@pearmetty I only knew that because I reluctantly took Spanish 3 just for Cornell (honestly I learned nothing in all my years of Spanish). But hey, gotta do what you gotta do!
Best of luck!
@labmedicine were you accepted to Cornell?
The only school that makes sense as a reach is Cornell. Schools like UCB and UCLA are not good idea either, especially when you can’t afforded it, harder for engineering. Harvey Mudd is even harder.
You need to drop down a notch or two. One of my daughter’s roommate from NJ got lots of financial aid at USC. Guess what she is doing now. A partner at a top VC in Silicon Valley, only three years out of college. But she had tip top grades. Almost 4.0 at USC.
@pearmetty Well I’ll be applying this year (I’m going into my senior year). I’m hoping for the best. I need to amp up my ACT score and maybe I’ll have a better chance.
Clemson is a low-match, and you might get a decent aid package. I think you are a shoe-in for good aid from Temple, and you have a shot at it from Pitt. Add colleges like Drexel, Northeastern, RPI, and WPI, which are all fairly generous with high-stat applicants like you.
@woogzmama wow i never thought that my resume is only good enough for temple and drexel
I don’t think @woogzmama meant it like that, @pearmetty , but rather to say schools like that could give you good aid. You’re still competitive for top schools.
There’s a big difference between schools where your resume is good enough to get accepted compared to schools where your stats will get you significant aid.
With the top schools on your list, it is never a question of being “good enough.” The overwhelming majority of applicants, according to admissions officers, are academically qualified. You are good enough, but so are tens of thousands of others you will be competing against. You have to acknowledge that you are statistically unlikely to get into the very colleges that are likely to be most generous in aid for a middle-class student. It’s time to find some colleges where you will almost certainly be accepted and can afford. Rutgers is an obvious choice for a NJ resident; I suggested alternatives if you are determined not to attend Rutgers. All of the colleges I suggested have strong Engineering programs. When someone mentions a safety it is a safety, not an “only.” Your SAT scores indicate that your reading comprehension is better than your response indicated. The inconvenient truth, in your case, is that a South Asian male from the mid-Atlantic applying to STEM programs is in one of the most competitive pools there is, especially if he is seeking financial aid. You have as good a chance as anyone else, but that isn’t a very good chance at all. There are many good Engineering schools out there, most of which will happily admit you, and many of which will be affordable. I live in NJ, and I’m more than familiar with the animus many Jerseyans have toward Rutgers. It’s a great university. I suggested colleges you might attend for not much more than you would pay in-state for Rutgers. If you prefer Rutgers, then you are free to ignore other suggestions.
@woogzmama i apologize i thought you meant something different
@InigoMontoya @codemachine almost all the “top” schools id like to go to offer 100% need met, which is why Im applying to so many, just for that small chance that one accepts me. if not there is always Rutgers or as woogzmama stated, schools like RPI and WPI
Pretty sure Princeton offers best aid in the country, fwiw.
That’s the point people have been making in this thread - there’s a big middle ground that you were missing, but it appears you are now aware there are more possibilities than you had on your list originally.
As an unhooked Indian male applying for a STEM major you have a major uphill battle. Pick one school that is a low reach and apply ED.
Pick carefully and don’t be afraid to take schools off the list that you don’t want to attend.
@sgopal2 which would you recommend? rice or duke or cornell to apply ED?
For engineering, Duke. You’d stand a better chance than at Rice or Cornell.
You are a solid academic match for Tulane and Lehigh, but merit aid at either might not meet your full need. Tulane has a free application, with non-binding Early Action. They usually include merit aid awards with their decision. You would hear from them by Thanksgiving, and that would give you an idea of whether you need more safeties by the regular application deadline. The problem is that they will not let you know how much (if any) need-based aid they will give you until later. The FAFSA application does not even open until January. It is non-binding, nevertheless, and so you would not be under any obligation to attend if the aid package falls short, and you would not need to accept or decline Tulane’s offer until May 1st. There is still the unfortunate, inescapable fact that you fall into a competitive applicant pool, and colleges might accept you but won’t go too far out on a limb for you. That’s why, if you want to end up somewhere other than Rutgers, you should get a little more adventurous and cast a wider net. You might end up at a college that lacks the “brand prestige” you seek, however. That’s a trade-off you will need to decide on for yourself, and it’s not a bad idea to build a list that is likely to offer you multiple options come April.
If you are from the NJ, maybe Rice ED.
Why if from NJ @DrGoogle ?
Geographic diversity. It’s hard to get into Rice if you are from Texas. My kid, got a free application from Rice because she’s from California.
Cornell ED may not have that advantage. I think Duke is hard for everyone.
@DrGoogle i need to look into Rice to see how their early decision is, like if i can opt out if they dont give enough financial aid. duke and cornell both offer that option if enough aid is not given