STEM ECs are relatively uncommon. My son graduated HS in 2014 and the only EC remotely related to STEM was the math team. They might help, but proficiency in math and sciences, especially physics, are much more important.
The choice is not between proficiency in math/science and a STEM EC. It is both :-). I canât imagine kids these days getting into a strong STEM program with zero STEM ECs of any kind.
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Thatâs my general take, that itâs a good blend, but maybe too many commuters and to expensive to make it worth paying for OOS tuition.
Well my son applied to and go into fine engineering schools - Florida, Purdue (with $10K merit), Maryland and more - and worked at Kroger (was his main EC) bringing in carts, stocking shelves.
They want diverse students - they want a tuba-ist and football player and coder and all these things. They want diversity, etc.
But I digress - truth is, a student has what they have. They put their best foot forward. They canât create what they arenât - so they go with what they have and give it their best shot.
Hopefully they will have rejections (I think everyone should - well unless they get into MIT, etc.) and they will have acceptances - hopefully some of which will work financially. That depends on the list one applies to).
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Itâs a matter of access. STEM ECs are sort of like soccer when I was a kid. They are available and strong in some places, but certainly not everywhere. Someday theyâll be widely available.
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Certainly agree about the access part.
A few are already widely available. For example, anyone with a computer and internet access can participate in USACO with no additional cost. S/he doesnât even need mom or dad to drive her/him, unlike most other ECs.
Great feedback. I looked at the CSU GPA link you provided and was happy to see it is based on classes after 9th (she had a B+ in 9th). She is a straight A students Soph and Junior Year with Aâs in the 5 APâs taken during that time. So on their scale her GPA must be competitive, and although the MCA might be a mystery their, she plays 2 varsity sports and club sports all summer, and holds down a job. So I think she rounds out nicely.
I will ask her to apply for me, and if she gets in, take the trip together and see what its like. It really sounds like a wonderful place. Thanks for the insight.
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CSPLO does include 9th grade in its GPA calc: Selection Criteria | Cal Poly
GPA calculator: https://myportal.calpoly.edu/gpaCalculator.jsp
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ah! Of course they do. That B+ as a 14 year old can come back to bite you!
If she does apply to CPSLO, be sure to include any high school level math or foreign language taken while in middle school on the application, so that CPSLO will count them for the purpose of bonus points for amount of math or foreign language taken beyond the minimum.
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If you donât get in, itâs not because you got a B+ in 9th grade.
With grade inflation today, GPAs are just - off the charts ridiculous.
That said, again - you take your shots - you have your safeties, targets and reaches.
The only thing thatâs required is -
a) you have one, preferably two schools you know you will get into and that you can afford.
b) any other school has the possibility to be within budget. So Harvard is a no - because they donât have merit. But Vandy (a school like this) - even thought itâs a likely rejection - is a yes - because they give out hundreds of scholarships a year and one could get you within budget, etc.
Good luck.
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A single B wonât make a huge difference. 
Respectfully, perhaps those three kids who returned home lacked self-discipline. CU-Boulder is no more of a party school than any other large flagship. Nobody is forcing kids to party. Students are free to choose friends who share their values and/or live in dorms not known for large parties; both the honors dorm and the E-Quad dorms are quieter.
I truly believe there is a place for everyone at CU-Boulder. I entered CU-Boulder as a low-income student and found my people there. I encourage you to visit and decide for yourself whether it could be a good fit for your child.
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I am not bashing Boulder by any means. When you are trying to get to a manageable number of applications, you take into accounts all types of information- so these personal accounts were what we had.
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Great advice. Hard to understand at the beginning of the process, but simple and accurate now that I am nearing the end.
That is a great advice. She had both, plus a lab science in MS! Great stuff.
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