| Reason |
| Breadth and depth of program, program ranking, and program curriculum |
| Comfort level on multi-disciplinary teams, asking questions |
| Demonstrated success |
| Drive, energy, and passion of students |
| Effective projects and internships |
| Multi-tasking capabilities |
| Quality engineering standards and knowledge |
| Students desire to outperform larger programs |
| Support from faculty |
| Technical apptitude |
| Willingness and eagerness of students |