Engineering Colleges Suggestions

College Search & Selection
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I posted a thread similar to this one back in February, where I asked for some engineering colleges I should look into and some general advice about college. I’m back to ask the same thing, but with some more information to help narrow down suggestions and after doing some more of my own research. I’m going to split this post into two parts to try and keep it brief, the specifics and my preferences. I’ll also try to be clearer about some things and reply to posts since I didn’t manage to get response emails last time I posted.

The Specifics:
I live in South-West Virginia, in the state of Virginia (not the state of West Virginia). I have a 4.1 weighted GPA and around a 3.9 unweighted GPA. I scored a 1360 on the SAT when I took earlier this month, a 730 on the reading and a 630 on the Math, I’ve signed up to take it again in May since I can definitely improve the math section by a good amount. As far as extracurricular activities go, I honestly haven’t done much and nothing of note, I did swim team for two years, the occasional volunteer work and I’m in several clubs but I don’t do anything with them. I have taken no AP classes so far, I have however signed up to take the few that are offer next year, I have taken many Dual-Enrollment courses and generally the hardest offered versions of classes.

Preferences:
I don’t have many preferences and none of them are strict ones, so feel free to suggest schools outside of these categories. I would like to attend a large or at least midsize university, in a more built up area and urban area. The location doesn’t really matter to me, but I would prefer to attend some where a good distance from home. Weather doesn’t matter to me, but somewhere sunny is always nice.
Now the big one here is money, now to help people understand the situation neither me nor my parents will be paying for my college, so the cost doesn’t really matter. I’m not sure how to convey this without sounding naïve, out of touch with reality or getting into details, so I will just repeat cost doesn’t matter. So, financial aid or merit aid doesn’t matter but it is considered and I would like to be aware of it.

Another point I would like to bring up in this discussion, is Virginia Tech, this is my leading choice right now for many reasons, but mainly because I am considering it a safety. It does go against some of my preferences but I really like knowing I have this school as a back up, especially since it is really good for engineering. I know getting into Engineering at Tech is a challenge but I think I have a good shot at it, enough to consider it a safety. If I’m wrong about this assumption I would appreciate someone telling me since a lot of my searching has been based of finding a school I could get in that would be better than Virginia Tech.

This post is lengthy and a bit choppy, and I’m sure I’ve left some stuff out, but I want this to be more of a discussion so please post some suggestions and I will make sure to reply to them. Also if there are any questions about things I might have left out please let me know.

TLDR: I would like some engineering college suggestions, as well as some schools that would stack up against Virginia Tech.

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@SuperGeo5999

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Hi! Ok first off your current stats are great! Also I emphasize that you need to improve your SAT Math score from that 630 in your May test to be competitive at a lot of higher ranked and prestigious schools. I recommend PWN the SAT Math which helped me a ton last year in Junior Year. Also try to do something this spring and summer that could connect to your Major. Ok so back to your question some of the schools I would recommend is

  1. George Washington which has a decent engineering department,
  2. Lafayette College which is small liberal arts engineering school in a small city
  3. NJIT which could be a easy safety and you probably get the fee waiver online,
  4. Drexel another safety in Philadelphia,
  5. UVA where you have decent shot or as a reach,
  6. Purdue which has amazing rankings but is a super rigorous Engineering Curriculum
  7. Florida Insitute is Technology which could be a safety
  8. RPI which is good Engineering school but doesn’t offer a lot of scholarships or aid.
  9. Lehigh again is another Engineering school and is on rise while be located in a small city.
  10. Stony Brook as a safety
  11. Georgia Tech a great engineering school and could be a reach.
    I hope you the best in the future and good luck!
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@“SliceItOrNot?” Hi! I can’t seem to PM you to ask you this, but could you maybe direct me to what PWN Sat Math book you are suggesting? Link to it if that is allowed? There seems to be a couple versions I could order online.

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https://www.amazon.com/PWN-SAT-Guide-Mike-McClenathan/dp/1523963573
I believe this is it!

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Consider whether there is a secondary admission process after you enroll, such as at VT, Purdue, and many other schools’ engineering divisions.

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WPI, and w/ your GPA you may get merit aid. @“SliceItOrNot?” has some great suggestions. Northeastern & Bucknell also have solid engineering programs.

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Case Western and Northeastern would be two standout urban options.

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Virginia Tech is not a safety in engineering with a 630 math SAT. In Virginia, you could take a look at GMU, VCU , and ODU.

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@SliceItOrNot? Looking at engineering schools with my daughter now. Found your list very helpful, especially your notes.

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Thanks! I did a lot of research during the summer so I had a decent list for when I applied this year!

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you didn’t mention what type of engineering. Engineering at many schools (at least publics) is not like the Letters & Science where can be a History major, decide maybe you want Econ, and 6 mos after that change again to Anthro. Often you need to be admitted to a specific engineering major and once in it can be difficult to change (almost always easy to leave for Letters & Science, though, and nationwide about 1/2 of all entering engineers quit the program).

so before you go too much farther down this road I’d suggest thinking about what kind of engineer you’d want to be, talk to some actual engineers to find out what their career has been like and to think about whether it is a fit for you.

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@mikemac You’re right I didn’t mention the type of engineering, my bad. I want to do computer engineering specifically and I would consider electrical engineering too since they are very similar. I have talked a good amount with the technology/engineering teacher at my school and I have spent a good amount of time with him, as well as some of the people that work with my parents. With that being said I am pretty set on going to college for engineering, and wouldn’t see myself going for anything else.

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@sevmom I do plan on taking the SAT again in May since my math score is low, especially for engineering. What would you consider a good math score for Tech? Something I should try to aim for? 700 seems to be the minimum for engineering. I have looked online some, but I always find it better to get someone else’s opinion.

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700+ would help. If you can’t get to that, continue to do well in classes and demonstrate your interest in engineering through your classes and essays. VT gets more difficult in engineering admissions every year. At UVA and Virginia Tech, public schools for you, the key is to first get admitted to engineering. You will take general engineering courses to begin with in your first year, before moving on to a specific engineering major. Good luck!