Academics
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering's beloved project-based curriculum offers an engineering education rooted in "hands-on, team-based learning" with an emphasis on "learning the practical skills engineers actually need." Students appreciatively explain that the few lectures at the school are "short, concise, and interesting," and that "we have almost no tests." Instead, projects are "used to immediately apply things learned in class to realworld scenarios," whether that's programming robots or learning "how to build a facial recognition algorithm." This specialized approach carries the advantage of, as one student describes it, doing "one specific thing really, really well." That said, there are also opportunities for "independent study/research to learn more about specific topics that we're interested in." And while "there isn't a huge variety of classes" in non-engineering subjects, students can round out their options by cross-registering at Babson, Wellesley, and Brandeis. Students say that "academically, classes are challenging but there are many resources," including professors who are available to meet outside of class as well as tutors. The professors "are all passionate individuals that understand the content really well and are constantly adapting their courses to make it a better experience for students." Students feel "continually inspired," "listened to," and "really engaged." Ultimately, because so much work involves being "in pairs or groups," enrollees categorize Olin as "a very collaborative environment" where "everybody is willing to help out and bring each other up."
Student Body
Olin is "filled to the brim with interesting and brilliant people who all want to do incredible things." Students describe the school as a "very close-knit community" where "everyone supports each other." As one student says, most people are "typically motivated in a collaborative way, not competitive" and students are often described as "hard working, kind, empathetic, smart and quirky." The student body is made up of "very different people" who are "able to meld well to be an entire school." In addition, "Olin is a genderbalanced institution, which is very refreshing" and "has a massive LGBTQ population." The small campus means "everyone knows everyone." It's a "very welcoming environment" where, as one student describes, "you can sit down at any table in the dining hall with any group of students and have a good conversation." Olin is a "school of nerds," which students embrace. It's a place where "everyone has something they're extremely excited about, which is inspiring to see." In addition to engineering, these interests "range from music to cooking to theater to writing and reading," explains one student. "I think that because we are all engineers and are so close, these interests are allowed to shine more than they would at a larger school."
Campus Life
Students describe a lively campus where their enthusiastic peers pursue an eclectic array of interests. "It feels like everyone is always busy and running around," explains one student. Popular activities range from the fire arts club, where students "spin different items with fire on it for fun," to competitive sailing. As one student explains, "I didn't know how to sail before coming here but now during sailing season I sail at races most weekends, which is really fun." In addition to activities such as rock climbing, soccer, and ultimate frisbee, there are also unusual activities like beekeeping and the Baja offroad race team. It's also "common to see people being active on the great lawn," says one student, and "there are a lot of social events too, from small hangouts in someone's room to larger parties in suites/ wings." You'll even find students working on personal projects for fun in the available shop spaces. In fact, there are so many options that students actually use a public email list to "announce spontaneous events they're hosting. That's a good way to spice up the day."
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