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<p>Because a 730 is such a low score, right? <em>rolleyes</em> </p>
<p>Never mind the generous grading curve, but I just have a serious problem with time management on the SAT; I have had little problem with the AP Calc exams, for example. SAT is just more of a test of rote knowledge.</p>
<p>Time management on the math test, which you admit you " have a serious problem with" is even more critical in college level engineering classes. And as you revealed earlier, those three Cs in trig might have killed your application.</p>
<p>Dolphin:</p>
<p>You are probably correct, your 2.25 gpa in math is a huge red flag to any engineering school. If you really want to go the engineering route, the best advice would be to attend a community college and retake Calc (and, perhaps trig?) - engineering is all about math, science is secondary.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Uh… I don’t know where you got that idea, but I got A’s for my math classes throughout my high school career – I just suck at SAT Math because I just can’t stand the format.</p>
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<p>Eh? I get great grades for my AP exams as well as my local university exams (e.g. linear algebra).</p>
<p>In college engineering you’re not asked to do 35 problems in 25 minutes. You explore a problem in-depth, create proofs, use a chain of argument, etc. There are no proofs on the SAT, which rewards rote memorisation more than actual math reasoning. There’s hardly any math “innovation.” Whereas in AP Physics C you’re asked to come up with formulae you haven’t seen before (in some of the more creative problems), the SAT cares more about speedy mindless regurgitation rather than an intricate and elegant answer with full exploration of the problem involved.</p>
<p>I’m confused. GoMiami posted about his/her disappointment at being rejected at UCI for engineering. GoMiami said that he had gotten some C’s in high school math. So various posters including me suggested that the Cs were a red flag. Why is galoisien getting upset at those comments? Are GoMiami and galoisien the same person?</p>
<p>You took me as him, for one…</p>
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<p>Go Miami, You can still get into UC Merced. I don’t know if they have the courses you want or not.</p>
<p>I guess I am going to apply to Purdue although it will be quite a bit of money as it is too late to apply for scholarships, if I get in… I don’t even understand if Engineering is closed or open, but I will apply anyways. </p>
<p>About my C’s in Math. The reason isn’t that I didn’t understand, it’s more that I didn’t try at all and did less than half of the homework (in calculus that gave me -50 points during first semester) and just couldn’t get an A and understand it fully without doing practically any homework . I was in the upper tier of a C (76-78 range) throughout both semesters. I am sure I am capable of getting A’s.</p>
<p>GoMiami, </p>
<p>Ask Purdue before applying to an engineering program. No sense applying if the program is already closed, as, I am pretty sure, it is. Pick up the phone and call the admissions office.</p>
<p>Okay, someone has to speak up as this is getting out of hand. </p>
<p>Miami, you are not ready for UC, or CSUF, or Purdue for a number of reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You need to learn proper study and work habits. Your admission that you didn’t try at all and did less than half the homework tells me you are not ready
for the smack between the eyes of college level work. UCI could see this and chose to offer that spot to a student who is willing to do the necessary work. Woody Allen said that “80% of life is showing up.” You chose not to show up too often. </p></li>
<li><p>Regardless of why your math grades are poor, you need to demonstrate that you have brought your understanding in math up to college level (especially if you’re going engineering). While you may be sure that you are capable of getting better grades, you haven’t done it. Again, UCI recognized this red flag. </p></li>
<li><p>You need to do some serious maturing. You admit the many things you did that got you into this situation, yet you say things like:</p></li>
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and
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<p>I am not from California so I don’t know all the ins and outs of the community college system/CSU system/UC system, so whether your transfer options would be better coming from a community college or a CSU, I can’t advise. From the other comments and from what I know of community colleges in the several states I have lived, I can tell you that doing well at a community college goes a long way in convincing four-year schools that you have resolved academic and behavioral obstacles that have been keeping you from realizing your potential.</p>
<p>Look at a year at a community college (or at CSUF) as an opportunity to prove that you are ready to go to the next level. And do it with a little humility – you will not be the smartest guy at CSUF or at the community college. This is your chance - make the most of it.</p>
<p>I just want to clear up that thing I said.<br>
Quote:
I know I am smart relative to community college kids and don’t want to go there </p>
<p>I actually thought for a good a minute before writing that and wrote something similar to it before, but erased it. My definition of smart maybe completely different from those. I just mean upper tier like most of you guys are in high school (top 10%), which I wasn’t even. It’s just that the people I know who are going to community college with very few exceptions (1 or 2) are generally in lower levels of all classes getting worse grades than me. That is why I said smart relative to community college kids (not adults) and I didn’t include any normal university not even CSUF. 2 of those people who I said I know who are going to CSUF I know for a fact have done much better than me in high school and am disappointed that they didn’t get into a better school.</p>
