Hi there. Mom of chem engin. major who is working on transfer apps. In community college has achieved greatly, has a pretty good “resume.” (4.0, embedded tutor in chemistry, math tutor all levels, summer research intern, summer job intern in pharm., honors program, completed all prereq’s according to University of California standards) Wants to go to a “good school” meaning prestige to him (according to Chem E. ratings, not in general). But we want him to also apply to schools where he may get some merit aid. At top schools he won’t be special and rate merit aid. Any recommendations for really good schools for Chem E. who will want a good student like my son enough to throw some merit aid at him? He has just put in his UC apps, and his top choices are Berkeley and UCLA, but there is little chance of merit aid at those.
Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
What net price are you targeting?
Did he apply to other UCs and CSUs with chemical engineering?
Generally, merit money is more likely at colleges where he would be “overqualified” for, but not all colleges offer significant merit money, and many offer less to transfer students.
Thank you folks. I’m familiar with Rose Hulman. I will have him look at it for chemical engineering.
He applied to most all of the UC’s that offer the major. I don’t think he’s going to apply to any of the CSU‘s, because he’s not interested in Pomona and SLO doesn’t offer chemical engineering.
So, yes I know that we need to find schools where he would be perhaps “overqualified” and those would probably be the ones he would not be interested in, but I’m thinking maybe there’s a “great” school which itself has the reputation, but is not necessarily one of the top schools for his major, and that might do the trick. In fact, Rose Hulman might fit that category even. I am afraid he won’t want to go there, though, because he has a friend who went/goes there and was not at all thrilled with it.
Thank you, Buckeye! I think he did join Phi Theta Kappa! Thanks!!!
SJSU and CSULB also have chemical engineering.
Thanks UCBalumnas! Yeah, he should look at those. I don’t think he’ll be interested in SJSU because he got in there when applying as a freshman, and didn’t choose it then. But we haven’t looked at Long Beach. I’ll encourage him to (even though I’d rather he go farther away…to get out of the SoCal bubble).
UCB, I realized I didn’t respond to your question about net price. Because he chose community college and staying home for all his lower division work, we’re fortunate to not have to budget. But we would still like “the best deal” we can get. That said, if he gets in to one of the UC’s he prefers - UCB being top - we’d probably need to stay in that range (35K-ish cost of attendance?). It wouldn’t make sense to go pay more when we have a good school option already. An exception to that would be if he had an amazing opportunity like Stanford or CalTech or MIT. For something like that, debt might be worth it.
Put in a word for him to get into Berkeley; if he gets in there, discussion over. 
For UCB chemical engineering, this is often a 5 (instead of 4) semester program for junior transfers: https://chemistry.berkeley.edu/ugrad/degrees/cheme/transfer-program
If he is able to do some or all of the following at CC before transfer, he may be able to fulfill enough requirements to be able to graduate after 4 semesters after transfer (or have extra elective space):
- Course that articulates to UCB MAT SCI 45 and 45L (required).
- Course that articulates to UCB BIOLOGY 1A (required, may also be fulfilled by 4 on AP biology).
- Organic chemistry sequence at CC that articulates to UCB CHEM 3A, 3AL, 3B, 3BL *and* 75th percentile score on ACS organic chemistry exam gives subject credit for UCB CHEM 12A and 12B (12A is required). This is described in the ASSIST.org pages for the major (but the latest one is 2016-17).
- Course that articulates to UCB PHYSICS 7C or BIOLOGY 1B counts as a science elective. PHYSICS 7C is also a prerequisite for PHYSICS 137A.
Hey ucbalumnas, we’re on it! He will have completed EVERY prereq, recommended course, AND even some of the other courses that should help him be done in four semesters (for example, a course that articulates for the American Cultures requirement) if he gets into/goes to Berkeley. Crossing fingers on that one. He has done pretty much everything he can to get in there, but we know UCB is always a reach. So, we will see.
In the meantime, I’ve got him looking at schools that are known for being more generous with financial aid. I got a hold of a list. He needs to see how those schools’ ChemE programs are.
Anyway, thanks, and always appreciative of more info…