AP scores: 4s on AP EnviroSci, Calc AB, APUSH, World History, Physics C: Mech. 5 on English Lang
all As in most rigorous curriculum at my high school (attend academic-year governor’s school for half the day, all APs for other half of day)
ECs:
President of FBLA and National Honor Society
Secretary of Interact
Rehearsal Assistant for local youth orchestra
numerous awards in debate
JV academic team captain
piano for 10 years with awards, planning to submit arts supplement with application
robotics, compete in competitions and usually place highly
currently completing research project and plan to compete in science fair competitions in spring of 2016 (VJAS, etc)
I’m applying engineering to
University of Virginia
William and Mary (the 3:2 program)
Virginia Tech
Duke
I live in Virginia, so I’m in-state for everywhere but Duke (which is private anyway).
I’m debating about applying to Duke early or not. Would applying ED be wise? And what about the other schools, should I add more matches or safeties?
Thanks all!!! Applying this fall and need to start making decisions soon
ED to Duke would not be wise unless you know for a fact that that is your #1 school. As far as the other three go: W&M and V Tech are safeties. You’ll get in for sure. Virginia is obviously more selective. Being in state, your chances are MUCH better than OOS. I’d say that UVA is a match, probably about a 60% chance. Duke, on the other hand, is a hit or miss. This is a very typical application for Duke. It’s probably a reach (maybe 20% or so), as it is for 99% of applicants. Hope I could help!
Being a female engineer practically puts you at a pedestal these days due to the radical feminist protests. Also, your stats are quite impressive so I would advise you to apply to schools at the tippy top of the ladder as I am sure you would receive scholarships. That being said, I think all the schools you’re chancing for are matches.
@MidwestDad3 You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
Female engineering majors experience a higher drop out percentage than males, so you can’t keep trying to get more and more females to balance it; it has been proven that females and males have different interests so there is no need to give females certain advantages when applying. If a girl wants to become an engineer, she can do so with her stats (and this OP has great stats), but a lot of engineering schools like Georgia tech, u mich, etc give them huge advantages. What does this say about girls? That they don’t need to have the same expectations as men? I think giving girls and advantage in their application is quite insulting to girls – it implies that they aren’t as capable as males so they should be held to lower expectations.
Let’s not spin this into a feminism debate. I agree with Tiger’s assessment on your chances. Only apply ED to Duke if you really want to go there and if you are certain that you can afford it.
Except that’s what they’re trying to fix?? Hardly any girls want to become engineers because we are told since birth that math is hard, science is hard, sit down and be quiet and play with your dolls. Prepare for motherhood, not engineering.
Anyway. It may be a bit of a bump, OP, but selective schools still have “enough” females applying that they can pick the best of the best. Your scores and GPA certainly put you in the running. Good luck!!
@bodangles ok so what if it’s hard? We tell boys the same thing though. And I doubt any parent tells girls to sit down and play with their dolls any more than they tell their son to sit down and play with their action figure.
Also, very few girls want to become janitors, construction workers, etc because all of those are jobs they have been told are dirty and hard since a young age. Why not push more girls into those fields?
I’m leaning towards not applying to Duke ED because I have my eye on the Rodman program at UVA, which would be as much of a longshot as getting in to Duke RD (probably?) but who knows what could happen.
Jack, I’m a female engineer for almost 35 years now. I beat my 2 brothers in grades for engineering. My daughter is a female engineering student who sometimes beat a lot of people in her class in terms of grades, sometimes she is the top 3 or top 5 of a 300 classes. So let’s not generalize female engineers. Radical feminists? Are you serious?
@DrGoogle I never called female engineers radical feminists – I’m sorry if that’s what you thought. What I said that radical feminists are constantly protesting about female shortages in STEM that engineering schools artificially select less qualified females (in some cases). Of course there are many smart women in engineering; I NEVER said females aren’t qualified engineers or any less than men. I simply said that they should be put up against the same standards as men and not be given any sort of advantage simply because they are female. If you think women SHOULD be put on a pedestal, then feel free to reply or personal message me as I think it’s giving OP tons of false notifications.
@billcsho When was the last time you heard an MRA group protesting to increase male population in nursing schools?
I agree that women shouldn’t be put on pedestal because the backlash will be at work later on. My daughter didn’t get any plus applying to college, unless got wait list at school such as MIT is considered a plus. She got in based on her strong grades and test scores, purely academics.
But I worry that CC often references to female getting a leg up in college admission, that’s not true. In college my kid has to do more work then the next guy because a lot of guys are slackers. So the college was right in picking her in the first place over some male candidate. Her work ethic out stands out against any advantage the males might have. Same with me when I was in college, I worked my tutu off. So it’s not surprised I got good grades better than my brothers. They were distracted with girls in college.
@DrGoogle Like I stated before, I never said females lack any sort of work habits or were “less qualified” engineers, so it’s normal that you and your daughter worked very hard to maintain their grades. However, I think we both know how much truth there is in your statement when you say females don’t get a leg up in admissions. Don’t confuse that females incapable of succeeding in engineering. I wouldn’t be surprised if OP got into great engineering schools – she has great stats. There are however many instances on CC and in real life where I see girls getting into STEM schools that their more qualified male counterparts did not get into and I think many people would agree with that statement.
In the 80’s, 40% of CS grads were female. It’s what, 18% now?
That isn’t a good thing. It may be that occasional tokenism will put someone or other into an entry level job, but after that, in my experience, quality and productivity determine who moves up and who gets lovely parting gifts.
But we’re way off topic. To the OP:
I only applied to one college because I knew that’s where I wanted to go. You don’t need hundreds of other opinions if you’re satisfied with the cost, rigor, and campus of those you listed. I suspect adding more names to the mix now will mostly make you anxious - I know it would me.
I have no opinion on early decision except that if it limits options then I’d avoid it.
It’s good general practice not to engineer one’s self into a corner.
@tigerrocks13 what? In what way was I radical? I simply said girls should be held against the same standards as boys. If that’s radical to you, then you are some backward being in need of some serious help.
@iamjack Nope. You said that the only reason female engineers got the chances that they get it because of the “radical feminist movement” as you called it.
@tigerrocks13 No, I did not say that. I said women get put on a pedestal as a result of radical feminists protesting. How is that incorrect? If no one ever protested for increased female participation in colleges, do you think colleges and the government would be taking action to actually increasing the number of women in STEM?
