<p>Sorry I know beating a dead horse, but we're actually getting ready to fill out applications. Son, wife, and me been debating on list. My wife a teacher loved Olin's, but the net price calculator didn't make it look feasible. But so far son had an amazing junior year.</p>
<p>He got two 4.0 with 3 AP classes and the rest honors. Took the AP tests for all 3, took 3 more SATII but didn't do that great between 720-760. He retook the SAT and ACT we're waiting on those scores. He found out he was #10 out of 550 students in his urban high school. We're Asian/white mixed if it makes any difference. This summer he got into a college STEM program. He's created and lead science clubs at school with one club winning UC Berkeley robotics competition the first year they particpated. Prior year he's taught guitar to elementary school children, volunteered at marathons, done cross country the last 3 years. His last ACT was a 33 and SAT was 2080. He got a 740 in chemistry at the time and 5 on the AP exam for Chem. I think his GPA weight will be in the 4.4 range, with unweighted around 3.9. We are from CA in bay area.</p>
<p>So his interesting is in engineering, specifically nuclear. But not very available at many schools. So he wouldn't mind mechanical and look at nuclear for grad school.</p>
<p>Let's assume money isn't too much an issue even though it is. My wife wants to apply and see how financial aid pans out.</p>
<p>So short list</p>
<p>Alambama (Tuscalosa and Birmingham)
Olin
Cal Poly SLO
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
WUSTL
Pittsburgh
Stanford</p>
<p>Possible additions to list
Iowa State
North Carolina State (which does have nuclear engineering undergraduate)</p>
<p>I have a list at home. I'll add more information! So critiquing would be fantastic! So we can finalize out list. Wife wants to add Princeton and Columbia. If mroe information is needed let me know. I worry about finances wife says figure it out and pray for the best, which frustrates me.</p>
<p>Alabama and SUNY-Buffalo will give your kid the equivalent of full-tuition scholarships, based on his record. I would be researching for other schools in that category. You should also apply to the best in-state public school for engineering, maybe in CA but it’s not obvious from your list.</p>
<p>I would not advise anyone to pursue an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering. The best route is mechanical, and then shoot for a graduate degree if the industry still seems viable at that time. Nuclear plants are still too costly for most of the U.S., in which electric generation has been deregulated. Investors won’t invest in them. I believe the few recently approved are in the Southeast, which is regulated. The long-term future is doubtful, even ignoring what happened in Japan.</p>
<p>If you’d like merit aid from good private schools as a reach, go one tier down, such as Case, RPI, etc.</p>
<p>Considering what you said in the previous thread about your ability to pay being significantly less than college financial aid EFC, you may want to see if any of the schools listed here are suitable safeties (of course, check if they have decent ABET-accredited engineering degree programs of interest):</p>
<p>Also try for the competitive full tuition to full ride scholarships (which may require separate applications), such as:</p>
<p>Drake at Berkeley (full ride, for mechanical engineering majors only)
Park at NCSU (full ride)
President’s at Georgia Tech (several levels, including full ride and full tuition)</p>
<p>Also, many of the scholarships at Texas A&M come with waivers of non-resident tuition; since resident tuition there is only about $21,000 per year, that minus a scholarship may be affordable to you. The McNair scholarships at University of South Carolina also come with waiver of non-resident tuition.</p>
<p>New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology costs about $21,000 per year on Western University Exchange scholarship (apply early, limited number), and other scholarships may be given in addition to that.</p>
<p>santookie… if uab stays on the list feel free to pm me… with any questions about the school, honors programs, research opportunities, social etc</p>
<p>Be careful about choosing ENGINEERING-ONLY schools.
If he decides he’d rather major in anything else, which he is statistically likely to, he’ll be screwed if he goes to Olin.</p>
<p>I went into college applications fully expecting to study engineering, and by the time I got my results back, I had decided on Econ, and crossed all the Engineering schools off my list.</p>
<p>There’s a reason why many schools don’t offer nuclear engineering. While I don’t know exactly, my guess is this is a very specialized field that should require advanced studies. Most schools probably just don’t believe a bachelor curriculum would provide adequate training for any related work. What’s the point of offering it when the students have to go to grad schools anyway?</p>
<p>When you mention the field, I actually think more of the physicists with PhDs.</p>
<p>I’d drop WUSTL and Columbia and add Carnegie Mellon/Northwestern/Cornell.</p>
<p>While that can certainly be a concern, be careful with “statistically likely”. It is likely that the retention rate of engineering majors is highly correlated to the selectivity of the college. For example, at Berkeley, 80% of engineering freshmen eventually graduate with engineering degrees, a much higher rate than overall (where only about 60% stay in engineering from freshman to sophomore year). Given that the student in question has a decent shot at Berkeley and similarly selective schools, his likelihood of leaving engineering is probably lower than the average.</p>
<p>Iowa State is a great engineering school and would be a fine addition. Personally, I was not impressed with WUSTL’s engineering program.</p>
<p>I don’t think that choosing a school based on nuclear engineering is a great idea. There will be plenty of time for that later. With that said, you might look into Idaho State a little bit as a safety. They have a good relationship with INL (one of the most important nuclear research sites). UNM is also worth checking out.</p>
<p>That comment about why it isn’t offered as undergrad very often made tons of sense. In reality we can’t afford that much. But wifeee wants me and her to go on an instant noodle diet, put minimum in retirement, and take out a manageable loan. So if I had to guess we could afford around $20k probably max $25k unless we go for a very large loan. We do make a bit above $100k combined income. Just living in SF is very expensive.</p>
