Last Updated on September 30, 2026
Quick answer: Learning how to become an engineer starts in high school: take the most rigorous math and science courses available, including calculus and physics. Add hands-on work such as research, robotics, or your own projects, then apply to ABET-accredited engineering programs, where most engineers earn a bachelor’s degree before entering the field.
How to Become an Engineer: Start in High School
Engineering is a broad field that appeals to many prospective college students. If you’re among the high school students trying to figure out how to become an engineer, not only do you have to work hard in academic spaces, but you must also get noticed outside of the classroom. To help you plan each step and get noticed as a memorable candidate, I’ve outlined the academic expectations for engineering majors, top engineering schools, summer opportunities, as well as supplemental essay tips in order to maximize your chances of admission as much as possible.
Academic Preparation
High school students who want to become engineers must absolutely excel in academics. Colleges expect students to push themselves. For example, MIT’s admissions office writes, “We want students to make decisions that are educationally sound for them to best prepare them to succeed in college and beyond. We want students to challenge themselves appropriately in the areas that are most interesting to them.” This means taking the most difficult courses your high school offers, consistently performing well in these classes, and demonstrating your academic interests through your transcripts and beyond. MIT’s School of Engineering also maintains a list of programs for middle and high school students, a useful place to start exploring the field early. [1]
Choosing Engineering Schools
Talented high school students who want to become engineers should aim for the best undergraduate engineering schools. Start by confirming that each program is accredited by ABET, the organization that accredits engineering programs at hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities. How do you sort out the hundreds of schools to find the best for you? Consider location, research opportunities, and faculty. Below are programs that have ranked near the top of U.S. News’ undergraduate engineering list. Rankings shift from year to year, so check the current edition, and see our overview of top engineering schools in the US for more detail. [2]
| School Name | Location | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | 1 |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 2 |
| University of California – Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | 2 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA | 4 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | 5 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | 6 |
| University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL | 6 |
| University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI | 6 |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | 9 |
| Purdue University – West Lafayette | West Lafayette, IN | 9 |
| University of Texas – Austin | Austin, TX | 11 |
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | 12 |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | 13 |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA | 13 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | 13 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 13 |
| Texas A&M; University | College Station, TX | 13 |
| University of Wisconsin – Madison | Madison, WI | 13 |
| Rice University | Houston, TX | 19 |
| University of California – Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 19 |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | 19 |
You might also be surprised to find a school such as Purdue University so high in the table above. At many universities, the engineering college is more selective than the university as a whole, so review admitted-student data for the engineering program itself. Engineers are not slackers.
You don’t have to apply to just large universities. Columbia Engineering’s Combined Plan allows students at affiliated liberal arts colleges to transfer to Columbia Engineering after their third or fourth year of college. If you attend one of the partner schools and fulfill certain requirements, you are guaranteed admission into Columbia Engineering. For students who want a liberal arts experience first, it is a structured route into a top engineering school.
Other engineering schools run similar dual-degree partnerships with liberal arts colleges, so ask each college you are considering whether it offers one and what it requires.
Building Your Engineering Application
Leadership and Initiative
Since there are a lot of high school students who want to become engineers, the competition is tough. Of course, you should study hard in high school, take challenging math and science courses (check the course requirements for the schools you apply to, and see our tips on choosing high school courses strategically), and know that this is what you want to do. But that alone won’t set you apart. Everyone applying wants to be an engineer, and they will probably have high grades and test scores, so you must distinguish yourself through other ways.
A couple ways to do so are:
-
Rack Up on Research and Lab Experience: Even if you’re one of many high school students who want to become an engineer, your experiences may include drama club, debate club, or the intramural basketball team. They should also include something related to engineering. Your application will not convince schools that you’re dedicated to the field if you’ve done nothing to pursue it outside the classroom. If your school lacks resources, explore research opportunities for high school students, such as joining a research lab or connecting with a local university to gain experience in areas like environmental engineering or biomedical engineering.
- Start Your Own Initiative: Lack of opportunities shouldn’t be an excuse. Engineering is a broad umbrella. You can design your own computer program, repurpose an unused space to build a maker space, or collect water samples from a local lake to run experiments. Document your projects through research papers, videos, or presentations. These experiences showcase both your engineering mindset and your leadership.
