<p>Of course, you will have to filter the list by (a) your intended or possible majors, (b) whether the cost of attendance is affordable, and (c) whether there is still time before the application deadline.</p>
<p>Alabama isn’t the solution to every problem.*</p>
<p>Well, if ISU would work, then fine. Super…but it’s not known to be “for sure”…yet. You you only “think” it might be a safety. You don’t really know. You don’t have connections to ISU to know that.</p>
<p>I suggested Alabama because I’m 99.99% sure he’d get accepted so I don’t just “think” it might be a safety, I’m nearly positive it will be a safety. Bama is pretty open about what is needed to get accepted IF a student applies before Feb 1st. Mostly because it’s a southern public and still is req’d to be rather open/formula about admissions. </p>
<p>No, I don’t think Alabama is always the solution or is always a safety. For a student who wouldn’t have the means to pay (or stats), I would never recommend it as a “sure thing”. </p>
<p>for this particular student (means to pay, but with a weak GPA), who is rather desperate (parents angry at all of his rejections), he seemed to need a quick acceptance. If he gets his stuff in quickly, he could have an acceptance within a couple of weeks. At least, at that point, he could more comfortably wait and see where else he could get accepted. </p>
<p>I would think that it would be a bit less stressful to wait IF he had at least one acceptance in hand…but maybe you think differently.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone! I will definitely look at all your suggestions.</p>
<p>I am grateful for your help, mom2collegekids, but I don’t want to spend money in US and go to a low ranking university just because I want to study in US. I have a few other options abroad but US remains my priority if I can get into at least a mediocre school.</p>
<p>Yes, the GPA is a problem but my school is refusing to change now and I don’t think I can get another counsellor in time as all offices are closed right now over here.</p>
<p>Alabama does not appear to have any published automatic admission criteria (other than the automatic scholarship thresholds), although other information on the web indicates that many students with significantly lower GPA and test scores than the OP’s are admitted.</p>
<p>Alabama’s out-of-state cost of attendance (without any scholarships) is about $38,000 per year.</p>
<p>Bama pretty much will accept any student who has the necessary high school classes, at least a 3.0 GPA, at least an avg test score and who applies by Feb 1. </p>
<p>I have never heard of a student with the OP’s stats who has been rejected and who applied before Feb 1.</p>
<p>Don’t be hung up on rankings for an engineering degree. Make sure that you get an ABET accredited degree and it will be recognized as having value. Your should make sure to consider cost as part of the equation as you make a decision. If you can get admission with a good financial aid package, that will make the entire situation less stressful on you and your family.</p>
<p>Nonsense. The median unweighted HS GPA of enrolled freshmen at Michigan is 3.8, and they weigh GPA most heavily in admissions, along with rigor of HS curriculum. Michigan was at best an extremely high reach for an applicant with a 3.2 GPA. The rest of the application would have needed to be extraordinary for this applicant to have any chance at admission, and that was not the case.</p>
<p>OP’s SAT scores alone would have been marginally OK for Michigan: SAT M top quartile (but just barely), SAT CR third quartile (but just barely, very close to 25th percentile), SAT W third quartile (but just barely, very close to 25th percentile). In short, these are not SAT scores that are going to impress the admissions committee at Michigan, especially for an applicant who is well below standards on GPA, and especially for an applicant to Michigan’s College of Engineering which at this point has significantly higher admission standards than the rest of the university.</p>
<p>I think this is a case of an international student getting poor counseling about where to apply. The situation is not helped by CCers chiming in with equally uninformed advice.</p>
<p>Alabama isn’t that bad. US News has it ranked in the top 100.</p>
<p>I know going to a prestigious school is a big deal in India, but it isn’t nearly as big a deal in the US, especially for a computer-related degree. I work with lots of programmers from India who went to school here in the US at good, but hardly top-tier, schools.</p>
<p>I put in the SAT and GPA assumed 50th percentile for rank, and 16 courses. He still gets in with an RAI of 256. I’m sure he has more than 15 courses. </p>
<p>Looks automatic to me. They are rolling and let you know in a few weeks.</p>
<p>Kettering University in Michigan perhaps. Also perhaps Michigan Tech (in northern Michigan and yes it’s cold up there). I almost laughed at whoever said Michigan’s not that hard, mosey on over to the U of M Deferred Stats Thread. 3.2 is low unless I’m missing something with the IB score and I doubt the OP could get into U of M engineering. MAYBE Michigan State.</p>