<p>K9Leader is right on target. The math grades are your big problem here. Until you get those in shape by getting As and Bs, no one is going to admit you to an engineering program. Go back and re-take the classes at CSUF or a CC and get those in order. Demonstrate maturity through same. Then you can think about getting into a “better” engineering program.</p>
<p>Your friends and church members won’t think you’re so smart if you go and flunk out first year because of poor work/study habits.</p>
<p>GoMiami, </p>
<p>You may know some other students going directly from high school to community college, and you may not think they are very smart, but stop judging all community college students by the few you know. There are plenty of students at community college that didn’t go directly from high school-- internationals, career changers, older adults who like to learn, students who went off to a four-year school and didn’t make it there but are now more mature and ready to learn. Plus, there are very bright students who go to community college directly from high school because they can’t afford four years at a UC. If you go to community college and get straight As in your math and physics courses, then you can come back here and brag. Not before.</p>
<p>GoMiami:</p>
<p>I don’t want you to get discouraged – your situation is very common, despite what you read here on CC. Many, many, many people are not ready for a four-year college right out of high school. I don’t know the current statistic, but just a few years ago, it was that only about 25% of Americans had graduated or will graduate from college. And out of that group, many of them don’t follow the “traditional” path. </p>
<p>My brother-in-law is a good example. He wasn’t ready maturity-wise to go off to a four-year college, couldn’t afford it anyway (my wife did her first year at a CC before going off to William & Mary, as did her other brother before going off to Virginia Tech), and just didn’t want to. He went to the community college right in their town in South Jersey, did okay, and played on the baseball team. After two years, he applied to transfer into and was accepted at what was then Western Maryland College (now known as McDaniel College, one of the “Colleges that Change Lives”). His mother and grandfather took him out to Western Maryland, helped him move in, said their goodbyes, and headed home. Their strategic mistake: they let him have his car at school. My mother-in-law got a call a couple of days later from the Dean just checking on him because they hadn’t seen him since move-in day. She found him camped out at a friend’s house, where he had been since he packed up his things and left Western Maryland College about 10 minutes after his mother and grandfather drove away. He didn’t want to be there but was too afraid to tell anyone.</p>
<p>Anyway, he worked for a few years, found out how expensive life is, how hard and monotonous making a living can be without an education, found the right girl who coaxed him back toward completing his education, and he eventually finished his bachelor’s degree in education at a local school (then Glassboro State College, now Rowan University) as a commuter student. He taught high school science, got his M.Ed. at another local commuter school (then Wilmington College, now Wilmington University) and he is now a high school principal. </p>
<p>A few years ago, an acquaintance was telling us about dropping her son off at McDaniel for his freshman year. She said that in the parent/student welcome session, the Dean told a story about a kid who a number of years earlier had bolted the minute his family was out of sight and how he hadn’t confided in anyone how overwhelmed he was and how the school has many people there to help so don’t do what this poor kid did. The story included certain details that were clearly my brother-in-law. My understanding is that this same story is now a standard part of the welcome weekend. </p>
<p>The point is that there are many different paths you can take. Make the most of the one that is open before you. For the vast majority of us, the exact path won’t make any difference in the long-term. What will matter is that you took a path.</p>
<p>GoMiami, I am also interested in Purdue, to tranfer there next year, so I sent them a couple of emails to inform me about the pre-requisites.The Engineering program is closed for 2008 and most probably 2009.Actually they don’t know when they will accept new applications.</p>
<p>GoMiamiDolphins –</p>
<p>1) I knew quite a few engineering majors at UCLA who had transferred from Santa Monica College. You just have to get As, which, as the poster above said, is not easy even at CC. There are a lot of kids at CC with the plan to transfer to UC, so the competition can be pretty intense.</p>
<p>2) Your stats are really good – but not top 5-6% as they need to be for the mid-tier UCs. Your stats might have matched well to UCR and UCM, and maybe UCSC. They also match to San Diego St, CS Fulleton, CS Long Beach, all schools taking kids from the top 15% of the graduating pool.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t know whey you’re not excited about Cal State Fullerton. That school has a lot of great programs, plus a lot of school spirit. the athletic teams are really good, which you don’t find at every Cal St. A co-worker of mine’s son just transferred from Az. St. to Cal State Fullerton. He likes it much better!</p>
<p>I agree. Cal State Fullerton is nice.</p>
<p>my friend with 4.0 weighted gpa and 2000 on sat got rejected to uci.</p>
<p>For Aero Engineering that really immerses one in AERO from day one try Daniel Webster College in New Hampshire. It has its own airport and fleet of planes.</p>
<p>For years it was a 2-year ABET certified Aero ops and engineering school that fed into Emory Riddle and Clarkson etc. Three years ago it expanded to 4 years, and ABET cert. is on line for 2010. </p>
<p>Uses Integrated engineering curriulum (CDIO) pioneered by MIT AERO/ASTRO. Hands-on and projects.</p>
<p>(note: not attending or part of admin of school. Just really impress)</p>
<p>You do know this post is 9 months old now, right?</p>