<p>im in the STEM program
top 25% out of 530 students</p>
<p>AP classes: World History
Physics B
Computer Science
Human Geography
Language and Composition </p>
<p>Senior year I am taking: (as in AP classes)
AP US history
Calc AB
AP LIT
Ap Physch</p>
<p>Taken mostly honors classes through Highschool</p>
<p>Lunar Robotics Summer Program AACC
Underwater Robotics Summer Program
National Honor Society Member </p>
<p>Volunteer Experience
Anne Arundel County Food Bank
Fund Raising for Harvest for the Hungry
Homeless Shelter Feeding the Homeless through St. Vincent De Paul, Baltimore
Judge School Science Fair
Participation in Soles for Souls Program </p>
<p>Activities
Trip to Costa Rica for Science Research
Computer Programing competition at Anne Arundel Community College - 1st Place
Interact Club High School Service Organization
Basketball - 5th Grade to 11th grade
Holy Family Youth Group
Mentorship with City of Annapolis</p>
<p>scores are a bit low for engineering at Purdue. GPA should probably be 3.5 to 3.8 unweighted in core classes. SAT and ACT should be somewhere north of 1850 to 1900 or 28 to 32 for ACT. they do not superstore.</p>
<p>First, given how many AP classes you’re taking, I’d say admissions will notice it. Yes, the adjusted GPA will be lower, but they will also understand why that GPA is lower. You can’t change the GPA adjustment that Purdue does, but you can take comfort in the fact that there are no set numbers for admission. Keep in mind, there are requirements for certain scholarships (in particular, the merit scholarships that you are automatically considered for by applying by the early deadline).</p>
<p>Second, you have time. Retake the ACT and SAT. There’s the opportunity to improve your scores and if you don’t gain admission to your colleges/programs of choice, you don’t want to regret with the thoughts of “What if…?” Suggestion, my mother paid a few hundred dollars for me to take an ACT crash course (I gave up two Saturdays) through a company (Kaplan if you really want to know, but I’m not endorsing the company, just the idea). In my last attempt at raising my scores to get a merit scholarship at Purdue, I was successful. A few hundred dollars led to much more money in scholarships, so I’d say it was worth the investment. You have this summer and fall before your priority deadline, so there is plenty of time (more time than I had when this idea was put on the table) to raise your scores.</p>
<p>Finally, don’t apply for the Undergraduate Studies Program (USP). You obviously have decided that you want to study computer engineering, so don’t do yourself and others the disservice of applying for something that’s intended for people who really don’t know what they want to do. You have the goal, go for it. Apply for the first year engineering program (all engineering majors complete this before admission to a Professional Engineering School).<br>
There are two reasons for this:
Admissions could still admit you to the University and offer you admission to the College of Technology (CoT) instead of the College of Engineering’s First Year Engineering (FYE) Program. The CoT has programs such as Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology which many students aren’t aware of until they get this offer or get to Purdue and realize in FYE that engineering isn’t for them. It’s a very good alternative to consider to Computer Engineering (it’s not just an alternative, for some it’s exactly what they wanted and just didn’t know it existed). If this is what you get offered, you can join it and maybe transfer to the FYE program after a semester or two. And, if you haven’t looked into this as a first choice, then do so and you may find that it’s what you really want or it may help you affirm that you want to study Computer Engineering. Apply for FYE and if you get the alternative offer, consider the additional time it might take, but if you really want to go for Computer Engineering and have to take this route, then it’d be your best option.
Transferring from the Undergraduate Studies Program or the CoT could also mean adding at least one more semester to your time at Purdue. If you go directly for the USP instead of FYE, you’re going to automatically add time to your stay at Purdue and time is money. If you are transferring into Engineering from USP or CoT, you still have to complete the FYE requirements, which is why there’s the potential to add time. However, some Professional Engineering Schools may allow you to take specialized classes before completing all of the FYE requirements.<br>
*Note: There will also be admission requirements to your professional school (School of Computer Engineering) after the completion of First Year Engineering based on your performance in your first year(s). Keep these in the back of your mind, but cross that bridge if and when you get there.</p>
<p>Don’t get caught up in your chances. Just put together your application, WRITE GOOD PERSONAL STATEMENTS, apply early, and take the opportunity to raise your scores. And let admissions do their thing and after they decide, you can figure it out from there.</p>