Looking for good chemical engineering schools with good merit based on stats: 35 ACT and 4.0 unweighted GPA. Prefers urban campus, def not rural. Mid to large sized. Thanks!
“Good merit” is very subjective. What is the budget you are looking to stick to?
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I would start by making a list off ABET’s website.
Just FYI, merit aid and prestige/rankings are often inversely proportional.
Save a few named scholarships, most aid at top schools are reserved for needy students.
My strategy would be to make a list off ABET and do the NPC at each school you are interested in to make a final list. Anything you get on top for merit would be gravy.
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Price limit (after applying scholarships)?
Other preferences?
Assuming a price limit close to $0, perhaps look for a full ride like this: https://www.pvamu.edu/faid/types-of-aid/scholarships/university-scholarships/
This.
Colleges give merit aid to entice excellent students into going there instead of somewhere else.
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If you consider that any engineering program ranked in the top 200 qualifies as good, you may want to check out the list of schools at College Board National Recognition Program (includes former National Hispanic Recognition Program) Class of 2022 - Specialty College Admissions Topics / Hispanic Students - College Confidential Forums
It’s a list of engineering schools that offer merit based on CBNRP status rather than stats, but most of them also offer merit based purely on stats (especially for a 35 ACT and 4.0 unweighted GPA).
For reference, the CBNRP-specific scholarships are listed at College Board National Recognition Program (includes former National Hispanic Recognition Program) Class of 2022 - Specialty College Admissions Topics / Hispanic Students - College Confidential Forums. You will need to poke around on the websites to find the scholarships based on stats.
Note that the prices after merit vary widely between schools. You need to come up with a budget to filter out the schools that will remain too expensive even after merit.
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What is your home state?
Also, chances for NMF? Limitations of what part of the country you want to be in?
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Home state, weighted GPA, example of rigors - i.e. how many EPs, extra curriculars.
A 4.0 and 35 ACT - not going to say it’s a dime a dozen but it is at top schools.
Where you will cash in - is Arizona and if mid size UAH. UNM as well and Mizzou, Arkansas, Colorado School of Mines, and Utah.
FSU too - but it’s engineering campus is a bit away as it’s shared with FAMU.
U of SC is large but would work and have great merit - and you can do Honors.
Your usual - Pitt (likely no merit but ok price wise), WPI, RPI, Miami.
I tried to stay away from more rural - Bama, Auburn, Mississippi State, etc but you get paid at those as well.
I’m sure you can get into fine schools but when you want “good merit” you have to go down a notch.
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Is he/she National Merit?
If NMSF and accepted into USC, he/she will receive the half-tuition Presidential scholarship.
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Don’t really have a budget, per say. We have some of the more highly ranked schools on the list that we don’t expect to get anything from, but wondered if there are some lower ranked ones we should look at that would offer more money.
Thanks! Yep, I get that about the more prestigious schools. We have some of the more highly ranked schools on the list that we don’t expect much from, but just wondering if we should consider more schools that are not as highly ranked, but still good. Good idea to check ABET’s site. Thanks!
Don’t have a price limit, per say. We have school on the list that will be pricey and probably won’t give much, if any $. Now, wondering if we should add some less highly ranked one that are still good that may be more generous. No real geographic preferences, except prob not West Coast and not TX (no offense to anyone!).
Thanks! Will definitely look into this!
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We are in IL and have IL on our list. Commended for NM. Pretty open to location, aside from CA and prob TX.
These are great suggestions of places to look! Thanks so much! And yep, we know those stats are common among top schools, which is why we are looking to add some schools next tier down. We are in IL, weighted GPA 4.8. All AP or most accelerate math and sciences and English classes avail at the school plus currently taking Calc 3 at community college, not highest social sciences though. I have to look up a bunch of your acronyms…lol!
That can be an arbitrage opportunity in that an engineering student may attend whichever costs less (after scholarships) to get the same engineering education.
Both UIUC and UIC? (These are the two IL publics with chemical engineering.)
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You have a great instate option. @tsbna44 gave you a good list. The only other school I’d add if your student wants co-ops, is Cincinnati.
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Also look at the University of Tulsa: Undergraduate Admission - The University of Tulsa
and the University of Tennessee - Knoxville: Scholarships for Entering First-Year Students - One Stop Student Services (note Nov. 1 EA application deadline for competitive scholarships)
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U of Arizona
UAH = Alabama Huntsville - mid size , mid size campus…very STEM oriented - Huntsville is Nasa’s second city - lots of jobs.
UNM = New Mexico - you get a sweet deal with national merit.
Mizzou = U Missouri. The better school there is Missouri Science & Tech but it’s rural.
FSU = Florida State - and they share an engineering school with Florida A&M which is the neighboring HBCU (Historically Black)
U of SC = South Carolina. Btw - USC (Southern Cal) gives 50% off to NMFs.
Pitt = U of Pittsburgh.
Bama = Alabama. Your whole state is going there - see the article below 
U of Rochester and Rochester Institute (RIT) are both solid and will give aid. RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic) will give aid…as will Case Western. Rose Hulman is a small school - but in the sticks - great school - will give aid. Bradley (Peoria) - will tell you on their net price calculator what you’ll get - big aid. U Arkansas is in a suburban type city (small city) - big growth, big $$. Colorado School of Mines in Golden CO is a great school. WPI is Worcester Polytechnic. @momofboiler1 gave a great one in Cincinnati. Drexel is another in Philly…and then there’s UTK - Tennessee Knoxville (I see @gandalf78 mentioned and U of Kentucky - both solid and “urban” ish and merit.
These are all in suburban or urban areas.
You have lots of options - in the big 10 schools as well.
Don’t say you don’t have a budget - because you do.
If Northwestern is $320K and Alabama is $80K, where are your parents sending you?
Are they willing to pay $320K+, etc.
Everyone has a budget - it’s not what you can afford but what you want to afford.
My son may not be the rule -but he interned at a major auto OEM this summer - two kids from Ga Tech on his team - and he was told he’d be back, not the others.
The point is - spending on a name may be…but also may not be worth it.
Your parents can save a lot of coin due to your academic excellence.
Good luck.
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