Congratulations @aakhtar! If you have questions I would call the school. Maybe they can put you in touch with someone connected with the Challenge program or even a student that’s been through it. Not everyone there is a genius! If you work hard there no reason you shouldn’t succeed.
Hi @ThatOneEngineer ! Thank you for starting this thread. My son is in his final decision process between Mines and Purdue for ME. He loves the outdoors and activities at mines but wonders how much time he would have to enjoy them since he continues to read about the rigorous coursework. Do you feel you have a day on the weekend to go for a hike or have some fun? Thx
Hi, if someone could help me out here. I have a 4.0 uw and took the ACT last October (2017) and got a 34, but only a 31 in Math. Back then I wanted to do political science so I paid no attention to it. Now, however, I want to do business and am considering perhaps doing engineering at a school like Mines. Really, I have no idea what I want to do. Anyways, Is a 31 in math ok for this school, or should I send in a retake score. I think I am retaking it in September. Also, what’s the social life like? Are there any parties at all? Are you friends with people at Boulder? Also, I got the golden admission. Should I do the two essays included, even though they are optional? Thanks!
My daughter and I visited the campus last week and in the presentation the Admissions Officer gave, she hinted that the essay, while optional, was highly encouraged. Your composite puts you in the top 25% of candidates last year based on the information we were given. The 31 in Math is likely in the middle 50% for the school, however. With your strong GPA and Composite ACT, I’d guess over you would be a strong candidate. Your 34 would qualify you for the highest tier of merit scholarships as well - so I’d think with some decent EC’s you won’t have much of an issue getting in.
If it were me, I would submit the application and re-take the ACT anyway, it can only help you potentially with scholarships down the line if you can improve your score.
@texhawk Thank you! I applied a few days ago and I will be retaking the ACT in September.
@ThatGerman88 The way you describe yourself, you may be a better fit at CU Boulder, as then you could study business, political science, finance, or engineering. If you attend Mines, you would probably have to transfer if you do not want to study math, geology, engineering, or one of the applied sciences, like geophysics, geochemistry. Mines offers economics, but CU Boulder has a full business college, you may want to look into. CU Boulder does have different admissions criteria for Leeds school of Business versus CU Engineering, versus CU Arts and Sciences, and also tuition is a bit higher at Leeds and CU Engineering, over the Arts and Sciences College, but not more expensive than Mines. Mines gives in state students less merit money than CU does, but the costs work out to be about the same, given that Golden is a little less expensive for living expenses compared to Boulder.
CU Engineering offers a few majors that Mines does not offer like aerospace. Mines offers a few that CU does
not offer, like Petroleum engineering. Both have strong mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering. I think Mines is a bit better in civil/hydrology but CU does offer this major too.
CU is better in computer science and computer engineering, compared to Mines.
Have you thought about which engineering speciality interests you?
Mines is smaller and more personal, and somewhat stronger math kids go to Mines.
@Coloradomama Thank you for the reply! I’m looking mostly at Petroleum engineering because I’m interested in oil production and I know Mines is very strong in that regard. I’m also applying to UC Berkeley, Michigan, and Boston College (for finance schools), plus a few others like the Naval Academy. So I’m not really looking at CU. It looks like a great campus though!
@ThatGerman88 Just saw your post today.
Michigan and Berkeley, you could also major in mechanical engineering and get into the petroleum industry.
Did you know that U of Southern California (private school in LA ) has or had a full ride for petroleum engineering majors only?
Texas and Oklahoma public schools are very strong in petroleum engineering also, if that ends up being your preferred career choice.
Boston College stands apart in your list as an excellent liberal arts college, without engineering, but with a strong business school and fantastic school spirit along the lines of Big Blue at Michigan. Boston College is an excellent choice if you really know for sure that engineering is not your interest. Finance is fantastic there, with an excellent alumni network.
Mines is an excellent choice if you want a smaller and more personal school compared to Berkeley or Michigan, and want to get a strong and broad engineering background and may have interest in earth sciences, petroleum, geochemistry, geophysics and wind energy. National Renewable Energy Labs
have a tight relationship with Colorado School of Mines.
