Many of these I don’t have yet, but I do expect to have them by the time I apply.
SAT: 1950(740m+570cr+640w)
SAT subject: math 2: 800, physics: 800, chem: 780
APs:
physics c mech
physics c e&m,
physics 1,
calc bc,
chemistry
[5 in all]
GPA: 10/10 (CBSE(India) 10th std)
ECs:
School Pupil Leader( Its the highest student achievable position in school)
Tennis 4 years
varsity Basketball 2 years
Literary council member(10th grade)
Interested in Mechanical Engineering at:
UC Berkeley
Georgia Tech
UT Austin
CMU
USC
Texas a&m
UC Santa Barbara
Please chance me. I wish I could help you too but I’m from India too and hence don’t know much about the US system.
I would also appreciate it if you could suggest some other good engineering colleges which I may have missed.
Which scores do you have as of now? Are you in year 11 or 12? GPA? You do realize you’ll also have to give the TOEFL, right?
You’ll have to be realistic with your approach towards shortlisting your colleges and just dwelling on the point that you will receive these scores. I’m not trying to discourage you.
Though, your profile (which you expect?) has good scores, your SAT score is still low for the colleges listed - UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, UT AUSTIN, CMU and USC (those are really elite schools). You lack ECs, the COMMON APP asks to give in about ten ECs and at a minimum the UCs ask for five to be put down, you’ve 4?
These colleges emphasize on GPA, test scores and your essays, plus ECs are what separates you out from any other student, so try working on them.
Some top engineering schools could be: UIUC, Michigan Ann Arbor (though, these two are really tough to get into).
Thanks @Digitallyshrewd for your inputs. I’m now in year 11. Do plan on taking the SAT once again or ACT. The thing is that its only recently that I planned on going abroad. That’s the reason for few ECs. I posted these expected scores only because I want to know if it’ll be enough. My strong-point lies in academics and the Indian syllabus covers most of AP and sub tests. So, I do expect such scores in these tests(I have looked at their syllabuses and prac tests). Are ECs that important? Wouldn’t good scores reduce the need for ECs? I’m US citizen, still need TOEFL?
Ah, you don’t need the TOEFL then. Good scores are a must and they wouldn’t reduce the need for ECs.
Look at it this way, all your competing students would have high scores too, they’ll have good essays too, but what differentiates you to the others is your ECs. Those are what define your interests. You gotta build up on your ECs.
Plus, might I suggest giving the ACT instead of the SAT, have a look at it.
Have a look at my (chance me thread, can’t send you the link, on my phone right now) and give your input if you’d like.