Engineering Schools w/ Merit Aid

College Search & Selection
1

Hi! I’m a senior and I’m starting the application process. I plan to major in electrical engineering, and I’m looking for some schools with solid engineering programs that would give merit money - no FA is headed my way.

My info: 3.9 UW GPA, 35 ACT. Pennsylvania resident but the only state school I’m applying to is Pitt (already accepted & notified of Honors College eligibility!)
The other schools I plan on applying to right now are Northeastern, Lehigh, Johns Hopkins, and Rensselaer. I already know that Hopkins and Lehigh won’t give me any merit aid - just really love those schools. I have a guaranteed $25k scholarship at Rensselaer(however this leaves the cost at $43k!), and I am reallllly hoping for money from NEU.
What are some other schools that I should look into? I think I have relatively strong stats to get scholarships, I’m just not sure where to look. Like I said, I’m looking for a decent engineering program, but I just really need to consider their generosity with merit aid. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

2

Net price limit?

3

@ucbalumnus I guess I don’t really have one… I know that isn’t helpful but in theory I could stretch the pricier ones, I’m just looking to have cheaper options in the mix too. I guess well under $40k/yr would be ideal if possible

4

http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com

Check school web sites for changes.

5

Your list appears solid for engineering. For a range of additional good engineering options with varied scholarship standards, look into Cooper Union, URochester, Union and Clarkson. Though these schools are quite different from each other, one or more may appeal to you.

6

WPI?

7

With your high scores are you also an NMSF?

8

Arizona State, Univ of Alabama at Huntsville (full tuition automatically with those stats and potentially a full ride)

9

@TooOld4School Missed it by 2 points. I got commended (which I know gets you absolutely nothing haha)

10

At New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology (aka New Mexico Tech), you would qualify for a Competitive Scholarship, which gets you in-state tuition as an out of state student + a $700 stipend. OOS tuition is $20,150 and in-state tuition is $7000/academic year.

http://www.nmt.edu/scholarships-financial-aid/50-financial-aid/financial-aid/183-scholarships-a-tuition-reduction-programs-for-non-residents

their undergraduate EE program info is at http://www.ee.nmt.edu/undergrad.php

From what I’ve read, there are some definite plusses and minuses to NM Tech…

PROS:
very affordable
small class sizes
most undergrads end up getting research experience, sometimes even as a freshman with professors
there are a lot of opportunities for paid research under a professor
it’s a STEM school, very engineering focused
you can take electives on explosives - so you get to blow stuff up and get college credit for it Seriously. It’s in the mechanical engineering dept, I think. Look it up. :slight_smile:
its engineering programs are all ABET accredited
the professors there do some pretty cool research.
Students appear to get involved in clubs a lot.
Major airport (Albuquerque) is about an hour away.
The weather is very temperate. New Mexico gets LOTS of sunshine all year round, so that’s a plus if you’re from the NE and tired of gray & yucky weather. Socorro gets cold weather in the winter, but it’s more of the super sunny & cold variety rather than cold, icy, snowy, and gray variety.
The university appears to do a lot to help its students get connected up with summer internships & employment post-graduation.

CONS:
the town it’s in (Socorro, NM) has 9000 residents. That’s it
There’s not a ton of nightlife, so if you want to hang out at clubs & such, you have to drive an hour
There’s only 1 dining hall on campus.
The dorms are mostly single sex (1 gender per hall) & they are a little on the older side, but there are also on-campus apartments for students and the housing costs overall won’t cost you an arm and a leg
There is only 1 intercollegiate sports team - Rugby.
There’s practically no Greek system there, so that would be a negative if you’re looking to join a fraternity or sorority.

11

So at NM Tech with the Competitive Scholarship, you’d pay $20,940 for the school year.

12

@engineur

Alabama Huntsville – full tuition + housing, maybe more
Alabama – full tuition + , maybe more
Mississippi – full tuition, maybe more
Utah – full tuition up to full ride, can also try for premium Eccles Scholarship
University of New Mexico – close to full ride
UT-Dallas – close to full ride, can try for premium McDermott Scholarship

13

At Alabama …full tuition plus 2500 per year for eng’g or CS


[QUOTE=""]
don't really have one.. I know that isn't helpful but in theory I could stretch the pricier ones, I'm just looking to have cheaper options in the mix too. I guess well under $40k/yr would be ideal if possible

[/QUOTE]

What are your parents saying? How much are THEY saying that they’ll pay? Please ask them.

14

CO School of Mines has some competitive full tuition scholarships - not sure how many.

15

I would check Stevens. Also Union. I don’t have any personal experience, but I would think you’d get something from Union. Case Western is another one that you should get money from.

I would also look at Bucknell and Lafayette, even though they don’t give out much merit. With your stats, I don’t know how you wouldn’t be in the mix.

I don’t know if you’re considering State schools, but if you are, here are some you could check: Virginia Tech, NC State, Ohio State, U Of Minnesota Twin Cities, UC San Diego.

16

Lafayette should offer merit based on your stats.

Rose-Hulman should, too.

Both excellent smaller engineering schools.

Good luck!

17

I would check UA Huntsville on the housing - if they consider your WGPA being 4.0, then yes you would get housing too along with full tuition (qualify with ACT 34-35).

Definitely do the quick/easy on-line UAHuntsville and UA application (Tuscaloosa). At UA you would be with a bigger mix of students from all over, but even local students in Huntsville are a pretty good mix as many may have moved there with parents’ jobs (government, engineering jobs likely).

Both are very different campus experiences but both are excellent in engineering. Huntsville is a ‘mecca’ of engineering jobs, hence a smaller campus with ABET accredited programs and programs through PhD.

Would need to visit to decide what you like. UA is the big campus experience. Look at both web sites, but here is more on UA (where my student is in engineering school on the scholarships you would be getting as referenced in post 12; also doing an honors program - there are several, a few very selective and three sizable):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrV8g7kxJps

UA has updated its Quick Facts http://viewbook.ua.edu/quick-facts/

(2014 enrollment breakdown by state - new undergraduates - which would be freshmen for the most part): http://oira.ua.edu/d/webreports/enrollment2/Fall_2014/f18.html

http://oira.ua.edu/d/webreports/enrollment2/Fall_2015/e10.html
This URL gives FALL 2015 data for all of the university (not just freshmen).

http://oira.ua.edu/d/webreports/enrollment2/Fall_2016/front

http://eng.ua.edu/undergraduate/scholarships/

http://president.ua.edu/

The key thing is look to ABET accredited programs, and going to a campus/town where you will be happy overall and getting your degree. And I am not talking partying, but get with like minded students/friends.

I say explore the possibilities. Another tip - some engineering employers only recruit from students that have Co-oped or Interned with them. That is something else to explore once you get to deciding a school and getting started in college. But you do want to go to a school that has those opportunities for engineering students.

Even if your parents can afford to spend more - maybe they are not ‘stuck’ on a prestige school/price tag.

18

WPI and RPI are good engineering schools that would give you a scholarship, if you like the Northeast.

19

OP, I like your list. Not sure why Penn State Scheyer’s isn’t on it. That’s a gem.

Cooper Union used to be free, now I think it’s a half tuition scholarship. That’s a unique place that may appeal to you if you are a really serious student.

Agree with potentially adding Rochester for some merit, but if you can afford the schools on your list, I think you’d be dropping down in quality to go to for juicier merit scholarships. Northeastern and RPI are both extremely well represented at the Boston area company I work for.

Agree with mom2collegekids about asking your parents what they are willing to pay.

20

If you decide to go for the super reachy merit at schools like Duke, UNC, GT, etc., note that they have VERY early application deadlines.