Michigan and Berkeley are equally strong in mechanical engineering and English literature, and almost every other field they each offer, so very well rounded in many fields of study.
Naval Academy-- if you are at the very top of the Naval class, you can get a slot to law school or a masters degree in your field of choice. The Navy will pay for your graduate work, but then you owe them more years of service. Many of the engineering majors at the academy slant towards nuclear subs and ships, but its a strong technical school, very strong in leadership, and very good in political science as well. Also Annapolis is really nice, sort of like Cape Cod, if you have been there. Water, bridges, crab restaurants. The academy is a very intense experience, and you will have no privacy for the four years you are at the Academy, so its very different than your other choices.
@Coloradomama Thanks! I mentioned earlier that I got a 34 on the ACT with a 31 in math. Will they look at subject test because I got an 800 on the math ii. But I also got a 33 composite with a 36 english and 35 math but 30 in science in reading? should i send in the 33? thanks
@ThatGerman88, Just for the 35 math, I would report the score on admission portal if I were you, and send your AO an email to check it. Mine got 35 math too and 31 science. Science is the least important one that depends heavily on test prep. I would have collegeboard send your Math 2 score too, because why not?
You applied in August and are you still waiting for the result too? Would you please post or pm me when you receive it? My daughter with similar scores also applied in August and we are dying of anxiety. Mines is perfect for her and we are not even applying to any other school. I will let you know too when we get the result.
BTW, if you go there you will be at least invited to apply to their Harvey Scholarship.
The current requirement is Minimum UW GPA: 3.90 & Test Scores (ACT/SAT): 32/1420,
and complete application with the above GPA and Test Score by Nov 1.
But the numbers are just bare minimum. Seems they put more focus on other achievements.
@SculptorDad Pretty risky not to apply anywhere else though I’m sure she’ll get in. The problem was my school just sent out transcripts, so they should be received soon.
@ThatGerman88 It’s not risky if we get an admission before Thanksgiving. Her school sent her transcript in August and that’s when her application was completed. So we are really hoping to see the result soon.
I think I saw somewhere that they do not start sending out results until early Oct. - my son had a complete application on Aug. 14th so we are hoping to hear very soon.
@TitleistDriver There are conflicting information about the response time. I think one of it was 30 days after complete application for very early applications… Maybe it’s only for the invitation only Golden Application. I take it as nothing is set and it really depends on their workload. I know someone who applied August last year and got admitted in September. Maybe this year they have more applications. Please post or pm if you get the result. I will do the same.
@SculptorDad - Will do. He did submit the Golden Application back on Aug. 8th which I believe was the very first
day (transcripts were there by 8/14).
@SculptorDad - Just received the acceptance email this morning. Good luck to your daughter.
@TitleistDriver So did she. Thanks!
And good luck to you too, @ThatGerman88
Is anyone familiar with Biological Engineering at Mines? It sounds a whole lot like Chemical Engineering with a few Bio courses thrown in. Research opportunities? Thanks, my daughter has a strong biomedical interest.
@Darcy123 Biological is a newly created “track” provided within the Chemical Engineering major. They have changed the chemE department considerably over the last year. The old bulletin consisted of either “ChemE” or “ChemE and Bio-chemE”. The new bulletin allows for different focuses of concentration. Such as chemical engineering, process engineering, and biological engineering. https://chemeng.mines.edu/undergraduate-program/ Each track will have various electives within the designated focus to choose from as well as some required classes that put more emphasis on to the track.
There are many research opportunities within the chemical engineering department and many of them are biological engineering centric. I’d recommend that she take CBEN 368 (intro to undergrad research) as soon as she starts classes (i believe it’s only offered in the Fall). That class will introduce her to the different areas of research being conducted in the CBE Department. It has no prerequisites and is only 1 credit (easy A as well). She will be able to decide what research projects interest her the most and the prof’s will be happy to get her into their teams earlier rather than having an upperclass student work for 1-2 semesters and having to retrain them more often.
What are they odds of getting in if you just applied with a ACT of 33? Thanks