@jessicawang In every selective college, there are future doctors and engineers slaving themselves to publish the school newpaper, win glee club competitions, and break track records. People like you, who have more than one passion, make college communities thrive, and colleges know that. Do not worry one bit and just be yourself.
Another thing, I’ve seen lesser students than you accepted into prestigious schools. I’ve also heard of students comparable to you rejected. There’s really no telling if you’ll get in or not to a majority of these schools, though I’m positive that you’ll get into at least some of them. Just keep in mind that the meat of your app with be your essay, teacher recs, any supplements you have, and your extracurriculars. Colleges look for particular things (which will vary from college to college). Some will reject you because they felt other students would fit in better in their college communities. Some (like NYU) will reject you based on salary. Some will reject you if you’re overqualified and think you’ll pass them over for a better, more fitting college (to minimize the acceptance rate).
There are too many factors involved that it would be useless to worry about all of them. Just do your best, and you’ll do fine.
@N’s mom I see your concern, but she was an Intel finalist, which takes a lot of work and dedication to make happen. That doesn’t exactly scream “non-engineer.” It’s good advice though. I’m sure a lot of other students would benefit from knowing that.
@viaOllie, it doesn’t seem to be NYU’s practice to reject based on whether you can pay. They tend to accept those they want and let kids figure out whether they can pay for it.
In any case, add in UMich, UIUC, UW-Madison, and Purdue as well (match/high-match for the first 2, low-match/safety for the last 2).
What don’t you like about small schools? That’s too bad, BTW. You do have a better shot as a girl interested in engineering at smaller tech institutes. Also, Mudd is in a consortium that is like one big campus (that is about the size of a mid-sized uni.).
Finally, don’t count on being a grad school alum legacy (as opposed to undergrad legacy) to count for much.
@N’sMom I do think that is a real concern, and I do plan to do engineering…in some of the schools I’m applying to, such as Cornell or Columbia (oops I just finished reading), switching out to a totally different area is pretty rare and difficult. I have done research for the past two years, and both times my project has qualified for the Intel Science Fair. Just from word of mouth though, I heard from current students at Columbia that it’s easier to transfer from the Engineering School to the other school than the other way around.
@viaOllie does the fact that I have a pretty terrible ranking, not top 10% unweighted…look pretty bad…I mean if there are 97 kids with better grades than me at my school, wouldn’t all the colleges think, shouldn’t some of those kids be accepted first?
I’ve decided to add Drexel to the list and UMich, and I’m thinking about taking off CRWU.
I’m not looking too much into tech schools, because from my application you can sort of tell I’m not the most scientifically/mathematically inclined but that I am pretty well rounded. I don’t think a school like Caltech or other Institute of Tech would care if I’m good at writing poetry.
Just as a note….on my transcript, all of my Bs are in science classes.
Never mind about Georgia Tech, their President’s Scholarship is based heavily on leadership- which I have none of. I’d also prefer to get out of the South if possible.
“Just as a note….on my transcript, all of my Bs are in science classes”
then at schools where you do have to stat a desired major or program, dont apply as an engineering major.
That will sink you application when compared to students who have all A’s in science classes.
“I don’t think a school like Caltech or other Institute of Tech would care if I’m good at writing poetry.”
Why do you like to make assumptions?
I know that many engineering schools want to develop well-rounded engineers. It’s why both Stanford and UIUC have rolled out CS+X majors, for instance, and why Northwestern has touted it’s “whole-brain” engineering curriculum for over a decade now.
However, a bunch of B’s in science classes may not look so hot.
I would say to not put down engineering as the major at schools where you don’t have to (for instance, at Northwestern, switching in to Engineering from CAS is really easy). At some other schools, though, it’s quite difficult to switch in to at least certain majors in Engineering (for instance, switching in to CS in Engineering at UIUC is very difficult).
Creativity is what most top engineering schools are looking for. Stanford and MIT are two that value creativity highly.
By a bunch of B’s, I mean I’ve reached B’s in half my science classes.
If you are looking for merit money, I would not take Case off the list. And those OOS flagships, while cheaper than full-pay at a private, would not give much/any merit money either (except Purdue, which does).
Case is MUCH better than Drexel. Don’t take it off your list. Keep in ming that you’ll have to demonstrate interest at basically every private school.
What about Lehigh? Honors Colleges at Penn State, Pitt, UMass?
HarveyMudd cares very much about humanities, and is part of a 7,000-student campus (each “college” is to be thought of as the “colleges” at Cambridge for example: they’re all part of the same campus. Large universities have “college of science”, “college of engineering”… The Claremonts have colleges by what they try to emphasize, social justice at Pitzer, poet engineers at Mudd, women’s empowerment at Scripps, etc.)
Not quite like Oxbridge colleges (more independent than that; generally bigger), but it’s a big campus. Mudd may not be ideal for someone who says she wants to study engineering to please the parents but may go in to writing instead, though. Though Scripps has a 3-2 program with Mudd and may give merit money.
Review your list - and decide WHY you would like these schools- major? people? name? size? location? personality fit? geographic location? mystery category?
visit them - it is critical that then you see if you perceptions match the school in reality
lastly - pick a safety where you have a sure thing (or pretty close) that you would be happy to go there -if Ole Miss is where you would be happy - pick one more so you can have a choice- if it is isnt then it isnt a safety
also - I just saw your post - should I apply to LACs for the fun of it - where you say they are your safeties and you wouldnt want to go.
Please review your list and decide WHY you like these schools - see my questions above
You really need to analyze your decisions better and come to a direction
Op could apply to Scripps and Mudd 
Mudd is equal parts engineering and liberal arts,so it’d be ideal for someone interested in both,or who has to major in engineering due to parents’demands yet wants to be in an environment where writing/English is valued.
Since you’re NMF, pick another school that is tuition-free for you as a safety. UArizona is a well-regarded research U that is top-ranked in several fields.
OU, UA… All have excellent NMF packages. purple titan is right, you have an embarrassment of riches for your safeties :). Congrats!
How many people are in your school? 97 students out of how many? And how rigorous is your high school?
My school is small but very rigorous, one of the best in the country (according to rankings, at least) Our salutatorian didn’t get into any Ivies (though he got into schools comparable to Georgetown). He is a spectacular student, with great extracurriculars and an enthusiasm for learning. No one knows why he didn’t get in. There are a couple of people along with him that I thought deserved to go to Ivies, but they didn’t get in either.
At the same time, a handful of kids with lower stats, some of whom I thought didn’t have a chance, got into Ivies. One girl who wasn’t even in NHS (about 50% of her class was in NHS, which means she didn’t have the GPA to rival about 50% of the class) got into Cornell. Now that I think about it, I am 100% they will do well. Even though they didn’t have the best stats, they are all good students and have something special about them that will make them succeed.
No one can say for sure if you’ll get accepted or not. Just don’t count yourself out. No matter how I look at it, you have a fighting chance at a good number of these schools.
I am ranked 98 out of 740, it’s a public school and one of the largest in the state.
I’m not in National Honors Society at my school but that was by choice, not because I wasn’t eligible
Thanks!