Hello. I’m a junior. I am applying for Mechanical engineering. What are my chances?
** Merit Stats **
- Rank Top 25%(should Improve)
- Sat (old) 1230(m + Cr) AND Sat (new / predicted) 1300+
- ACT 30 (will retake and improve)
- 7 AP / IB classes every year of high school
- 3.4 UW GPA 3.74 W GPA
- African america first generation immigrant if that helps.
** Extracurricular **
*Living Word Youth - President / Music Composer (6 years)
Academic Decathlon - President (6 years)
*Reel Owl Cinema - Officer / Music Composer (3 years)
Technology Student Association - Vice President / Music composer (2 year)
Book Club - Founder / President / Writing Chair (3 years)
Color Guard - Officer / Music Composer (2 years)
*National Honors Society - Member (1 year)
*Young Life - Member (1 year)
- = Includes vollenteering experience
Most of my awards are from Decathlon and music writing competitions.
** School List /b
Reaches
- University of Texas
- *University of Southern California
Fair bet
- Texas A&M University - College station
- Texas Tech
- University of Texas - Dallas
- *Florida A&M University
Safe Bet
- PrarieView A&M University
- *University of Alabama
Maybe list
- Howard
-Case West Reserve
- UT - Arlington (Auto Admit)
- University of Houston (Auto Admit)
- Libertry University(tuition free)
- tsu (Auto Admit and full ride)
What can I do to improve my chances to getting into all of these schools? (And if you want, please reccomened me some schools. I’m looking for schools with Co Op programs, Mechanical (or civil) engineering programs, not too expensive, undergrad research for engineering(any kind, but preferably material science or mechanical or petroleum) and a generally happy population of students.
NOTE:if it helps I’d prefer to not borrow more then $3,000 unsubsidized loans per year, so i need places where I will get good merit aid. I have an efc of roughly 4500.
Not to be rude or anything because you still seem like a great student and applicant, but you have little to not chance for UT Austin, just go look at the stats of people who got rejected from Mechanical Engineering this year. Tons of auto admits, people with 35-36s, 4.0 Unweighted GPAs, and amazing ECs got rejected. And, if you are trying to get merit aid for UT Mechanical Engineering, that’s just not gonna happen. Idk how good Bama’s engineering is, but if you like their program, you would probably get in and they would give you some good money too.
@pschnee (IDK how you get rejected w/ 4.0 uw, because you should be near the top of your class w/ a weighted 5.0 but…) UT and USC are extreme reaches and I don’t plan to get either . I might even apply to another department and transfer in to engineering. Do you have any advice or recommendations for improving my chances for UT?
I don’t know much about Alabama either. Just their merit aid and semi happy student body. It is the most unknown on the list. But they do have a lot of engineering scholarships and happy students, so thats why its a safety. Do you recommend another school?
@lessonwitch2 you’d probably get in if you applied to an easier UT major but it’s pretty hard to transfer into engineering. And yeah I don’t know how those people got rejected either…it’s crazy. I’m not interested in engineering at all and don’t know much about it…so you might want to ask for some school advice from some other people lol
FAMU should really like you. You ACT is great for them and your GPA is in the middle 50%. They also rank being first generation as being very important. They share their engineering school with FSU.
@intparent Heeeyyyy… Liberty’s… okay. (plus I’d be going there at not cost so… worth considering)
BTW, i’m a first generation immigrant, but I am not first generation college. (My mom went to nursing vocational schools) And feel free to recommend schools with ** happy student ** populations and mechanical engineering.
bump! Still looking for advice and/or additional schools to consider!
“First generation” typically means “graduated with a 4 year degree” for colleges for which it matters.
Liberty for science ?? seriously? Have you read ANYTHING about it? (Like, do you really believe ANYONE in the scientific community takes their arguments about young earth or intelligent design seriously?) You may well be going for free but you’ll be severely limited with a STEM degree from Liberty.
If you want a strong evangelical college with Engineering, look at Grove City. Geneva College should also be a possibility for engineering + strong conservative Christian values.
UT and TAMU are not happening because of your class rank. If you’re not top 10% for TAMU or top 5% for UT, you’re not getting into Engineering. Top 25% doesn’t make it at all. Save your application fees.
USC is also impossible (you’d need a 1440 to offset that GPA there).