<p>Kettering University used to be General Motors Institute (GM’s own engineering school) before anyone says it’s an unknown school and doubts it’s quality as an engineering school.</p>
<p>Couple of years ago, Iowa State had a 48 hour online application turn around policy without even paying for app fee. Self enter all your information including GPA, SAT and the app got processed.</p>
<p>As others have mentioned, there seems to be inconsistency between the IB predicted scores and GPA. </p>
<ol>
<li>It is prudent to rely on reputed credential evaluation services that would certify conversion of overseas high school scores to American equivalent GPAs, and send the converted scores directly to desired universities. Many US universities do accept scores from World Education Services. If OP’s parents are financially willing to commit ~ $70K/yr, it is better to spend $400/ on getting high school transcript evaluated & sent. </li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>There are many fairly good universities in the US that, for some reason or other, are not able to fill their capacity well beyond admission deadlines. One such university that has appeared in the last 2 years is Michigan Tech (MTU). It is known for engineering, but because of its relatively snowy location in Michigan Upper Peninsula, could be an admission safety.</p></li>
<li><p>It may be easier to gain admission at a regional campus, and transfer to main campus after 2 years. For example, University of Michigan, Flint, has a guaranteed engineering transfer program with Ann Arbor campus, provided the student meets various criteria (especially GPA). I am sure there are several more in such category (eg. Georgia Tech etc.). </p></li>
<li><p>Kettering university is a possibility, and so is Michigan State (MSU is certainly looking for competent full pay international students. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Should evaluation by WES show a higher GPA than reported conversion by OP’s high school counselor, it would open up many more matches. </p>
<ol>
<li>If time permits, and inclined to do so, call the international admissions counselors at say 3-4 of the universities that denied admissions, and ask them (i) if a separate evaluation of your high school transcript by WES would be helpful in reassessing your credentials. (ii) If they would consider ACT scores from March 7, 2014 exam.<br>
Answers to these would provide you an idea if it is even worthwhile pursuing further any of the universities that denied you admission. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, would be a big reach. </li>
</ol>
<p>Sometimes, it is more timely to speak directly with the counselors than relying on e-mail.</p>
<p>Since IB applicants are evaluated on their IB predicated results (+, when relevant, O’Levels or GCSE’s or similar), do not include that GPA. Whoever calculated it calculated wrong (it absolutely doesn’t mesh with a predicted IB38+ or those SAT scores). For the universities you applied to, you should have had at least 3.5 and since you supplied the GPA, that’s what they went with. If you only submit the 44, they’ll calculate GPA off that (4.0) and your problems will be solved.
I second Ketterring. Add Missouri School of Science and Technology, Colorado School of Mines, NM School of Mines and Sciences, WPI, RIT, RPI, Stevens, NYIT, NJIT, IIT, since you’re full-pay. Even Penn State could be in play with that IB score + SAT score + ability to be full-pay.</p>
<p>This student needs to understand that with 50 states in the US, there aren’t just 25 or so schools with good engineering. </p>
<p>The state of Calif alone has over 25 colleges with very good eng’g. </p>
<p>engineering isn’t some unique or odd discipline that is difficult for an established univ to have a very good program. Virtually every state flagship has a very good accredited program. And, nearly every state has multiple colleges that offer very good programs.</p>
<p>right now the best thing is probably not to be so picky and apply to schools that are less of a reach for you.</p>
<p>Right…because it’s January. Schools that are still accepting apps often have a policy of being lenient with admissions early in the app season, and then they toughen up as the app season goes on.</p>
<p>Look for schools whose COA your parents can afford since yiu are International students.
Their are few International friendly 2 yr and 4 yr colleges and if they fit your profile try to get into those. You can always transfer later within 2 yrs to better schools. But initially you will get in easily and get your I-20 and F-1 visa intime. </p>
<p>Try to understand US education system in 2 yrs and then Transfer to some prestigious school for final degree. This will save you tons of money too since these 2 yr college are slightly cheaper then famous 4 yr Universities. </p>
<p>Their are many 2 yr colleges in Florida California Texas Minnesota Georgia even 4 yr Universities too which are International student Friendly</p>