Engineering and STEM Summer Programs
Engineering summer programs, usually hosted by prestigious universities, offer productive ways to spend your time off from school, as they often provide you with valuable opportunities to engage in the sciences with greater focus and use your knowledge of STEM towards real-world applications. [1] The following programs introduce participants to hands-on experiences at state-of-the-art research labs and chances to work with experienced mentors in engineering or broader STEM fields.
- Research Science Institute (RSI): About 100 high school students attend this six-week program at MIT each summer at no cost to them, working with accomplished STEM professors who serve as mentors. Your research process starts from scratch, first reading up on existing literature in your field, then designing your research plan, carrying it out, and finally presenting the results through a conference-style oral and written report. RSI can prepare you to work on exploring issues that concern the world, and help you grow into a global citizen. Participation in RSI can certainly provide you with a boost in your college applications, especially if you continue conducting research on your topic once the program is over.
- Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP): Students in this three-week program enroll in one course, with recent options including Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Computer Graphics, Computer Science, Nanotechnology, and Robotics. The courses are designed to give you a sense of college-level engineering classes, with opportunities to dive into hands-on practical projects inside the Penn Engineering labs and develop connections with like-minded peers.
- MIT Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES): If you are a high school junior interested in STEM, check out MITES Summer, a rigorous six-week science and engineering program at MIT that participants attend at no cost. You have to take one math course, one life sciences course, one physics course, one humanities course, and an elective course, the placement for which are determined by diagnostic tests during orientation. MITES prides itself on stressing the value of pursuing advanced technical degrees and careers while helping students develop the skills necessary to achieve success in science and engineering.
- Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP): SSEP has brought high school students to the Smith campus for hands-on work in science and engineering with Smith faculty, so check the college’s precollege pages for current offerings. Past course titles have included “The Chemistry of Herbal Medicine,” “Introduction to Python Programming Through Game Design,” and “The Sociophysiology of Exercise, Sport, and Fitness.” Student teams conduct lab and field work, and focus on developing critical thinking and analytical skills, along with mastering top-notch engineering equipment.
- Stony Brook University Garcia Summer Research Program: Next on our list is the Garcia Summer Program, which brings together gifted high school students to design original research projects under the mentorship of the Garcia Center for Polymers faculty. Participants can take their research further, including into competitions such as ISEF. If you want to, you can continue working in the Center throughout the academic year under their Mentor Program, which allows you to plan an ongoing research schedule under a Stony Brook faculty member.
- COSMOS: The California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science, or COSMOS, is an intensive summer program for California students, hosted at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz. COSMOS is designed to help talented STEM students hone their skills through a challenging curriculum, hands-on lab experience, and the opportunity to work with faculty, researchers, and scientists on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Admission is selective, so review the current eligibility requirements on the COSMOS website before you apply.
When you apply to college, you’ll be competing against thousands of other engineering applicants. [3] To distinguish yourself, you have to convince the admissions officers that you’ve got what it takes to succeed in a rigorous science-oriented setting. Acceptance to, and solid performance in, summer programs can boost your applications and help make a compelling case demonstrating your dedication to the field. For more options, see our look at top STEM summer programs.
Engineering and STEM Competitions
Another unique way to get noticed among other high school students interested in engineering is to participate in, and attempt to win, high school science competitions. Some of the most prestigious competitions are:
- Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF): Hosted by the Society for Science, ISEF is one of the biggest deals when it comes to STEM competitions. Every year, some of the brightest high school minds in the world come to ISEF to showcase their research, and its potential to make a significant positive impact on our world. Past top winners have tackled real problems in medicine, engineering, and computer science. Projects like these show what judges look for. Even just attending ISEF is considered an honor. Getting there requires winning at a Society-affiliated science fair, and recent competitions drew finalists from hundreds of affiliated fairs in more than 60 countries, regions, and territories. [4] Many attendees continue their work well beyond the competition.
- Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS): Like ISEF, STS is another research competition hosted by the Society for Science. While ISEF is the largest research competition in the world, STS is a national competition, meaning only students in US High Schools (or US Citizens abroad) can participate. From a pool of more than 2,000 high school seniors, 300 scholars and then 40 finalists are named, and finalists travel to Washington, D.C., for Finals Week. [5] To give you an idea of the types of projects STS looks for, one past Top Award winner devised a mathematical model to determine the possible locations of exoplanets – planets outside our solar system – that may have been missed by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope. That’s pretty out of this world (dad-joke)! Again, like ISEF, the emphasis is on science research that has the capacity to change our world – exactly what STEM-heavy colleges like MIT, CalTech and Stanford in particular are all about.
- Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) – Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and administered by the National Science Teaching Association, JSHS gives high school students a stage to present original research. [6] Students compete first at regional symposia, and top performers advance to the National Symposium. It can be a more accessible starting point than some of the larger competitions on this list. While doing well at ISEF often requires the support of a faculty mentor and university resources, JSHS regional competitions are run by host institutions across the country. The program also offers virtual mentorship, which helps students who do not have a research mentor at school. Check the JSHS website for your regional symposium and its deadlines . Presenting your work to judges is also valuable practice for any future research competition.
- Davidson Fellows Scholarship – Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents living in the United States who are 18 or younger, the Davidson Fellows Scholarship looks for students who are pursuing a ‘significant piece of work’ as defined by experts in their respective fields. Fellows are recognized in categories that include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. [7] One past Fellow constructed an early warning system to detect the Zika virus in mosquitoes (reducing current research methods of 2-4 weeks down to 15 minutes).
- iGEM – Originally started at MIT, the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition is an opportunity for high school students interested in engineering from around the world to work on serious global challenges using ‘synthetic biology’. Examples of past projects include environmental bioremediation, medical delivery systems, and alternative energy sources. Successful projects require hard work and dedication, and, unlike most competitions on this list, iGEM is a team effort.
Developing a field of interest early and earnestly can yield a significant edge over the competition in the admissions process. Excelling in high school science competitions is a great way to achieve this edge, and our guide to science competitions for high school students covers more options.
Writing Engineering Supplemental Essays
Of course, when you apply to a specific engineering program or major, the admissions officers must understand what makes you exceptional and how you can contribute to their school. To do so, you must take advantage of the supplemental essays offered by top schools. Your supplemental essays should capture your interest in engineering. It could elaborate on what drove you to the exact field of engineering you wish to pursue. This is your shot to tell a story that no other applicant can. Show admissions officers that you are a candidate who would bring unique experiences to their school.
Below are some past essay questions to reference:
Columbia: For applicants to Columbia Engineering, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you previously noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)
Your answer to this question should focus on tying in your previous engineering experiences to the opportunities available to you at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering at Columbia. Don’t just write about engineering as a broad discipline. Think about the area you’ve chosen – such as Electrical Engineering or Earth & Environmental Engineering – and express how your curiosity about that specific field arose.
Detail any specific instances of you working with topics that fall under your chosen concentration.
If you want to study computer science, for example, what specific experiences do you have with programming or app building? Was there a particular incident where you decided that this was the field for you? Then, connect your answer to the Fu Foundation School. Which courses under Columbia Engineering’s Computer Science curriculum fit with your plans the most? Is there a particular research program that perfectly augments your interest within computer science? Your experiences and active persuasion of your choice of concentration should leave admissions officers with the confidence that you’re not just a good fit for Columbia, but for Columbia Engineering specifically.
Cornell: Tell us about what excites you most about Cornell Engineering and/or studying engineering at Cornell University. How do you see yourself becoming a part of the Cornell Engineering community?
Since the prompt emphasizes your excitement towards studying engineering, your essay should too. Think about how your interest in the field originated, what issues matter most to you, and how you can make an impact at the Cornell School of Engineering.
Narrow your focus by thinking about the major within Cornell Engineering that you wish to pursue. How would a degree in Material Science and Engineering or Biological Engineering from Cornell help you build on what you’ve worked on so far? If you’ve prepared through a rigorous STEM-heavy course load or an extracurricular initiative you’ve implemented to specialize in the area, this is the place to talk about it. Upon reading your response, admissions officers should be confident that you are not only a solid candidate for an engineering degree, but also that you’re specifically geared for success as a future Cornell-educated engineer. The university wants your answer to reflect your best personal attributes, and this essay is an effective way of showing what you care about, while demonstrating knowledge of Cornell’s engineering offerings.
Hopefully now you’ve obtained a good understanding of what it takes to build your profile in such a way that you get noticed among top candidates. Gaining admission into an engineering program or undergraduate engineering school is by no means simple. However, if you work hard to specialize within your interest and build a unique profile, you’ll certainly increase your chances. Best of luck!
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