Texas Tech is a reachable reach. UTD is a good match. Texas State is a guaranteed safety as is Prairie View A&M.
FAMU is an EXCELLENT alternative and a great match for you.
Look at Southwestern University (reach), UHouston, Missouri School of Mines&Tech, New Mexico Tech.
UAlabama is very good but you now need a 1400 SAT for the full tuition engineering (with your scores you’d get 2/3 tuition I believe).
Always apply to the Honors College when possible.
@MYOS1634
Her nursing school was a 5 year program i think. But by siblings weren’t classified as first generation, so I doubt I am.
Liberty… for engineering… maybe? I have read into the program, and they have some of the classes i’m interested in, and they have a 70% job placement rate out of college with a fairly happy student population. And I have credits coming in so I could probably finish in 2 1/2 to 3 years. (its not because its a christian school, its becuase its economically the “smartest route” to take at the momment) Because to a degree, it doesn’t matter much where you get your undergraduate degree in the eyes of some employers. And if I hated it i could transfer out and get freshman engineering classes out of the way like calc and physics at not cost… or at least thats the idea.
(I have fee waivers thankfully!) Its not a big deal if i don’t get into USC or UT, i’m just applying because I like the school enough to put forth the effort of an application. An I know students with worst stats then mine who got in so i might have a tiny shot. How do I improve? Just my test scores and class rank? (: But I don’t think i’m replacing those 2 or A&M in my line up, but the rest are flexible.
…but…
What? no chance at A&M? Before retesting and everything? (i’m retesting in June and again in October because its free for me) Aren’t I guaranteed some form of admissions there (even if its Galveston) ? 
I was betting on year the SAT score average would drop because of the new test. The national average was like a 980 on the PSAT and i’m way above that. Darn. Well, I’m still a junior, I have time to improve my testing scores and my rank should increase this year and again by November 14th. I know my SAT and ACT will rise because I’m atcuatilly studying this time around, but can you tell me around where to aim? (Because 1440 looks a little bit high for the new one. that is less then 1.5% of the nation. Or is that just the new thresh hold for getting into these schools? Because I don’t know) I didn’t even study for the SAT or ACT my first time testing, but now I’m studying and hopefully I will do better this time around. Any other advice besides class rank and test scores.
I believe I have auto admission to Texas Tech, UT - D, and practically Alabama.
Also, are the students at Southwestern (reserve right) University, U Houston, Missouri School of Mines&Tech, New Mexico Tech happy? Do they have fairly large career fairs and is their any undergrad research?
Prairieview would be a much better bet than Liberty, IMO, and if you can get your GPA up to a 3.5 you’d get a full ride. As is, you’d get full tuition. With a 3.5, you’d get full tuition at Alabama, better still!
NM Tech is a good school. Don’t know about general happiness, though. Maybe check out reviews on niche or see what the retention rate after Freshman year is like. A friend of mine had a son who went there are he transferred out because there weren’t enough girls!
Are you asking about Southwestern (in TX, near Austin) or Case Western Reserve (in Cleveland, OH)? I know somebody who went to Southwestern and loves it. But I don’t think they offer engineering.
Case Western would probably be a reach for you but maybe worth a try. It’s free to apply.
TAMU Galveston, yes you have a possibility but check out their majors (they’re not as diverse as elsewhere), and you could get Blinn, but College Station for engineering isn’t happening.
Ultimately, what decides your admission to UT or TAMU or UTD is class rank. Your class rank isn’t close enough to the "“automatic admission” threshold (ie., 10% for UT, 18% for TAMU…) THEN, a new ranking within the admitted group decides whether you can choose your major (many admitted to College Station can’t). Engineering is the most competitive major.
UTD and Texas Tech = you have admission but you’re far from being guaranteed your major.
You could get a free ride to more academically respected universities than Liberty.
You may also like this list (and the book that goes with it)
http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/colleges-that-pay-you-back
Among the happiest colleges, here are some which would be good matches or reachable reaches for you ( RUN THE NPCs are I have no idea whether they’d be affordable)
UDayton
UScranton
Tulane
Washington State
LMU-LA
Colby
Gettysburg
Also check out: Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Troy, UA-Huntsville, MSOE.
St Mary’s MD may be worth investigating for you, but I don’t know whether they have sufficient scholarships for you.
