Best college in my range?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>Alright so my first 2 years of high school I did really bad (1.8 GPA or something) and my last year and this year I’ve made straight A’s… I’m not one of those valedictorians that seem to inhabit 95% of the threads here…</p>

<p>Anyways, at the end of my first semester as a senior I have all A’s my lowest grade being an 89.4… so coming up to the end of this semester my GPA is 2.7. My counselor said my GPA should come up to at least 3.0 possibly 3.1… I took the ACT one time and made a 23 with R 26, E 28, M 17, S 20… I’ve already applied and been accepted to UAB, and I’m in the process of applying to UAH, I plan on going for engineering.</p>

<p>My question to you guys is really just, how do you think I’ll fare in either of these colleges and which one is my best choice? Also any other advice is welcome, please none if the “YOU DONT HAVE A 34 ON YOUR ACT? NO 3.99 GPA???” thanks! Roll tide going for 15 ;)</p>

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<p>i can give you some info on uab, feel free to pm, my son attends there… uah is also a good school, smaller and not as much to do on campus but known for engineering here in state.</p>

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<p>I’m sorry that you might not like advice like this, but here goes: engineering is difficult, and you will need strong math skills. A 17 subscore on math is not a good indication of your potential in this area. Current students in engineering drop out of that major for 1 of 2 primary reasons: they don’t like it, or they can’t pass the math and science classes. Your reading and english subs are decent, so I would honestly advise you to concentrate on fields using your strengths, OR, work hard to bring your ACT score up by some tutoring, and take the exam again. Time is of the essence, however - you have to check when the last date that colleges will accept ACT test scores. Some will not accept them past December of your Senior year. Alternative: go to a community college for a year and get SOLID grades in STEM courses, and then transfer in.</p>

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<p>Thanks for both of your replies! I welcome criticism like this and I’m very aware of the struggling math sub score, but on another note, I’m excelling in calculus this year, I Dont know what was going on during the act with me. I talked to my admissions counselor at uah and he recommended some tutoring that they have during my freshman year… can anyone give me an idea of what dorm life is like - concerning partying, will I be able to study etc or is it better to go to a library? Thanks for the help!</p>

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<p>I have to concur with aeromom. Why exactly do you want engineering? Do you have any experience, or is it just because it’s the hot major these days? Engineering, by definition, is using math to solve problems. It’s pretty well documented that if you don’t easily grasp higher math (especially calculus) and physics, you will not succeed at engineering. If you don’t totally “get” advanced math (and a 17 on the ACT is telling), you might want to rethink your major.</p>

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<p>Chardo,</p>

<p>I’m into engineering because I AM into solving problems, and I Dont have a problem with math, in fact, this semester in calculus (coming up to the end of this semester) I have a 96, and I have yet to make a B on a test. I’m confident in my math skills though I know they need improvement, I’m willing to work for that. I genuinely think I would enjoy engineering, the job opportunities only have a little to do with it, I want to do something productive to the industrial world and affect the world in an innovative way. I can’t use my English and reading skills to do that, nor do I want to.</p>

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<p>Are you an alabama resident? Will you be applying to U Alabama? </p>

<p>If you’re doing well in Calculus, then maybe you misbubbled nearly an entire section? I would see if it’s too late to get the score sheet and the question book from that test and see. </p>

<p>Are you signed up to take the SAT and ACT in early 2013?</p>

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<p>Alabama born and raised, Jefferson county for 18 years. I will probably retake it in early 2013 if I feel its need. I’m going to talk to my admissions counselor a little more though, because if I can get into Uah without taking that god awful test again then I’m not going to.</p>

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<p>if you think taking the ACT is a grind, then engineering is definitely NOT for you.</p>

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<p>I never said the act was a grind, in fact I didn’t even study for it. You can’t base how well I’ll do in an engineering course on my score on a standardized test.</p>

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<p>Ok heres my 2 cents. I’m concerned about your math section also. There’s could be a couple of different things going on here. #1. The ACT test is covering things that you had so long ago that you couldn’t remember them. #2. When they went over the things that the ACT test covers you perhaps didn’t grasp it but whatever they tested on is not needed in Calculus. #3. You just don’t take tests well(have you taken the ACT?)</p>

<p>Here’s the thing you can get tutoring if needed. If you want to be an engineer then you should stick with your plan. However I have to be honest my oldest DS is a high school senior and he had a 34 ACT is currently taking AP calculus and getting an A and honestly I’m not sure if he has the math skills for engineering. We keep going back and forth between engineering and Biology.From what I’ve heard the engineering classes are pretty hard.I guess I’m just trying to tell you that it’s going to be a lot of work however if you really want to do it I believe you can.</p>

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<p>Standardised tests are called that for a reason: ideally, they are indeed standardised and allow admissions staff to - precursorily at least - compare one student to another, as well as predict how they will fare at college in a given discipline. So, I have to disagree with you: people CAN (rightly or wrongly) base how well you will do in engineering on your standardised test results. Eng’g schools DO look at the math subscore for a reason: they want to be sure that you can handle the curriculum, which is heavily based on math. </p>

