<p>Do I stand a chance at any top schools? (I'm applying as an Chemical Engineer)</p>
<p>ACT: 34 (M:35, W:33, R:31 , S:35)
SAT Subjects: Math II: 800, Chem: 780
AP: Calc BC 4 2009, Chem 5 2011, US History 3 2011
GPA: 3.95 (unweighted) (1 stupid B in BC Calc), top 10% of class
Courses taking right now: Advanced orchestra, 4 APs (Lit, Physics, Stat, and Gov) and Diff EQ
Special circumstances for schooling: have taken Vector Calc and am currently taking Diff EQ</p>
<p>Extracurriculars
Eagle Scout
Varsity Tennis: 9th-12th Grade. Captain of tennis team since 11th grade.
Varsity Cross Country: 12th Grade. I did this to supplement my tennis playing.
Advanced Orchestra: 10-12th Grade. We got 3rd in State and 1st in state. I am co-principal Cellist.
Corvallis Youth Symphony: 9th-12th Grade
Tons and tons of community service
Participated in an exchange program to Shanghai: 9th Grade
Internship in Chemistry and Physics: 11th Grade
ARML: 9th Grade
Cofounded MUN club: 9th Grade</p>
<p>Awards:
AP Scholar
I-Sweeep regional finalist
As I had said above, Eagle Scout</p>
<p>Your test scores and grades are competitive for the schools that you mention. But no guarantees. It will come down to your essays and what they think of you on a personal interview which I strongly recommend. My only question to you is why are you interested in Harvard or Yale if you want to be a Chemical Engineer? MIT and Stanford I truly get. Harvey Mudd is for general engineering and those looking for a liberal arts education. However, HY would be a total mismatch for your major. Other schools you should strongly consider are Cal Tech, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, UT Austin and some of the UC’s such as UC Berkeley, UCSD and UCLA. Don’t forget Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (the average entering freshman GPA there is now higher than yours) and several other good schools like RPI, etc.</p>
<p>The point is that if you want to be a Chemical Engineer than go for schools that are awesome in your major – don’t waste your time on some of the Ivies as many of them don’t even break into the first tier when it comes to engineering. If you were going to be a lawyer, business major or a humanities major then yes, but engineering is a whole different ballgame with a different set of rules.</p>
<p>Thanks OsakaDad. But, about Harvard and Yale, the reason why I was interested in those schools is they give plenty of opportunities for undergrads whereas most other schools like Berkeley (even though they are much better at engineering then Harvard and Yale) don’t give very many opportunities for undergrad students. I was thinking about schools such as UCLA and Berkeley, GT, and Austin for grad school.
Also, how much does it boost my application if I mention that I was selected all state for orchestra and placed top 16 in the state for tennis? (Of course it will help, but does it make a significant difference?)</p>
<p>Are you trying to be recruited to play Div. I tennis in college? If you have a high national ranking, and the coaches recruit you, then the tennis can be a hook. If not, the sports will be seen as a valid EC, but not a compelling feature.</p>
<p>Ditto for the state orchestra-desireable, but not a huge tip.</p>
<p>The top chemical engineering schools listed in USNWR are: MIT, UCB, Stanford, U Minnesota-Twin Cities, UT Austin, and UWisconsin.</p>
<p>The deal is that when you are in the market for a job or an internship you will be hired by other chemical engineers. They will not understand why you chose to go to a school with a big name with the general public over a school that provides you with an outstanding education in your field. In you specific case, content is far more important than school brand name. With regard to more opportunities for undergrads at Harvard or Yale, etc., I don’t understand what you mean. For example, for a chemical engineer, I would expect far more undergrad opportunities at school like UC Santa Barbara than at Harvard or Yale. Again, engineers only care about prestige if it is in their field. Additionally, your chances for grad school are far better if you follow the major rather than the “prestige”. You will need a strong chemical engineering background with a solid GPA in undergrad AND internships or job experience for that. I would really rethink your approach. Also, make sure that you take a serious look at cost. Mid career salaries in your field do reach into the low six figures, but you could mortgage you entire future with some schools. Some schools, like MIT, are famous for offering little if any financial assistance to students with your stats. Unless you have unlimited funds, go to a public school for undergrad and private for grad school. I’d go to the school that fits and offers you the most $$$$. Don’t graduate with debt if you can.</p>
<p>Osakadad, I took your advice into consideration. I applied to Berkeley, UCLA, MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Mudd, Duke, and Yale (It has always been my dream school ever since I was little even though it is not a strong engineering school). oh my gpa at my school is unweighted though, so i can’t compare the gpa with cal poly. But i do know that gpa is not an issue since i know dozens of kids from my school getting accepted to cal poly with less than stellar grades.</p>