I was thinking of this, but thought they had an on-campus engineering program:
http://www.southwestern.edu/
@mamaedefamilia thanks, i didn’t think to check retention rates or college niche. I’m considering Case Western Reserveas l, but i don’t know if i should have 3 reaches for my college apps. Because I don’t want to apply to 9 schools and be rejected from a third of them.
At Liberty i can also get out the fastest with no debt (2/12 to 3 years if i fail 3 or more classes) and practically have a secure job after. And Since most engineering programs take at least 3 1/2 or more years with AP / DC. And places like Prairie view and Alabama have 40ish% graduates have a job out of college. Thats why its a consideration.
@MYOS1634
Wait, i am an auto admit for A&M right? I’m around top 25% so i have guaranteed admission to A&M. And my ACT is higher then average (30 vs 29). I though if you couldn’t get into A&M they won’t send you to Galveston (or at least that what a recruiter told me). They send people who have the same stats but just not enough space. But he did tell me my rigorous course(not many applicants study for 12ish classes during a fall semester at school and CC with nearly all A’s) load and extracurricular (a lot of longevity and leadership) would play a role. But do those really not help? Should I even try this year then??(Since pretty much every other school on my list i have a good chance at without having any ECs) because another year of decathlon will seem difficult while taking Calc 1- 3 at my CC.
Does my rank beat my application down that much? Becuase I was hoping to explain how my family was moving constantly trying to help african inmmergrents find a home in America my first year of high school in one of my essay topics(likely prompt A or C) And the drama and work i had to do, combined with the force of entering one of the most challenging high schools in Texas in full honors, caused my grades to slide. But my gpa has increased exponentially since then. Does that one year make it (virtually) impossible to admit me to A&M?
wait, I’m n not admitted to my major at Texas tech? what do I do for the first year?? I have all but like 2 classes for university requirements and engineering admission requirements combined with dual credit / AP? (Guess I’ll find out when it happens XD)
In Texas public universities, admission is decided by decide ranking. If you’re not in the requested percentage ranking, your odds decrease dramatically.
Your automatic admission (top 25%+act 30) is for any TAMU campus; you’re placed in ‘general engineering’ and they choose your major based on your profile (holistic process) so everything you’ve been doing will help. You’re kind of borderline for automatic admissions Apply in August and make sure your high has sent everything properly by October and your odds will be better.
Finally it’ll cost your family about 25-30k, have you talked to them about costs?
Note that Rice is more holistic and your topic 1 essay would be seriously considered since they have no requirement wrt rankings. They can take whoever they want to.
However run the NPC on every college, since results are likely to vary greatly depending on how much your family makes - I seem to recall that they don’t plan on paying much for college (not sure ifbit’s because of a cultural issue or because they don’t have money - the situation is different if you’re lower income /cant pay or higher income/wont pay. )
You’d need to push your act a bit for case western reserve, but you may have a shot. Again, run the NPC and apply early.
@MYOS1634
Idk about Rice because I know almost 40016 people from my school going and that may effect the college experience
okay. Well I’m borderline currently but I have been assured my rank will increase, and hopefully retaking SAT and Act this June… I hope to apply early September (have an English teacher look over my stuff first) But by how much do I need to improve my score? (like what number? Do I need a 1440 or a 36? Or is the threshold a bit lower?)
(btw I just Saw my March SAT scores : 1310.)
I thought A&M put you In the General engineering major first and then sophomore year at the University you get admitted to your major. Is it different this year?
I’m not too concerned with finance because I can get a full ride liberty, Alabama, And Prairieview and I can go to school from home at UT D. My parents are covering travel and books and I want to work for personal expenses. If I go to A&M depending a bit upon if they give me enough grants (combined with my thrifty college living) that I don’t take out more then $3k per year(12 k over all) , then I will probably take it . I know how to drop the cost of attendance to around 19-20k. And My parents will take the loan as long as I pay back after.
Liberty for science is a recipe for disaster, even if you’re a believer you have better optins (like Prairie View A&M). Alabama: you don’t qualify for full tuition with your current score.
You do qualify for instate tuition and probably some merit, and do apply to CollegiumV at UTD.
If your parents will only cover travel and books, TAMU won’t be affordable. You will NOT get a full ridtuition scholarship, let alone a full ride, at TAMU. Are you sure your parents will qualify for Parent PLUS loans all four years? It’s a BAD, BAD idea to have so much debt for undergrad.
