<p>I'm looking to get into an engineering school but am unsure of my chances.
SAT - 800 M 790 W 740 V =2330.
SAT II IIC currently 760, will retake for an 800
Chem= havent taken, but assume a 750+.
GPA= 3.0, 2.8 GPA for 9th grade
4.0, 4.0 for 10th grade
11th: 4.46 for 1st semester, and probably about the same for second semester.
I got a smattering of Bs and As for math and science classes, but got straight As this semester in both. My 9th and 10th grade transcripts dont have - or + signs. My 11th grade transcript does.
I took honors bio, AP USH, AP Euro, advanced language class, and in higher math, and honors chem. Will take physics AP Bio and AP Calc AB. Can get excellent rec from math science and english teachers (for a total of 3 different teachers).
EC: Did some research in a lab and will be doing a summer program and more research, and worked for a lawyer last summer, and was a counselor another summer. I need help here. I may volunteer during the summer.
I'm looking at Michigan, UCLA, UCB, UCSD, Georgia Tech, Cornell, Tufts, CMU. I look at all but UCSD as roughly matches, but am not really sure.
Are these schools in reach? I am kinda trying to compensate for the downsides of my app with high test scores.
I am really concerned because I just recently saw my 9th grade transcript and it was horrible, as you can see. I also need some advice for ECs.
Do Colleges look at 9th grade much, and to a lesser degree 10th grade? I know UCs do not look at 9th grade.</p>
<p>Bump- I also live in CA. Also my school does not rank.</p>
<p>You're test scores are great and your gpa is up. What are you worried about? Looks to me as if you have a good chance almost anywhere, including the ones on your list. ECs- yeah, you need to work on those.</p>
<p>One mom I think I am or will certainly be covered up for certain aspects of extracurriculars, namely research. I worked at USC one summer, and am going to Catapult at Rose Hulman, or to COSMOS if I get in (got into Catapult, dont know about COSMOS), and may, if everything works out, make plans for doing research with someone at JPL. Should I forgo some of the research to pursue a different style of EC? Also I think I will be excused from ECs to some degree because I go to a dual curricular school and get out at 5:15 or later 4 days a week.</p>
<p>Princeton, Stanford and Michigan do not even look at Freshman grades. Definitely apply to those schools.</p>
<p>Also I am a National Merit Scholar, for a 214 in CA. It seems like most colleges do not post their grading policies, as to whether they look at 9th grade or not. Thanks for the responses.</p>
<p>I have a separate question about National Merit Scholar Status. Why grant scholarship for a high PSAT but not a high SAT? They are basically, or at least should be in principle, the same thing. The only reason I can come up with is that they figure the PSAT score is more telling, for it is in general the score of an applicant prior to being coached, trained, and tutored, in effect a level playing field for all applicants. I am happy about my SAT score, but a little dismayed to realize that had I scored that on my PSAT I would have been a semifinalist and likely a reciever of NM. I put Cornell and UMichigan on the NMS thing, to get on college mailing lists.</p>
<p>Well, I thought that you meant ECs outside of your academic interests- for the well-roundedness. It sounds as if you don't have that much free time, but if your school has anything that interests you, try it. You seem to be aiming for schools that don't put a huge emphasis on ECs, so it shouldn't be a big worry.</p>
<p>My school is extremely small, about 180 kids and offers very few opportunities for extracurriculars. There are only sports teams, Model UN which I tried out for and didnt make, and chess club, which I'm not interested in. I can easily find opportunities for volunteering. </p>
<p>You're totally right though, I do shy away from schools that focus on ECs. I only wrote up Tufts because someone suggested it to me. I looked up every school on PR's site for SAT avgs and their focuses on different aspects of the college app.</p>
<p>Onemom, I see people with literally pages of ECs on this site, and they arent even applying to schools like HYPS but lower ivies or other great public/private schools. Are most ECs BS? I figure my ECs are a little more valuable because they are more focused on one aspect, academics, and are not totally random.</p>
<p>You should also consider applying to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
They are generous with both Merit and Need Based aid.
And if you are the Rensselaer Medal Winner at your High School and are admitted, there's a guaranteed $15,000 per year scholarship.
