<p>Want to major in Aerospace Engineering, but open to other options in engineering or polsci
My current college list:
Rice
Northwestern
Notre Dame
UCal Berkley
Michigan
Purdue
Wisconsin
Texas A&M
Baylor
UT
Boston U
Northeastern
Should I add?:
Duke
Any Ivies? (Cornell, Columbia, or UPenn)
Any other suggestions</p>
<p>It's a long list, I need help whittling it down! I want about 8 to 10 apps when its all said and done. </p>
<p>My "Stats"
White (25% Hispanic (Spain)), suburban, middle class, central Texas
Will apply EA if non-binding
GPA: 3.97 UW, 5.14 W
Class Rank: 62/642
PSAT: 223
SAT: 1500/2230 (730 reading/writing, 770 Math)
SAT2: Taking Physics and Math 2 in June.
AP: World History- 4.
Current Classes: AP Chem (my B), AP Calculus, AP Government, AP Macro, AP English, PAP Physics, Football.
Next Year classes: AP Stat, AP Physics C, AP Psych, AP English, Football, Business Management
EC: NHS, Stuco, DECA, Football, Track, Church Youth Group, currently campaigning for President of Class Council, yearly mission trips</p>
<p>Plan to go to grad school
please help me refine my choices! Thanks!</p>
<p>Made alternate to internationals in DECA
Held Job from June 2012- March 2013
Have summer internship at medium company lined up for summer</p>
<p>Match for UMich, Purdue, Wisconsin, UT, Northestern. Low Match for TAM and safety for Baylor. Is this SAT your only attempt? It is not bad, but you may want to boost it a little bit for the top schools on the list.</p>
<p>thanks! TAMU is automatic admit with rank/sat! what range of scores do you think could put me on the radar for those schools at the top? I really like the city of Chicago, so specifically Northwestern</p>
<p>TAMU & Baylor for sure…</p>
<p>bigboy96 - My ds is also interested in engineering (mechanical with automotive concentration instead of aerospace), so we have a list very similar to yours and plan to visit several of these schools this summer. </p>
<p>Several of the schools on your list are reach / lottery schools - meaning lots of students with similar stats will be applying for a few openings. Yes, you may be qualified, but they can only take so many. Northwestern’s admit rate this past year (class of 2013) was less than 14%!</p>
<p>You also mentioned that you are from a middle class family (also similar to our situation). Many of these schools do not give much in merit aid/scholarships. Your PSAT is 223 - this will likely qualify you for NMSF scholarships. Have you considered any schools that may offer good scholarships for NMSF? </p>
<p>DS & I visited U of Alabama over spring break. It was very nice and has a wonderful new engineering complex with state of the art everything! For NMF students, they offer free tuition plus one year dorm. Engineering students also get an additional $2500.</p>
<p>I believe U of Oklahoma also has a nice NMF scholarship package, as well. These schools can be nice “safety” schools, along with UT & TAMU.</p>
<p>So, in addition to academic safety/match/reaches, you may want to consider financial safety/matches.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank about UIUC too. It should be a match for you.
The top schools are very hard to chance. Scores and GPA are not their main consideration as most applicants are good with that. Even if you have matched their admission stat, you still have only ~10% chance. Your score should be around the average of their admission stat. If you don’t have really outstanding EC, your chance is not high. You may still apply to them but you definitely should focus on matching schools. You do have a couple safety on the list already. UCB would be very expensive and you are not likely to get merit aid. Otherwise, your main list of schools looks like a decent one. You may want to investigate a little bit which schools have better programs.</p>
<p>Having a financial safety is a good idea I suppose. If you got a sub standard financial aid package from a school you were really interested in, could you go to them with the scholarship from the safety schools and show them what you’re being offered and maybe bump up the award a little?</p>
<p>I have read on here where some people do try to ask the schools to match. I have not seen where it has worked very often. </p>
<p>Some of these schools do have some wonderful scholarships, but they’re a 1 in a 1000 chance and probably given to the students that have the best scores/best gpa/best EC’s/best essays, etc. Give it a shot, but don’t fall in love until all the stars align! :)</p>
<p>My DS knows that we have limited money to go toward college. I’m encouraging him to reach for the stars, but understand that some of those schools will not be affordable unless he gets those super scholarships.</p>
<p>Most schools do not match financial aid, particularly a merit aid. You can easily get merit scholarship from lower tier schools.</p>
<p>UT at the moment is top 7% auto admit. So you need to apply for non-auto admit pool. You are in at A&M with a lot of merit money since you will make NMSF. There are many other schools where you can get a lot of money based on national merit.</p>
<p>Many of the state schools on your list are expensive OOS. How are you financially to be a fullpay at these schools (60k per year).</p>
<p>^ Agree. Many students forget to check the cost calculator before applying to schools. Also check out the percentage of students received aids that match their needs.</p>
<p>Looking at your numbers --</p>
<p>There is not a school in the US that you should not consider applying to. </p>
<p>You are likely to be admitted to many of the schools on your list and only the very top schools become iffy. I’m not saying you will be accepted everywhere, but I think you will have multiple acceptances. </p>
<p>Your numbers are there. I personally would not recommend retaking the SAT’s, an increase in scores will likely only have an incremental effect on your admissions chances.</p>
<p>The only problem, and it’s a big one – the very top schools have sub-20% acceptance rates rates (several sub-10%) – for any top E school, many with your stats will get in, many will not. No one can predict how someone with your numbers will do at any one school.</p>
<p>Factor in your favor – and honestly this may be huge. You say you are 25% hispanic (Spanish descent). This may qualify you as a URM. check the link below, which suggests that 25% is a generally accepted threshhold for claiming a race. However, please research this more, and determine whether you are comfortable (and whether it is ethical) claiming this. If you are a URM, your chances for admissions at top schools with your numbers will be significantly increased.</p>
<p>Otherwise – as noted above, consider cost, what aid you are likely to receive and what you can afford. It does no good to get into a school if you will not be able to pay for it.</p>