<p>Your original question had to do with how you would fare at UAB versus UAH, and I (and others) want to give you our honest opinions. I looked up some stats for you from 2011, from the ASEE online profiles. </p>

<p>Admitted UAB engineering students had a mid-range (25-75%) ACT composite of 23-28, with math subscores of 23-29. Admitted UAH engineering students had a mid-range ACT composite of 24-30, with math subscores of 24-30. So, both schools are similar - UAH a little higher. This is not a predictor of whether you would get into these schools. Rather, the published mid-ranges (middle 25-75% of students) show future students how they would compare and fit in to the student body, in terms of what quartile they would be placed.* </p>

<p>You are in the bottom 25%-ile for ACT composite, but you are a long way below in the math subscore at both schools. If you are comfortable with how you fit, then either school might work for you. I would take the admission that you have from UAB…be thankful for it…and prove us all wrong. Others can chime in about other differences between UAB and UAH.</p>

<p>Is your current calculus class pre-calc, Calc I, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC? I ask because, depending on your branch of eng’g, you may have additional math courses ahead of you, some of which are prereqs to other courses in computer science, physics, and upper level eng’g courses. Good luck to you.</p>

<p>Let me leave you with 1 more thing to ponder, a link talking about the difference between engineering and engineering technology: [ABET</a> - Engineering vs. Engineering Technology](<a href=“http://www.abet.org/engineering-vs-engineering-technology/]ABET”>http://www.abet.org/engineering-vs-engineering-technology/) . Ask yourself which sounds more interesting.</p>

<ul>
<li>Just for giggles, I looked up MIT’s engineering quartiles. Their middle 50% has a math ACT subscore of between 34 and 36.</li>
</ul>

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<p>Agreed, the ACT math score is dreadful. But despite what one would like to think about standardized tests producing standardized results . . . it just isn’t the case. Some kids test well. Others don’t. Some kids prep extensively. Others don’t. The results reflect quite a bit more than simply knowledge and/or aptitude.</p>

<p>It’s entirely possible that the OP is, as he suggests, a very strong math student who really dropped the ball when it came to preparing for this particular test. I can understand the skepticism of some of those who have posted . . . but it’s up to the OP to decide whether or not engineering is right for him (or her).</p>

<p>Back to the OP’s question - UAH vs. UAB, I’d strongly suggest that the OP visit both schools again, sit in on classes, stay for lunch or dinner, talk to the students, and get some firsthand feedback on what it’s like to be a student at each of these schools.</p>

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<p>Well, if some students have prepped a lot in order to better their score on standardised tests (and then do score better), doesn’t that tell you something about their ability and willingness to succeed in a particular area? This poster was unwilling to prep, and is apparently unwilling to try again (and hopefully improve), and yet wants to know how he will fare at UAB and UAH in eng’g no less. Mind boggling.</p>

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<p>Opps I meant to ask if you had taken the SAT. Some kids do better on one than the other.
I would talk to the engineering dept at UAB since you have been accepted there and see what they say.</p>

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<p>Also does either UAB or UAH require the writing portion of the ACT? Original poster did not mention a score for that.</p>

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<p>hmm. I kind of thought all the colleges required the writing portion if the required the test to start with. I know it’s optional but I would think everyone would take it unless they were taking it in 7th grade for Duke TIP. My 8th grader took the ACT last year and didn’t take the writing part however when my 12th grader took the SAT in 7th grade he had to take the writing part.</p>

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<p>Curious about why a student would take the ACT test in 7th grade.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all of the honest input everyone. After reading all of your posts I’ve decided that I’m going to retake the ACT soon - on that note, I will be visiting both uah and uab to see what it is like at both.</p>

<p>The writing portion isn’t required for either test, and no I haven’t taken the sat, no one at my school ever talks about it - only the act, so I never really thought about it.</p>

<p>I’m in calc 1. And I’m doing well (in my opinion) in the class.</p>

<p>I understand where some of you are coming from concerning prepping for the act and I would just like to point out, I took the test one time just to give myself a baseline of where I would be without studying, with my general knowledge. I Dont consider it a lazy decision, but I understand that a lot ( if not most) of you believe it is. For me it was the right thing to do the first try.</p>

<p>That being said, thanks for all the input, harsh and soft! It helps me a lot. Keep it coming if you have anything else to add please!</p>

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<p>rip - The gifted kids take the SAT or ACT in 7th grade so they can see how they compare to high school seniors. If their scores are high enough they can take some enrichment classes are Duke if the parents can afford it. We couldn’t…:(I think they have a something like that up north. Both my kids had scores high enough the I can’t remember what my seniors scores were but my 8th grader had a 29 in reading and a 23 composite.</p>

<p>Mostly I think it gives them a chance to take it with the big kids so when they take it as a junior they already know the drill.</p>