I’m probably not a very competitive applicant for top schools, but I’m just trying to see if getting into in-state schools is actually feasible and also if it’s worth applying to privates.
Demographics
US domestic
State/Location of residency: Bay Area, California
Type of high school: Top public school in area
Gender/Race/Ethnicity: Asian Female
Intended Major(s)
Mechanical Engineering, Math (second choice)
Coursework
10th: Calc BC (5), Physics C Mech (5), Physics C E&M (5), Music Theory (5), Chinese (4)
11th: Chem, Physics 2, CS Principles, Lang, Psych, DE Higher Math
12th: Micro + Macroecon, Bio, CSA
Sidenote: I did not take Algebra 2 but instead self-studied and took the AP Calc BC exam and additional DE math. I can still graduate this way but will this affect my college chances?
Awards
Piano CM Level 8, qualified for convention twice
Math Honor Society (Mu Alpha Theta)
AP Scholar with Distinction
Extracurriculars
Summer Camp - Head Counselor (9-12)
Afterschool Tutoring - Supervisor (10-12)
President of Christian Club at school (10-12)
Piano (9-12)
Leader at middle school fellowship (10-12)
Math Club at school (9-12)
Organized a community event with 100+ participants (11-12)
Robotics team (9)
Church Worship Team (10-12)
Essays/LORs/Other
Essays 9/10
LORs if I apply to privates: freshman geo teacher who is the sponsor of Christian club - 8/10, either my AP Chem or AP Lang teacher - 7/10, additional LOR from boss at summer camp and tutoring - 10/10
Cost Constraints / Budget
Preferably less than 25k a year (parents’ combined income is ~100k so I would probably get financial aid at most schools)
Schools
Safety: Community College
Likely: San Jose State, UCSC
Match: Cal Poly SLO, UCSD, UCI, UCSB (CCS Math), UC Davis
Reach: UCLA, UCB
Far Reach that I would like to go to, but not sure if I actually have a chance of getting in: Harvey Mudd, MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Princeton, Rice, anywhere else you’d recommend?
These are for the whole campus. Different divisions or majors may have different levels selectivity (usually, engineering and computer science majors are more selective).
Specifically regarding your question about math, what math classes have you actually taken in HS? Self-studying and skipping worked fine for me at the UCs. Just make sure you actually have taken 3-4 math classes in person.
I took geometry freshman year and stats at a local CC last semester. I’m planning to take 1-2 more CC classes this coming semester (discrete math & calc 3).
For SJSU and other CSUs other than CPSLO, calculate HS GPA the same as UC weighted capped HS GPA, except that each semester of college course counts as two (honors) courses and grades instead of one.
For engineering majors at SJSU, you also need to calculate a math GPA (it is not obvious whether honors points are added for the math GPA).
For SJSU, multiply the HS GPA by 800, then add any applicable points for local area, etc. (see Impaction | Admissions ). For engineering majors, add 400 times math GPA. Then compare to the threshold numbers found at Freshmen Impaction Results | Admissions , but be aware that the thresholds for this and future years can change somewhat compared to the most recent completed admission cycle.
Other CSUs will have their own formulae for calculating their admission index, and they will set their own thresholds for each major.
You will be more than fine. Keep chunking away at those math classes! UCs generally are pretty open to accepting DE credits, so you’ll be way ahead on your degree when you do go to college. On the other hand, my friends at top privates have had to retake basically everything they took DE.
However, particularly for CPSLO, be sure that all math courses are listed on your application, including algebra 1 or higher taken while in middle school, since part of their admission index including a count of the number of math courses taken.
I think you have a definite chance at some very competitive schools. It’s a reach for most everyone, but I would not be surprised if you received any acceptances.
Make sure you confirm the budget with your family and run the Net Price Calculator at each institution you are interested in. I believe the UCs are around $30kish for California residents, and so you will want to check to see if they (or any college) has a path to affordability for you.
