<p>Hey everybody! Can you give me some advice about the best undergrad aerospace engineering programs?
I am considering applying to the following universities:</p>
<p>Top choice: MIT, Caltech, University of Michigan, Princeton University (mech/aero), Texas A&M, University of Texas at Austin, U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne and Stanford U</p>
<p>Which of those would you say have good programs? Did I leave any good one out of the list? If so, please speak up! lol</p>
<p>Also, I'm an international student, and money is a big issue here, that's why I put MIT, Caltech and Princeton on the list (they say they give lots of financial aid, even though they are extremely hard to get into.). Do you think I could get some financial aid at the other universities as well?</p>
<p>Finally, out of curiosity, my grades are in the mid 90s and I have won some science olympics awards. I haven't taken my SAT yet, but I took some preparation tests and I got more than 2000 points on every one of them. So, what would you say are my chances of beying admitted into each of the universities I listed above?</p>
<p>If I am not mistaken those schools would only give the full financial aids to US citizens or green card holders only but not to any foreign students. Moreover, SAT 2000s would just barely touch the surface. And you need to have stellar records coupled with super- duper mind boggling essay to get into one of those top schools. But, nobody is stopping you…good luck and may the Force be with you.</p>
<p>You’ve listed all of the “top” schools. I would only add University of Maryland–College Park and Pennsylvania State University–University Park to your list for Aero. </p>
<p>However, if money is an issue, you really need to open up your list of schools. </p>
<p>Also, you can use College Navigator to get a sense of cost and admission requirements.</p>
<p>For example, at MIT </p>
<p>Test Scores 25th Percentile* 75th Percentile**
SAT Critical Reading 670 770
SAT Math 740 800
SAT Writing 680 780 </p>
<p>Many schools are going to expect an international student come to apply to their campuses prepared to pay full freight or close to it. This is especiallly true for U.S. public universities.</p>
<p>That being said, a place like Iowa State U is a good recommendation. Others to consider…
U Virginia
U Minnesota-Twin Cities
California Polytechnic State U-San Luis Obispo</p>
<p>Private universities…
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Illinois Institute of Technology</p>
<p>Embry-Riddle is also a great school for undergraduate AE. Limited options outside of engineering and aviation, but their AE program is well-structured, well-supported, and rigorous.</p>
<p>If you’re planning to work in the US after graduation and don’t have a green card etc, keep in mind the job / visa situation is quite tricky for AE’s. My old college roommate studied AE and it was a challenge to even go to field trips to General Dynamics etc as to get into the plant with a student visa was a hassle (decades ago cold war and all that)</p>
<p>He returned to our home country of Elbonia (somewhere in Europe, look it up :)) and despite serious moolah being poured in to the national aerospace industry it’s kind of hard to find jobs there when nothing is being developed except spare parts for third world country air force aging planes that can’t be fixed anywhere else…</p>
<p>After a couple years there he became maintenance supervisor for Elbonia Airlines (read, sign forms) and finally when the airline was ‘privatized’ and he was canned he became the manager of a paint factory…</p>
<p>I also had great aspirations towards AE but saw the light (as an international student from a country where the aerospace industry is basically fold down trays and overhead luggage compartment doors for the Airbus) and studied something else. </p>
<p>In the US, at least, it looks to me that AE is awesome if you go to a top school, and nowhere near awesome if you don’t, and that assumes a green card.</p>