u/BioVean

My son was selected to participate in a fully paid, one-week residential program at Missouri S&T in materials science engineering (program, lodging, and food are all covered). He is excited to go since he loves materials science, but we are very concerned since we’ve been reading that the place (Rolla, Missouri) can be pretty racist. He is also on the autism spectrum with very minimal limitations or needs, but still has challenges with speaking and social interactions. Some may see him as a strange, awkward, lanky Southeast Asian teen, and I am concerned that people will be cruel towards him. This is also the first time he will be doing this. So, I decided to book a hotel near the university in case he experiences a shutdown, as many autistic kids tend to have them when they feel overwhelmed. He will be staying in the dorms with a roommate throughout the entire week/program, but at least he knows that I am close by if he needs anything.

Can someone let us know if what we’ve been reading about Rolla is true? Thank you!

My son is a high school junior, and he is very set on materials science engineering. He is in a dual enrollment high school program, meaning he is taking community college classes in addition to all-honors high school classes. He loves chemistry, math, and physics (in that order). He has taken college biology, chem 1 and 2, physics: mechanics, and a bunch of college math, so that he will soon complete all his requirements for an Associate's degree in Mathematics by the time he graduates from high school. He has been accepted to Drexel’s summer institute in materials science, and he’s excited to attend. We’re still waiting for the results of other materials science summer camps.

We’re from Silicon Valley, so we’ve been told that he may still not be considered competitive, even though he has great grades and is on the college Dean’s list. We prefer him to stay in California and get into the UCs, since he is autistic with very low needs (high functioning), plus, we want to save money. However, it’s a bloodbath for Silicon Valley kids every year compared to even other parts of the SF Bay Area (UCs compare you to your own school and region for admissions; kids in Silicon Valley are crazy competitive).

We’re listing down good schools he can apply to, but we can only see college rankings online, which don't really say much about the school, the materials science engineering program, or why they are even ranked. We’ve looked at each school’s website, but they practically have the same selling point. We’re looking for good programs that are well-respected in the industry and provide robust support, resources, opportunities for mentorship, internships, grad school, and career start-up in materials science engineering, hopefully even here in California. We have been prioritizing those with a path to B.S./MS, but we also welcome trusted insights on strong programs that only offer a bachelor’s degree.

Edit: for people saying that we’re deciding for him, clearly you do not know parenting autistic kids. We are basing our college research on what he wants. You do not know how stubborn autistic kids can be and what level of support they need. We actually prefer him to go to trade school (we have relatives with businesses who will employ him with trade license) or SJSU since it’s practical and closer to home, but he wants to try to get into a very good materials science engineering program, and we are supporting him on his decision. He is obviously doing research, but we’re just helping. That’s what parents do.