Hello CC! I’m a rising junior looking at colleges for electrical engineering. I’m a Pakistani from California and I attend a semi-competitive high school in Fresno, CA. Here’s my List so far,
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
UC Davis
CSU Fresno
CSU San Jose
CSU SLO
University of Southern California
Santa Clara University
Loyola Marymount
Cornell
University of Washington
I am very low income (55,000$) if it helps.
it is a really nice list…but, most of those schools are very competitive admits. i can’t say how appropriate the schools are without your stats… what’s your GPA, EC profile and SAT/ACT?
Out of curiosity, why did you not include Berkeley or UCLA on your list?
engineering education is much flatter than most HS students realize. Outside of the top end elites like MIT and Caltech and on the lower side schools that admit most kids that apply, the standardization of classes found in any ABET program means that kids will learn essentially the same material and will get similar starting salaries. Eyeballing the list I’d put SJSU and Fresno into the lower category (without doing any investigation), the rest are broadly similar. What will matter more in the end is your gpa and internships than which one you attend.
Your list should depend upon your GPA (UC/CSU capped/weighted), UW GPA at the end of Junior year, your ACT or SAT test scores, your EC’s and essays. Also HS course rigor will impact your chances.
Without any of this information, no one can make a judgement on how your list stacks up.
UC’s and CSU’s do not consider ethnicity/race in their admission decisions but being low income/first generation is a consideration.
If you are local and meet the eligibility index threshold, then CSU Fresno is your safety.
First-time Freshmen CSU Fresno:
Local minimum eligibility index: 3100
The Cal states admit by major and eligibility index. They really only consider GPA/Test scores/Geographic location and HS course rigor. Other than Cal Poly SLO, your EC’s are not considered.
You need to calculate your CSU/UC GPA using grades from a-g courses taken 10-11th.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
SLO uses 9-11th grades in their GPA calculation.
Not sure which courses are a-g and will give you extra honors points, then use this link by typing in your HS name?
https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/institution
Cal states and the majority of the UC’s use the capped weighted GPA.
Then calculate your Eligibility index:
(CSU/UC GPA x800)+ (ACT composite x10) or (CSU/UC GPA x800) + (SAT Math+CR).
You will then be ranked based on EI and major and they accept from the top down until all spots are filled.
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For the UC’s, here is how they review applications and what they consider important:
Note: Demonstrated record of academic preparation, educational engagement, talent and skills important.
Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Standardized test scores
Considered: Character/personal qualities, Class rank, Extracurricular activities, First generation college student, Level of applicant's interest, State residency, Talent/ability, Volunteer work, Work experience
Note: Eligibility established by high school GPA, course requirement, and SAT scores. Special consideration for disadvantaged students.
Santa Cruz
Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Standardized test scores, State residency
Important: Character/personal qualities, Extracurricular activities, First generation college student, Geographical residence, Talent/ability
Considered: Volunteer work, Work experience
Note: Test scores, GPA in required subjects most important. Personal statement very important.
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Come back Junior year with all the pertinent information and then posters can comment on your list.