Link to Medal Program <a href="http://66.40.170.198/medalist/%5B/url%5D">http://66.40.170.198/medalist/</a></p>
<p>Check out their Web site and see if they have programs that interest you.
<a href="http://www.rpi.edu/academics/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.rpi.edu/academics/index.html</a></p>
<p>ashernm:</p>
<p>Michigan: Match
UCLA: Match
UCB: Match
UCSD: Safe Match
Georgia Tech: Safe Match
Cornell: Slight Reach
Tufts: Match
Carnegie-Mellon: Match</p>
<p>flopsy, would cornell be a match if I applied ED? Kinda curious, but just not that sure I want to go there, especially because it is costly. I have enough money to pay for it, its just an issue of whether I want to spend the money when I could save it by going elsewhere. Same for CMU and Tufts.
Richs, thanks for the link. Does that mean, no matter how small my school is, if my college counselor thinks I'm the best at math and science in my class/grade (I go to an all boys school but it has an allgirls counterpart, both under the same name), I am granted a 15k scholarship by RPI? I checked, and my school is on it, surprisingly enough, though I don't know that anyone from my school ever went to RPI.</p>
<p>With the medal, the total cost is like 25k. UCLA is 16-23k, depending on my accomodations. Berkeley is 20-22k, and UCSD is probably about the same amount. If I'm calculating this right, Michigan is about 35k for out of staters? </p>
<p>What other scholarships does RPI offer, and how does it compare to the other schools listed? I may be able to get similar scholarships from Michigan and other schools, but I'm not sure. </p>
<p>What is the feasibility of obtaining scholarships from these schools? I doubt I would get any scholarship at Cornell though, because it has a great student body. In short, where would I get the most bang for my buck? I am a little biased against UCLA, because I live a couple blocks away from it and want to get away.</p>
<p>Cornell doesn't offer any merit scholarships, like all the Ivies. Why no mention of UCB?</p>
<p>What do you mean? I included Berkeley in my selection.</p>
<p>If you know of any other relevant colleges at about the same level, please post.</p>
<p>Is Berkeley better than Michigan, or vice versa, or too close to matter? I've seen Berkeley lumped in with Caltech, MIT Stanford.</p>
<p>Forget about Tufts...they are too selective given the quality of their Engineering programs. Michigan is not quite as good as Cal, but it comes in the next wave of programs. Cal, CalTech, MIT and Stanford are the top 4. CMU, Cornell, Illinois and Michigan make up the next 4 top programs.</p>
<p>I tend to agree that most ECs are BS and that schools overemphasize them. No sense doing one just to be able to say that you did it. Given your school situation and great statistics, don't worry about the ECs.</p>
<p>alexandre that was exactly what I was thinking about Tufts, its just that a friend of the family, whos a US History teacher and is helping me select colleges, recommended it.
Thanks onemom, for allaying my fears. It seems like colleges overemphasize ECs when they sometimes really care more about academics and test scores. ECs are somehow more valiant and admirable. Unsurprisingly, the college most associated with genius, gives the least consideration to ECs and the most to test scores and grades, Caltech.</p>
<p>ashernm:</p>
<p>Other Scholarships at RPI <a href="http://66.40.170.198/aid/grants.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://66.40.170.198/aid/grants.cfm</a>
(The Medalist from our HS last year was offered the RPI Leadership Scholarship in additon to the Medalist Scholarship which added about $5000 per year. Bringing the total package to $20,000 per year.) </p>
<p>If they have programs that interest you, it's worth applying to see what they offer. I think they would consider you a very attractive candidate, your stats would place you in the top 25% or better of their class.</p>
<p>I just don't think it is worth applying to a school that accepts 25% of its applicants with a mean SAT score hovering near 1400 when the school of Engineering is considered average. </p>
<p>It makes more sence to apply to schools like CMU, Cornell or Michigan.</p>
<p>Alexandre, do I have decent chances of getting scholarship from Michigan?
RPI is good, but it doesnt really compare to the other opportunities before me, even with the scholarship, because UCLA/UCSD/UCB are better schools and are the same price without scholarships.</p>
<p>Yes, you certainly stand a good chance of getting scholarship money from Michigan. But I urge you to apply in September. Do NOT make the mistake many have done and apply in October. It doesn't work with Michigan. Get the application as soon as you can, fill it out and return it by late September at the latest.</p>