@MYOS1634
I still don’t understand the liberty hate if it gets me out faster, without debt, and practially guarentees me a job afterwords much better then Prarieview but…
Your right, I’m at 2/3rd tuition right now (I keep not thinking about it becuase i know i’m doing better on the standarized test this next time) for ALamaba . But thats before financial aid other merit aid awards so…
/// collegegiumV???
I’m not saying I can get a full ride (I’m actually asking how to imporve my chances BTW) and I know my parents qualify and they’ll do it if it “makes me happy” and ultimatly pay them back in full. Also, TAMU meets on average a bit over 70% financial need. And i know how to drop the cost down to 19- 20k. So i assuming i get 70% financial aid, with no merit or honors scholarships i would have enough to go. But thats before you subtract books and meal plans and transportation and local scholarships. So with those numbers A&M is defiantly a possibility… if i get admitted into engineering. Can you tell me what kind of score i need?
Yes, they qualify. And my parents will suffer though the loan as long as I pay them back after (they just won’t let me sign a loan)
But wait… 12k is alot of debt? for a field that pays 80k+? (And this is before you decrease the amount with co ops and summer jobs) I could work minimum wage at home for a year and cover that. (And i do plan to live at home when i first leave) Or maybe I don’t have a good understanding of money yet. But if i just wanted to go for the most logical way, i’d go to liberty and get out debt free early with a job. I want the college I go to to be a fun exprience as well, which (at the momment) seems to be worth paying the extra tuition if it gives me things like the Aggie Network, Graduate course load, and a item on my resume known the world over.
For college “getting out faster” is NOT good. You need to use your time well - if you’re very advanced, take graduate classes, do co-ops, do research, build your resume. FInishing early actually puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who did all that.
Once you’ve graduated, you no longer have access to the support nor to any financial aid.
To increase your chances, short-term fix: increase your standardized test scores. Perhaps impossible: improve your class rank.
CollegiumV =
http://honors.utdallas.edu/cv/
It doesn’t matter how much “on average” TAMU meets or doesn’t meet need. You need to run the NPC yourself and show the results to your parents. And you have to do it for every university, since they all calculate differently.
Liberty is not considered an academically rigorous school, especially for science. Not sure how they can guarantee a job - having a Liberty degree is actually pretty restrictive for scientists. It also limits your odds of ever getting into graduate school outside of evangelical Christian schools.
Rigorous Evangelical Christian schools include John Brown, Grove City, Calvin, Hope, Pepperdine, Point Loma… (BYU is LDS so I’m not sure if it’d be acceptable, but it’s VERY strong academically, very strict in terms of behavior, very conservative.)
@MYOS1634 No I mean I have like 60 hours left at liberty. If I do 12 hours (the minimum for my full ride) then I have to leave after my 5th semester (unless i fail stuff or take more classes). At other schools I onlyw ant to accelerate my degree with summer co ops for credit or study abroad tours or something. (but I doubt I would do graduate classes at Liberty since they don’t have a fast track (but A&M does 
) So i have really no choice but to graduate early from their. They don’t have semester co ops only summer ones. And I would loose the scholarship the first semester id don’t attend for any reason (research doesn’t count). How am i at a disadvantage? Employeres would see i have 2 years of CC under me so it makes sense i finish after 2-3 years years in college. But I don’t understand you last statement
Okay I did the math and if it helps I am guaranteed to land in the top 20% if i get all zeros this cylce and get all zeros on my final exam. So my rank will improve defiantly. Can you tell me a number to aim for as far as test scores go? for the ACT? (since its more reliable at the moment)
The NPC for A&M (and most texas schools) say I will pay anywhere from 0 to $20,000. And most of them say the same thing.
They are ABET accredited, well known christian school, one of the biggest networks of students in the north america etc. and over the last decade its ranking has been increasing exponentially. (their is a reaosn its only a 22% admission rate) but it is known to some older people to be a school that teaches nothing. To my understanding its better to come from a private school with a good degree from a school with a reputaion then a public one that isn’t known at all. Because (as far as i know) no employers care about your school as long as you have work experience. Thats why its only an option for me, i would prefer to go to Texas A&M no matter what. but obviously now i know i need to improve my test scores.