<p>Hi All I'm a Senior right now,(new to this forum and had some questions regarding my chances at Olin)</p>
<p>I have a 2200 SAT, 770 SAT Math 2, and a 760 SAT Chemistry scores(5 on AP comp sci and 5 on ap chemistry). My UW GPA is a 3.9, and my weighted GPA is a 4.23. I have taken a rigorous course-load this year and last year. Although I go to a very competitive HS, only 7 people have applied to Olin College of Engineering since 2009 from my school, so I hope that will help my chances. I have decent EC's(volunteering at an animal shelter, speech and debate, co-founder of a science club, nature photography,internship at a start-up). I believe my essays tell a lot about me as an individual as well. I am of Indian origin and a male(no clue how that affects my chances at Olin, just putting it out there). </p>
<p>I also had some questions regarding Olin.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The rigor. I'd like a challenging environment, but wouldn't want an overtly competitive school that is difficult to survive in once I get in.</p></li>
<li><p>The size. The small size appeals to me, but I am sort of worried that Olin might be a little too small for me.</p></li>
<li><p>Any other general tips/feedbacks from alum/those familiar with the school would be greatly appreciated.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>I have 2 strong letter of recommendations from my literature honors and Precalculus Honors teachers.</li>
<li>I’d like to apply for mechanical engineering.</li>
</ol>
<p>It’s really difficult to chance you for Olin just by looking at your stats. Olin is looking for those special quirky kids who love science and math and are curious about the application of technology to problems. If you are able to, I strongly suggest you contact the Olin admissions office to schedule a campus visit. They love to have prospective applicants visit their campus and meet with their students, and can even schedule an overnight stay in the dorms with a student host. This way, they will get to know you too as a prospect, which is better than just reading your stats and essay. </p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I live in California so i can’t visit until I am accepted. I have scheduled an interview with the admissions officer responsible for my region so hopefully that will help them get to know me.</p>
<p>Before you are accepted, if you make the cut, you will be invited for the Candidates Weekend on campus. You have to be on campus during the CW before you are accepted. Olin will reimburse you for part of the trip. </p>
<p>Olin is all about fit. It is a very small school so you need to be comfortable in that setting. As you probably know Olin has a more hands on curriculum than most engineering schools. Olin believes in collaboration over competition. Your first semester at Olin is a pass/no record to help students work in a collaborative way. My son is a sophomore at Olin and is thriving there but it was the perfect fit for him. He loves the hands on experience. He had a very successful summer internship and one of his class projects this year required him to develop an app and present it to a company. I am not sure that many engineering sophomores have that opportunity.</p>
<p>I recommend that you apply and see if you get selected for CW. In regard to your concern about rigor and competitiveness. Olin will be highly rigorous based on what I saw from my son’s experience. He graduated a few years ago. His freshmen and sophomore years were particularly rigorous. What’s great about the Olin approach is the competitive factor is de-emphasized due to the group learning. team project-based approach. Other factors to keep in mind with Olin is you will be gain access to some great summer internship programs starting after your freshmen year. Then, when it comes to getting a job or going to grad school, Olin has outstanding results. Graduates are getting first year salaries at a significant premium (>25%, pushing them into six figure salaries) over the average engineering grads. Good luck and be sure to update us on what you decide. </p>
<p>There are many Olin grads in California, if you are selected for CW and attend, you’ll know by the end of the weekend if Olin is a good fit for you. If you are accepted you can get in touch with the California Olin grads and they would be happy to answer any questions that you have about rigor, fit, size, etc. </p>