Apart from your in-state publics, most of the colleges on your list are small to mid size. Is that your preference? Or what else is important to you in your college search (urban/suburban/rural, sports, Greek life, region of the country, etc)?
More information can help us in offering possible alternatives to consider.
The typical recommendations wanted are two from teachers and one from counselor. Some colleges may requires specific subjects. For example, MIT prefers one from a math or science teacher and one from a humanities (e.g. English, foreign language) or social studies (e.g. history, government, geography, economics) teacher. Cornell engineering wants a math teacher recommendation from a precalculus or calculus teacher in 11th or 12th grade, plus one other teacher recommendation.
Thanks! I don’t really have a size preference, but I want to be able to come home at least a few times a year, so not too far away unless it’s a really good college (like T20s). I would prefer suburban, but urban is also okay. I don’t really care for sports or Greek life, but I would like to have a Christian community (which is probably available almost everywhere though).
Wow - you’re not competitive? Hmmmm - on what earth Seems like you are very competitive to me.
So you mention $25K - so that’s the first place to start. You can definitely get there with public schools and the crazy merit they’ll throw at someone like you.
Look at the net price calculators of the privates you mentioned - Harvey Mudd, Cornell, etc. Do they show you at $25,000? If not, then can you afford what they say? If not, they’re likely not worth apps.
For engineering, you likely need to go to a mainstream school but you’d find Christian life there - you may look at WUE schools if you want to go out of state. Or a school like Arizona where you’d get great merit to hopefully get you at about $25K. There are others out of state as well where you can get $20K or less but assuming you want to stay out West (as your list is CA), no need to go there.
You can also look at Christian schools with ABET accredited engineering - but again, you need to run the net price calculators - a Calvin University for example. But again, as a private, you will need to run an NPC.
I was worried that I wouldn’t be as competitive since I have no engineering related extracurriculars except for math club. I’ll definitely look into the net price calculators! Thank you!
That likely matters little if at all. You’ve done activities that interes you. For schools that care about ECs and not all do, your activities are fine. They needn’t be related.
Ps - someone may have mentioned but in case not, UC/CSU won’t look at test scores.
You’re in great shape but you do need to see if you can afford the privates b4 applying. Your parents will need to help you with the NPCs.
Best of luck.
Ps - as you’re a junior, you might want to do an engineering summer camp. My son did the week long STEP at Purdue. It was a solid confirmation, that yes this was the major he should pursue (Meche).
I posted this same info to someone else so I actually feel a little weird posting it again - I swear I don’t work for this organization at all and am NOT advertising for them
But as a parent of a student in the program I just think this is such an incredible opportunity for STEM-interested students.
There is an organization called The Knowledge Society. It is an excellent program that gives high school students some amazing hands-on project opportunities in STEM. It is, however, pretty expensive. But if you happen to be female and live in the Bay Area, you have the opportunity to get it all paid for by Amazon.
I’m not sure if it’s OK to post links here, so in case it’s not, just google Amazon AHEAD x TKS and you should be able the find the info and application. I think applications are open right now - not sure of the deadline, but if you’re interested, don’t wait. It is a really cool program that will give you access to work that you wouldn’t otherwise get.
Don’t ask a freshman teacher. LOR aren’t about your club or extracurriculars. They are about who you are as a student in the classroom. Colleges want perspective from 11th or 12th grade teachers. 11th grade would be better since 12th grade teachers only have you for a few weeks before writing the letter.
How many of the other 10th grade AP exams were self study? Which courses did you actually take in person? In a follow up post, you said that Chem and Lang were AP courses. Which of your other courses were AP and did you take the exams?
Not sure if you are interested. Cal Poly SLO’s summer Epic program is for potential engineering applicants. Applications open in Feb.
All of the listed courses are AP and Calc BC is the only one I self studied (the rest I took at school). I am planning to take all the exams except for Physics 2 because I already have Physics C credit.
Seems like you are very competitive to me.