High schoolers who show advanced aptitude and interest in science and math often seem destined to concentrate on STEM in college. Surprisingly, though, many choose a more financially focused track. Amy and Mike invited college counselor Mike Hammer to explore business vs engineering majors for tech-minded students.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

If a student is talented in math and science, and interested in both business and engineering, which one should they go for?
If a student is interested in engineering but might do better in business, should they go for a business major in college?
What are the major differences between business courses and engineering courses in undergrad college?
What kinds of intellectual curiosity suggest business or engineering as ideal majors?
Engineering majors can be competitive; are business majors as competitive?
Will it be a problem for the college application if a student's high school did not offer any business classes?

MEET OUR GUEST

Mike Hammer earned his Business degree from the Haas School at UC Berkeley. Besides higher ed, his background includes work in for-profit, non-profit and consulting sectors. Mike's 25 years at Cornell University included working closely with admissions directors and reading admissions for 14 cycles. He was responsible for helping administrators understand changing trends in applications and helping the university adapt to serving increasingly diverse applicants. Mike also served as a mentor for STEM student groups including the McNair Scholars, helping students navigate the complex environment of higher education. His experience gives him a comprehensive understanding of the importance of matching each student's talents, goals and dreams to the environment that is right for them, and how to communicate a student's unique story to the admission readers.

Mike first appeared on the podcast in episode 463 in an IEC PROFILE.

Mike can be reached at mikehammer@stemadvising.com.

LINKS

The 10 most in-demand bachelor's degrees—No. 1 isn't engineering

Global Essay Prize | John Locke Institute

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ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.