:sports, work, friends. What are my chances of getting into this elite school?
Thanks,
Dakota

 

[jehardiman]

Since Webb is a full scholarship and does not use a grading curve, they want to see their money spent wisely. This does not mean that they select solely on grades and test scores, but that they want to ensure that you have the requisite skills to succeed in a very demanding environment. If you got through calculus/honors math in high school and are a B student who really wants to apply yourself to Naval Architecture, you will have a chance at being accepted, more so than someone who has better grades who just wants the free ride. More than half the admissions process is the interview, the grades, test scores, and class requirements are just the first winnowing.

Also there is enough social life at the school that it is very easy to get distracted from your studies. FWIW, an introvert may have a harder time at Webb than elsewhere because there is a much larger dependence on your classmates there.

See this old thread, but I'm still pretty sure nothing has changed.

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/education/webb-4879.html

If you really want to go to Webb, now (your junior year) is the time to start laying the groundwork with the school. Showing that you are willing to work to get in (and maybe take some coursework at a junior college while still in high school like I did) is a big plus.

 

[DakotaH.]

Thanks for the link,
I am an A/B student involved in all honors programs offered at my school. That includes two dual enrollment college courses (history and english). I am prepared to take honors physics and dual enrollment calculus my senior year. I have already started communicating with Webb. Should I visit Webb before applying? If so when should I visit Webb? This summer? What should I be prepared for if/when I vist?

 

[Ike]

Don't write off the University of Michigan. Top notch engineering school and well known in Naval Architecture. Drawbacks, big school, huge classes, expensive. But there are scholarships available.

 

[Eric Sponberg]

Thanks for the link,
I am an A/B student involved in all honors programs offered at my school. That includes two dual enrollment college courses (history and english). I am prepared to take honors physics and dual enrollment calculus my senior year. I have already started communicating with Webb. Should I visit Webb before applying? If so when should I visit Webb? This summer? What should I be prepared for if/when I vist?

DakotaH, Webbies are accepted everywhere for employment--you won't be lacking for job opportunities after you graduate. Yes, you should visit Webb if you are serious about going there. Check with their admissions office as to acceptable dates. With my two kids, we went college searching all through their junior years in high school. Most colleges do run orientations most of the year long, with most activity in the spring of the year and the summer before your senior year.

Personally, I am a University of Michigan grad, and like Webbies, we are ubiquitous throughout the industry. The UNO program was set up to service the Gulf Coast offshore oil supply industry back in the 1980s, if memory serves, so the emphasis in that program is towards commericial ship design and construction.

Keep up your grades and continue looking starting right now. The sooner you can visit the schools of your choice, the better. Good luck.

Eric

 

[DakotaH.]

I'm wanting to design cruise ships; Which of these schools would help me become most successful; Webb, UNO, Texas A&M Galveston, or Michigan?

 

[Eric Sponberg]

I'm wanting to design cruise ships; Which of these schools would help me become most successful; Webb, UNO, Texas A&M Galveston, or Michigan?

In my opinion, any of them except Texas A&M Galveston--I don't know anything about it (Texas A&M-G) and did not know they have any kind of marine design/engineering program.

Eric

 

[DakotaH.]

I was mistaken about the Texas A&m program. http://www.tamug.edu/marr/

 

[jehardiman]

I'm wanting to design cruise ships; Which of these schools would help me become most successful; Webb, UNO, Texas A&M Galveston, or Michigan?

First, learn Italian, French, or German. That's where the builders and design offices are.

Generally, picking the proper school (i.e. who recruits from who) and cultivating contacts (social networking) in where you want to end up will get you your first job.

After that, I have found that people generally fall into places that their talents/desires excel (but you always have to do your own weights). It is important to understand that getting into a specialized field (like cruise ship design) is more about developing production/operational knowledge, social contacts and business/admin skills than it is about the underlying engineering degree. So where you end up later in life is more about what you do to get there than where you went to school.

For a look at the cruise ship order book....

http://www.amem.at/pdf/AMEM_Cruise-Ships-on-Order.pdf

 

[DakotaH.]

I have planned on learning Italian for a while now. In your order book I found Fincantieri they seem to be pretty busy in the coming years. Anyone know anything about them?

 

[NavalSArtichoke]

Thanks for the link,
I am an A/B student involved in all honors programs offered at my school. That includes two dual enrollment college courses (history and english). I am prepared to take honors physics and dual enrollment calculus my senior year. I have already started communicating with Webb. Should I visit Webb before applying? If so when should I visit Webb? This summer? What should I be prepared for if/when I vist?

Webb is 'closed' from late June to the middle of August. There are no students there and only some administrative staff. I would urge you to talk to the administration to see if they can accommodate you for a visit then. Same thing applies in the winter: The students are at their winter work assignments between the middle of December and late February.

 

[Alik]

First, learn Italian, French, or German. That's where the builders and design offices are.

No. Learn Chinese.

 

[jehardiman]

No. Learn Chinese.

If DakotaH wanted to design/build large motor yachts maybe, but it will be several decades before China is even a player in the cruise ship market. Japan and Korea are more likely to launch one before China.

A cruise ship is an entirely different vessel than a bulker. While China (and similarly Russia) have the engineering and manufacturing capability, its society is culturally damaged and lacks the overall estethic and craftsmanship needed for these types of ships. It will be several generations after the free opening of the country until they can nurture the talent base to compete against the western europeans in anything other than construction cost. And construction cost is not a driver in cruise ships; outfitting is. This is why the chinese entrepreneurs and russian oligarchs shop in Milan, not Hangzhou.

 

[jehardiman]

I have planned on learning Italian for a while now. In your order book I found Fincantieri they seem to be pretty busy in the coming years. Anyone know anything about them?

Fincantieri is a investment group founded to build military ships for the italian government by consolidating several existing shipyards. It branched out into commerical construction, and from 1990 on has built a large number of the cruise ships in the world, 2-3 a year, in thier italian yards. They recently purchased Marinette Marine Corporation and are building the LCS's.

http://www.fincantieri.com/cms/data/pages/000039.aspx

 

[Alik]

If DakotaH wanted to design/build large motor yachts maybe, but it will be several decades before China is even a player in the cruise ship market. Japan and Korea are more likely to launch one before China.

A cruise ship is an entirely different vessel than a bulker. While China (and similarly Russia) have the engineering and manufacturing capability, its society is culturally damaged and lacks the overall estethic and craftsmanship needed for these types of ships. It will be several generations after the free opening of the country until they can nurture the talent base to compete against the western europeans in anything other than construction cost. And construction cost is not a driver in cruise ships; outfitting is. This is why the chinese entrepreneurs and russian oligarchs shop in Milan, not Hangzhou.

I would say that term 'culturally damaged' also well describes American horror and murder movies, and European gay parades

Evidently Chinese will comprise increasing share of cruising tourists, and the manufacturing will shift there is well. I am just comparing the level of European engineers which is degradating, and Asian engineers are now highly motivated and their level is constantly growing also because they are close to production.

As to Russia, just last week I have seen recent developments in river cruising ships for country's internal waterways, and this market will grow. Right now they are developing 500 passenger river cruising ships. This is something You might not be aware about but these tourist routes are very popular among European tourists and the cabins are fully booked 2-3 years in advance.

Of course there is a cultural problem with understanding of 'luxury', but the gap is rapidly decreasing.