Chance Please!

<p>Senior, highly competitive school in California
Applying to Bioengineering</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.6, Weighted: 3.9
SAT I: 2110; 750 Math, 730 Writing, 630 Reading
ACT: 32 Composite; Science 36, Writing 34, Reading 25, Math 34, Combined English/Writing 32
SAT II: Math 2: 770, Biology-E: 750
APs: Biology - 5, Calc B/C - taking in May, Economics - taking in May
Taken Physics at community college - A</p>

<p>Awards/Honors</p>

<p>ICICI Bank IQ Quiz Runner Up - my team won 2nd in this statewide competition, trophy
National Honor Society - honorary member + 15 hours community service, certificate
Optimist International Oratorical Contest - won 2nd in district, medal</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Guitarist - 5 years
Medical Explorers - hospital organization for future doctors
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) - web design team - 10th grade
Speech and Debate Club - statewide competitions in oratory - 9th grade
Sports - JV Cross Country, National Junior Basketball league, Tennis league, Little League Baseball</p>

<p>Community Service</p>

<p>High School For A Better Community - grades 10,11,12 - 60 hours - tutoring services for students
Octagon Club - grade 9 - 100 hours - random local activities
Rock Fusion Club - Vice President - grades 11,12 - 80 hours - create/distribute our music for free
Local museum volunteer - grades 10,11 - 60 hours - manager of booths</p>

<p>Work Experience</p>

<p>Private guitar tutor - may 2008 to aug 2009 - 10 hours/wk</p>

<p>Some chance but a reach. Bioengineering takes a limited number of freshman, has the highest middle 50% of all engineering majors(and a 32 ACT is actually below its middle 50% range), and is the most difficult program to be admitted to. There is a reason that they put on the application the question that asks you to give a second choice engineering major if your first choice is bioengineering. Many with high stats who apply bioengineering get offered their second choice. (Also just be aware that SAT IIs are not used for admission to UIUC).</p>

<p>drusba: “Some chance but a reach?” UIUC is a good school, but it’s not MIT. If Rypto is just reach, what is match & safefy?</p>

<p>^It is the major not the college. Bioengineering is a special case at UIUC. They enroll less than 30 a year, it is a fairly new program, 5 years old, which for UIUC means it is still in the development and testing stage. Since inception most who have gotten in have 33 or above ACT and top 4% or better class rank. As time progresses and the department eventually expands that will change but right now it is still very hard to get into bioengineering.</p>

<p>Is it possible to select bioengineering as primary major and then the alternative major something in College of Liberal Arts and Sciences like Biochem?</p>

<p>drusba: Do you know if Rypto can’t get in bioengineering, UIUC will provide any alternative major for him/her? Or just reject?</p>

<p>I know it is possible to list in the space provided another engineering major including Chemical and Biomecular Engineering which is officially in LAS but follows the engineering college. I do not know about biochemistry and you might want to call to find out.</p>

<p>drusba: are you working for UIUC or very close to UIUC admission?</p>

<p>drusba: do you know anything about computer science? is it difficult to get in?
BTW, if someone’s in an international program, like A-level, in high school, will he/she be deferred for not submitting the certificates(or certificates not available yet)?</p>

<p>I entered the undergraduate bioengineering program at UIUC in fall of 2008, and I was told on the first day of ENG 100 that the median ACT score for our class was 34-35. As for the class size, ours was roughly 50 although several have opted out of the major since then.</p>

<p>I would say that UIUC admission mostly is concerned with GPA and ACT score, but in borderline cases would give careful consideration to extracurricular activities (which you seem to have plenty of) and essay. However, the competition has only gotten worse since then as I know a couple high schoolers with 33 ACT and 4.2+ GPA (weighted on a 4 point scale) were deferred from Aerospace engineering, which is one of the easier programs to be accepted into. </p>

<p>@ tonyecc: as drusba mentioned, highly qualified candidates who get rejected from bioengineering will be offered spots in their secondary choice of engineering, although I am not sure if that would extended to another college within the school (I do not see why not).</p>

<p>@ taosha: computer science/electrical engineering also belong to the harder bracket of engineering programs to get into</p>

<p>I got denied with slightly worse stats. You are borderline, and that’s for DGS…</p>