<p>Typing on wifes laptop is a pain. But you guys have offered some great input. Keep it coming! Thanks again!</p>
<p>At $20,000 to $25,000 per year, you should be able to afford CSUs at list price. For UCs, check the net price calculators; Berkeley with MCAP is more likely than others to be within range. Stanford’s extra-generous need-based aid should put its net price within range (but getting in is the hard part; check the net price calculator).</p>
<p>For other schools, check the net price calculators. Check for merit scholarships if need-based aid is insufficient.</p>
<p>“There’s a reason why many schools don’t offer nuclear engineering. While I don’t know exactly, my guess is this is a very specialized field that should require advanced studies. Most schools probably just don’t believe a bachelor curriculum would provide adequate training for any related work. What’s the point of offering it when the students have to go to grad schools anyway?”</p>
<p>One of my close relatives has an undergraduate degree from Michigan in nuclear engineering. Currently has a very lucrative job in said field.</p>
<p>There used to be more schools offering a BS in Nuclear Engineering, and their graduates worked in power plants, vendors, architect/engineers, etc. The problem is that the market dried up, and then so did the BS programs. A school can only maintain a program when there is enough demand and research funding to do so.</p>
<p>You can still get a certificate or specialization in nuclear engineering at some schools, including Pittsburgh. You major in Electrical or Mechanical, and then take something like 5 or 6 courses from a list. Basically it’s a minor. That’s all I would advise an undergraduate to do. Yes, there are still people working in the field but statistically, the numbers and prospects are not as high as they used to be.</p>
<p>Far as I know, the government labs like INL are working on either weapons or naval reactors. If your kid really wants a career in nuclear, Navy ROTC should be seriously considered.</p>
<p>Interesting suggestion to drop WUSTL if engineering is really the first choice. The original post mentioned Columbia and Princeton, too, as if the overall prestige of the institution mattered a great deal.</p>
<p>Case Western, University of Rochester, RPI - all excellent engineering programs, all likely to offer your student merit scholarships! For Ivies - Cornell, and Columbia.</p>
<p>My wife the prestige type. Wants some ivies on the list. I’m very much beyond looking at ivies, but they do offer good aid for our income bracket. My inlaws actually gave my wife the cash to apply to ivies, even though I’m very blah about it.</p>
<p>noimagination - WUSTL interesting, anything specific that turned you off?</p>
<p>Obviously paying less financially would be better, meaning less loans. I mean we can only cut back so much at home. Mortgage, insurance, gas, utilities are very static. Food and entertainment probably big things to cut back on. I can’t not drive in a carpool. Hmmm I did our yearly budget and figured out what to cut. Told my son to see how hard we were going to cut everything for him. heheh I know guilt trip.</p>
<p>Idaho University is an interesting suggestion. I know either Cornell or Columbia one of them has an undergrad in nuclear engineering science. I’m a little confused on adding more reaches or matches. Some people name so many reaches in this thread. I’m afraid of not having enough matches or safeties. Hmmm I know my son did get called into the office to say he had guaranteed admission to a certain amount of UC schools. I know UCLA and UCB were not guaranteed definitely.</p>
<p>I debated on Harvey Mudd and RHIT. I hear RHIT might offer good merit aid, I heard not so good at Harvey Mudd. But then at the same time RHIT had a bunch of naysayers saying how not that many people go to grad school from RHIT. Uuuh headache. So this got me thinking that Cal Poly SLO was like RHIT.</p>
<p>If I’m going for reaches should I add places like CalTech? Being realistic, I’d say he doesn’t have a chance. My wife wanted to take a vacation and do their campus visit we got invited to.</p>
<p>I am gratified that you have Cal Poly SLO on your list. This school is excellent and offers outstanding mechanical engineering classes. I completely agree with whydoicare regarding an undergrad degree in nuclear engineering. Go mechanical like my kid (which he says is really a “gerneral engineering” major). I know that Cal Poly SLO students have done internships at the nearby by nuclear power plant, so that is an option. Most importantly, Cal Poly SLO is one school that I think you can afford. My son is 100% satisfied with the school and your son seems like he would be a fit and it is relatively close to home. By the way, our family like yours is Asian mixed. Not sure if it made any difference but our kid got in!</p>
<p>Other schools that I think you should consider for mechanical are Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Arizona, both of which offer courses (or a masters) in Nuclear engineering. These are good schools and safeties for you as well. I noticed that you did not have a lot of “safe” schools on your list. Additionally, since you are applying to some UC’s, I’d just add a few more as it is all the same application. We applied to 5 UC’s and even though my kid turned them all down, it was nice to have 5 offers from the UC’s. Schools that I would add are UCI, UCSD and UCSB that would round it out well.</p>
<p>My son really liked what the people at Northeastern and Drexel had to say. No idea how they are on aid.</p>
<p>I’ve thought about adding WPI, RPI, and Case Western. I just know zero people that go there. Beyond the information I got from CC not very familiar. In addition these colleges never offer any recruiter visits in CA to explain things.</p>
<p>I thought Wisconsin would be a fantastic school. But its like going to Berkeley out of state really expensive and very little aid.</p>
<p>University of Arizona, never really thought of them. I’ll do some research. They did mail us a lot of stuff.</p>
<p>I was also thinking about places like Stonybrook. Hmm no idea. My wife has never heard of tons of places. But took her to Olin thing and they sold her on the alternative teaching style. She being a teacher agrees with alot of their practices. Plus didn’t hurt that all their alums there were extremely successful.</p>