Chance me / Match me: Junior with good but not great stats for Colorado School of Mines [WI resident, 3.82 GPA, 27 ACT]

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Hard working kid who thrives being challenged but struggled staying engaged during remote COVID year resulted in non-perfect unweighted grades that could affect ability to get into first choice, Colorado School of Mines. Some tools show Colorado School of Mines and UW Madison (the local choice) as target/match schools, but we worry that these schools are actually a reach.

Would love to get your take on ability to get into School of Mines and would love suggestions for schools we have not considered. We’re looking for small to medium size schools with outstanding STEM programs, good ROI and networking. Also, would like to be near mountains for climbing and skiing.

Demographics
US Citizen, Wisconsin
Type of High School: Small Rural Public
Gender/Race/Ethnicity: M/Caucasian

Intended Major(s)
Petroleum Engineering, Geological Engineering, Chemical Engineering

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.82
  • Weighted HS GPA: School does not weight
  • Class Rank: School does not rank
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 27 ACT (retesting in June)

Coursework
Completed 4 AP and taking 3 AP next year
Completed 3 HN and taking 3 next year

Will have math through AP Calculus, heavy on STEM classes, and 4 years of Spanish

Awards
Summa Cum Laude (expected) – school has laude system instead of ranking
Honor Roll (high honors 15 of 16 terms)
National Honor Society (possible, have been invited previously but not applied)
4-H State Expo – Photography Grand Champion
4-H State Expo – Horse Judging Grand Champion (team), advanced to national level
State Fair Champions Challenge Reserve Champion (twice) – invitation only
Many additional state level equestrian awards and achievements

Extracurriculars
South Dakota School of Mines, Mining Engineering & Explosives Summer Camp
Mountaineering – Summited Mt. Baker (10,768 Ft.), Washington State
Equestrian Team – advanced to state every year on the team
Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup – State Horse Judging Team
4-H – Club President (60+ hours of community service)
Employment – Electrician’s Assistant (summer and weekend job)

Essays/LORs/Other
Will have strong essay and LORs

Cost Constraints / Budget
$50k/yr but would love to see merit scholarships bring this down.

Schools
University of Alaska, Fairbanks (safety)
Montana State University, Bozeman (safety)
South Dakota School of Mines (safety)
University of Colorado Boulder (safety)
University of Wisconsin Madison (match)
Colorado School of Mines (match)

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I think your child’s grades are strong - a 3.82 is a high A- average, so nothing to sneeze at. I know a few kids who have been accepted to Mines (we are OOS - from MA) with slightly lesser stats so I think it is a decent possibility. A better comparison, of course, is to see how kids from your school have done (Naviance or SCOIR, if you have that).

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Sometimes SAT is better than ACT. Our kids scored way better on the SAT and subject tests than ACT.

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I realize you did not ask for additional schools, but, I wanted to suggest Missouri Science and Tech. Very similar school and might be an easier admit.

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Note that non-resident cost at CO Mines is $62k: Cost of Attendance: Undergraduate - Financial Aid

The “mine” schools in NM and SD are considerably less expensive (and less selective).

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We know a kid with similar grades (unsure of ACT) and good (although not unique) ECs that got into Mines.

Your list looks good, so I think even if MInes doesn’t work out, he’ll have good choices. Have you visited these schools yet? I know my son thought he had a clear frontrunner until he visited a safety that he fell in love with. A lot can change in a year.

University of Utah has a few majors that would work, as well as good access to climbing and skiing.

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I agree that your list looks good and well thought out. Two schools I wondered about were:

  • New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology (New Mexico Tech): This school only has 1200 students and likely has lots of mountains nearby, but more of the dryer, southwestern type than the verdant Rocky Mountain type. It’s within 2 hours of about 2 different ski resorts, and is within about 3.5 hours from Taos and another ski area. This one’s within budget even before merit aid comes into the picture. It’s ABET-accredited in several areas, including Mineral Engineering and Petroleum Engineering.

  • Montana Technological University (Montana Tech): This is another small school, this one with about 1500 undergrads. It’s ABET-accredited in Geological Engineering, Geophysical Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering, so it seems as though it’d be right up your son’s alley. There are lots of mountains (and probably skiing) around Butte. This one would also be well within budget before merit aid comes into the picture.

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DS23 applied to Montana Tech test optional and they offered him a lot of money. I think he applied because there was a free application. If you hit the request information button, they will probably send you a code for one late summer or early fall.

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I agree that UW Mad ison has been about 50/50 for high stats instate kids the past few years. I know of a few nearly perfect stats in state kids who were rejected and a few lower stats kids who were accepted. I think the awards will hopefully make them stand out a bit for your child!

Other schools? WVU Honors College?

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Thanks for these recommendations! I’ll definitely check them out!

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This is great to know. We’ll check them out. I worry a little that 1500 student is a little too small, did you tour the school? If so, what did you think?

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