<p>I'm trying to help my daughter finalize her list of schools to apply to. She is interested in either civil engineering, construction management or construction engineering (where offered). She has no geographic limitation except not Florida or California. Mass. is home. We want to keep costs below $40K per year. </p>
<p>She is in the top 2% of her class, 4.6 wgpa/3.9uwp with 1950 SATs and good ECs (capt in two sports, 7 varsity letters, all star awards in one 3 straight years, peer mentoring, community service, NHS).</p>
<p>So far on her list are:</p>
<p>Virginia Tech - her sister goes there and VT has set the standard by which all others will be measured - good academics, great atmosphere, great internships
UWisc - seems like an academic and financial match
UTexas-Austin - seems like an academic and financial match
UIUC - this is a stretch academically and financially and there is little likelihood of any aid. Purdue - she met with admissions rep and liked what she heard
UWash - urban but the lake setting seems to make it appealing
UMass Lowell - close to home, high likelihood of merit aid</p>
<p>Schools considered but not currently on list:
Georgia Tech - urban setting is a major drawback
WPI - doesn't care for Worcester
RPI - too small
Columbia - too urban/too much of an academic stretch
Tufts - didn't like campus</p>
<p>Any other suggestions? Doesn't have to be a large state university. We are hoping to identify a few midsize private schools where she might have a shot at merit aid. What are we missing?</p>
<p>I would suggest Illinois Institute of Technology but you said you don’t want an urban school. We have a lot of contacts (our alums are all over) and internship possibilities with major firms in Chicago (lots of civil engineers here) and while we are small private, we do offer some very nice scholarships, including the Camras and Duchossois Scholarships.</p>
<p>UMass Lowell vs. UMass Amherst - If she has to go to a UMass then she would prefer Lowell and live at home. UMass Lowell has always been a strong engineering school.</p>
<p>They have an active Women in Engineering group–
[Women</a> in Engineering Program<a href=“The%20head%20of%20the%20Civil%20Engineering%20Program%20(as%20well%20as%20two%20others)%20is%20a%20woman.”>/url</a></p>
<p>Architectural Engineering has its own career fair. Last year over 120 companies came to recruit students for full-time jobs and internships. (There are about 100 grads of the department each year.)</p>
<p>They offer a summer study abroad in Rome specifically for the AE students.</p>
<p>Your daughter would be a candidate for the Honor’s College which comes with scholarship money and other perks.</p>
<p>I think she has a shot at some decent merit aid at Northeastern. They have a great co-op program. [Civil</a> & Environmental Engineering | Civil & Environmental Engineering](<a href=“http://www.civ.neu.edu/]Civil”>http://www.civ.neu.edu/)</p>
<p>PSU - we are pretty familar with that Architectural Engineering program. My older daughter was accepted to PSU engineering program and really considered going there. The problem with the Arch Eng degree is that its 5 years and we couldn’t quite figure out why it warranted other 40K in tuition/housing. Plus that summer program is almost $20K. But she’s thinking abou PSU for civil because she really liked the atmosphere of the school when she tagged along on a tour with her older sister.</p>
<p>Northeastern - is not on the list because she doesn’t want to go to school in an urban setting - particularly not Boston.</p>
<p>Gave her some info on Clemson and is definitely considering it and is rethinking UMD.</p>
<p>IMO your list is way too conservative. Should apply to at least 2 reaches. None of the ones you listed are really reaches, maybe high matches. I would apply to Cornell and CMU at the very least, maybe Stanford as well. If she can raise her SAT her chances are pretty good. You will also likely get more aid.</p>
<p>UMD is is a great location, being a few subway stops from the DC and has 3 major airports to fly in and out of (a must for OOS) and access to Amtrak. Even though College Park is uninspiring, the campus is nice and having DC in your backyard is a big plus. UMD has the Banneker Key Scholarship which varies from half to full tuition plus room and board which should sway anybody’s ambivalences.</p>
<p>The engineering school is a Limited Enrollment Program so if you get accepted, the number of students in your classes are controlled so you are sure to be able to graduate in 4 years so do check that out at other schools. Some state schools (I think U Pitt) doesn’t do this and it makes it difficult for freshmen to get into some of the intro classes since they are always fill up with sophomores being backed up every year. Many ends up taking summer classes (therefore costing more $) or are on the 5 year plan.</p>
<p>lixuelai “IMO your list is way too conservative. Should apply to at least 2 reaches. None of the ones you listed are really reaches, maybe high matches. I would apply to Cornell and CMU at the very least, maybe Stanford as well. If she can raise her SAT her chances are pretty good. You will also likely get more aid.”</p>
<p>Va Tech, Purdue, UT Austin, and UIUC are all ranked top ten in their undergraduate civil engineering programs. Cornell and CMU are ranked slightly behind this group but will cost much much more. If the OP’s daughter can receive merit aid to Cornell and CMU then she stands a good chance IMO of earning some merit aid at these highly ranked state universities. Aren’t Cornell and CMU in urban locations as well?</p>