The best college in the country may not be the best college for your major.  Seniors and Juniors, especially around this stressful time of the year, are realizing that getting accepted to Harvard or Princeton may not be as easy as they had once hoped.  Granted, Ivy League schools will most likely have the best all-around programs; however, not all Air Academy students have the test scores or GPA to attend these outstanding universities.  The reachable schools sometimes can be a jumbled mess– too many to pick from (or just not enough that offer the right programs); narrowing schools down by specific programs and majors is the first and most prudent place to start your untangling process.

Business Schools: According to Forbes, Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and Northwestern’s Kellogg School stand in the top five outstanding business programs.  However, the acceptance rate for these schools is extraordinarily low, which keeps prospective MBA students scrolling down the list.  Not far down in the rankings is Tippie School of Management at the University of Iowa.  Ranking 20th, the business program offers three primary fields in academics– marketing, finance, and strategic innovation.  Networking takes a high priority for the students, creating opportunities for experience with international corporations.

In Seattle, University of Washington is home to the Foster School of Business. With an annual enrollment of 93 from 523 applicants, it is clearly not the easiest business program to be accepted into, but ranks 27th on Forbes’ list.  It is reputed along the western coast for its abounding network connections with Microsoft and Amazon within Seattle itself.

Engineering Schools:  As a top choice for around 20% of Air Academy Students, University of Colorado — Boulder’s College of Engineering is ranked 34th by U.S. News for its wide variety of research topics, ranging almost anywhere from biotechnology to space systems.  Students interested in specific fields of engineering should look into programs that excel specifically in topics such as civil engineering, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering.

According to U.S. News, MIT — Massachusetts Institute of Technology clearly built its way up to the top of the list for its mechanical and computer engineering programs.

However, a school within the reach of more Air Academy applicants is Purdue University — West Lafayette, IN.  Purdue’s College of Engineering ranks 8th on U.S. News’s 2013 list.  Recognized for its agricultural engineering program, students participate in projects like the Global Sustainable Industrial Systems and the Tissue and Cellular Engineering program.  A few more to keep your options open:  Santa Clara’s School of Engineering; University of Wisconsin — Madison; University of Minnesota — Twin Cities; and University of California — Los Angeles.

Art and Design Schools: At first, you might not know which schools to consider if you are looking to major in Art and Design, but don’t worry, I’ve done the research for you!  Ranked #1 by Education Portal, Rhode Island School of Design in Providence (RISD) is one of the oldest and most noteworthy fine arts universities.  It is reputed for its specialties in painting, graphic design, sculpture and script development fields.

Also floating near the top of the list of the best art and design schools are the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the CUNY Queens College in New York, which both offer plenty of opportunities to study abroad.  This cultural immersion provides students with the opportunity to create while outside their comfort zones, literally.  CUNY offers these study semesters in diverse countries, namely Italy, Japan, and Peru, each of which specifically offer Art and Design projects.

Journalism and Writing Schools:  Located in the heart of America — Washington D.C.–, American University comes closest to the gossip of our nation.  With no shortage of topics to write about, broadcast, or investigate, American University’s School of Communication offers a wide spectrum of specified courses such as ethics, law, digital skills, writing, and health reporting.  Also available at the university are prestigious fellowships and internships that will launch you right into a desired career in Journalism and Communication.

Lehigh University in the keystone state, Pennsylvania, cannot be overlooked in the quest for the best Journalism programs in the country.  For students who are primarily interested in environmental journalism, this school, according to USA Today, “offers a degree in Science and Environmental writing… Students are also required to pick up a major or minor outside of the Department of Journalism and Communication.”

Other top ranking Journalism programs include Northeastern University’s School of Journalism, which ranks 9th in USA Today’s list of outstanding Journalism and Communications programs; New York University, a big school in a big city, which offers a solid education in arguably any field; and Pepperdine University, a few minutes away from a day on the beach in Malibu and a straight path to a secured career in Journalism.
Good luck in your college search Kadets!