Hi, I think I will be applying to SLO for early decision, and I’m wondering if I’ll have a chance at Engineering (specifically BMED) at Cal Poly
My CSU GPA is 3.919
SAT: 1260, but im retaking in october, hoping for 1350+
I have 4 years of english, 4 years of math (currently in Calc BC), 4 years of science (currently in physics c mech/e&m), and 3 years of language. (i heard taking additional years of certain disciplines give you “bonus points”? Please clarify if I am wrong…)
I am also a California resident. I’m worried that I will not get into Cal Poly regular decision as it gets more competitive, and it is my top choice, so I was wondering if applying ED would help a bit… I know engineering is a highly impacted major, so I don’t know if it is worth applying for it if I will get completely rejected from the school. I’m not sure if I want to be on the pre-med track, but I like engineering (especially BMED) because I want to work in healthcare and I love physics/math/tech/design.
Any advice? Thanks!
Edit: I just read on CC that they are not offering ED at all for fall 2017…is this true? If so, just chance me for RD then, LOL!
As for your chances, even if your stats were flawless, I’d say have a safety. BMED admits so few that you need a backup. With that said, your application will likely be well below the 50th percentile, even with a 1350. That’s not to say you won’t get in, but for BMED, you should treat Cal Poly as a reach.
Agree with @eyemygh that SLO is a Reach. Your CSU GPA and SAT scores are below the averages and since BME is such a competitive major, you want to be above the average stats. Definitely have several match and at least one safety school on your list.
Biology is also very competitive, but it’s possible the MCA cutoff MIGHT be lower. None of us can say for sure.
I smell a pre-med. if I’m right, I’m not a fan of BME. It’s not a good fall back if you don’t get in because the job market isn’t great for BMEs that don’t have advanced degrees and it’s too hard. It will be hard to get good enough grades to get into medical school. Don’t get me wrong. It can be done. It’ll just be a tougher road.
@eyemgh yeah, pre med! I’m worried that I won’t have anything to fall back on. I would be fine doing bio, but at this point I just need to get into the school
I think choosing BME for premed is very flawed. First, as I said, without a Masters, jobs in BME are hard to find. More importantly, choosing BME will make getting into medical school HARDER. It self perpetuates plan B. Why? The classes are harder. You’ll be required to take Calc and Physics either way, but the engineering series is harder. It will likely be more challenging to get Bs in the engineering series than As in the non-engineering series. Medical schools won’t care though. They’ll pick the student who got the As. In all honesty, I’d pick something that will make you more well rounded, like philosophy or music or history because you’ll be a better doctor. Focus 100% on plan A and go to medical school if that’s REALLY what you want.
@twicemama An article explaining the reasoning behind dropping ED basically stated that low income students had a huge disadvantage since many need to compare FA packages, so they did not apply. SLO wants to increase diversity
@hmbjlc: Not enough data has been collected for the MCA scores. Since Psych has about a 12% acceptance rate due to the popularity of the major and the # of applications received, it would say it would be a slight reach. MCA scores of 4700 seem to be competitive for Engineering and some Engineering majors have similar acceptance rates. Definitely apply since it should be interesting this year when it comes to admissions especially since ED is not offered. In the past, SLO usually filled about 1/3 of their Freshman spots with ED, so I am not sure if it will be more or less competitive.
@gene167e7: Definitely apply. There is no “official” MCA threshold established so depending upon the stats of the current batch of applicants, your score could get you an acceptance.
@GENE167e7: From SLO Website for Freshman admission::::
Admission to Cal Poly is competitive in all majors. Cal Poly continues to have more qualified applicants than available new student spaces. All students must declare a major when submitting their application. Cal Poly comprehensively reviews all applications as we look for students who have strong academic records and are active in and outside the classroom. Beyond the basic qualifications for the California State University, Cal Poly considers other factors for admission deemed important to the campus and does so in an objective format. In fact, it is impossible to predict a candidate’s chances of admission by looking at the academic record alone. All candidates are objectively evaluated by the cognitive and non-cognitive variables under the faculty-mandated Multi-Criteria Admission (MCA) process. When we review your application, we consider:
Your intended program of study (the major to which the application is made)
Your college-preparatory courses in secondary school
GPA earned in college-preparatory courses
Standardized test scores
Your extra-curricular activities and work experience
