(Midwest) Possible Colleges to Look Into (Currently Sophomore in HS)

College Search & Selection
1

Hello all - I am looking to begin my college hunt a tad early, as I would rather start earlier than late.
I am listing a general runthrough of what I EXPECT to get in high school, and for colleges, what I want.

High School :
Clubs/EC
Marching Band 2 Years (Quit after 2 to be involved with church and volunteering)
Robotics 4 Years (No “leader”, just a member who contributed and enjoyed.

Volunteer - Around 200 hours total. Involves church volunteering, a counselor at a christian camp, local fun fairs, bottle drives, etc.

Number of total AP/IB classes - 7 total (AP CompSci, AP Psychology, 2 year IB World, AP Calc AB, AP Physics, IB Math Studies SL)

Predicted unweighted GPA - 3.75-3.85
Predicted ACT - 28-30
Predicted SAT - With the major reform, I’m not sure how that calculates, but somewhere in the consistent range of a student who usually gets a 28-30 ACT.
Note - Third best public high school in Michigan.

College:
Here’s a general rundown of what I’m looking for.
Academically fitting for someone who is serious about academics, doesn’t fool around, but is not anywhere near a “Harvard kid”. Upper-average if that kinda makes sense.

Within the midwest… Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, could possibly stretch more, but would need to stick out in some other way…

Party level - I’m a Christian, and it would be cool to go to a Christian college. However, due to the true fact that it limits many possibilities, I am open to any kind of school, small or big, however, I would HATE a school that parties nonstop (Penn State and Miami Oxford).

Strong in Chemical Engineering/Computer Science (my two most likely majors)

Size - Open to anything, but as long as it is fitting to to those main 4 requirements_

I know this is an ideal search, and of course finding a school that fits every desired attribute is hard - I’m in the “research and look into mode”. Anything that comes to mind would help. All help would be appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

2

Are you female? I’d suggest Bryn Mawr. Case Western otherwise.

3

Grab a copy of the Fiske guide, it has excellent information on many schools. Another good place for you to start is the “Colleges That Change Lives” Website. See if you can attend one of their summer events where you will have the opportunity to meet reps from many interesting colleges that seem to fit what you are looking for. Chemical engineering is more likely to be found at larger schools but the great thing about a CTCL fair is that 20+ schools are in one place and you get a feel for a variety of schools that are a great math for your academic stats.

4

Seconding Bryn Mawr & Case Western.

-Beloit College
-Carleton College
-Denison University
-Earlham College
-Illinois Institute of Technology
-Knox College
-Ohio Wesleyan University
-Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
-St. Olaf College

5

If Chemical Engineering is a serious option, then I’d skip the LACs (Beloit, Carleton, St. Olaf, etc…) on newjerseygirl98s list. You can do a 3+2 program, but that isn’t usually the best choice.

More importantly, what can you afford? Is cost going to be an important part of the decision equation? And where is ‘in-state’ for you? That usually your first line of inquiry.

6

Carleton is not going to be possible with those stats.

Rose Hulman is an excellent suggestion for those two areas of study.
St. Olaf if CS instead of CE.

I would add SD School of Mines, best tuition value in higher education.

Good luck!

7

Would you consider some of the Jesuit colleges? Maybe Marquette, Xavier, Loyola-Chicago?
http://www.ajcunet.edu/institutions/

8

Are you from Michigan? UMich def if you want engineering, or even Purdue.

9

Iowa State and U of MN both have highly rated ChemE Departments.

10

You haven’t said it, but you are apparently not wild about the obvious in-state options for those majors: MSU, UMich, Michigan Tech, etc. Is that right? You also haven’t mentioned any financial constraints, but if you’re like just about everybody else I know in Michigan (I live there too), you aren’t interested in paying much more than you have to, even if you can.

The good news is that with a little shopping around, you can find options cheaper than your in-state options, which aren’t non-stop partying, and where religion isn’t a punchline.

First, check out the Midwest Student Exchange Program: http://msep.mhec.org/

Also, check out some of the state universities in South Dakota and Minnesota…S.Dakota State, South Dakota School of Mines, Minnesota State. Their out-of-state tuition isn’t much higher than in-state tuition in Mich. I would imagine the partying level and religious tolerance at these places might be more to your liking than Mich. State and U of Mich.

Other places to check out where an ACT of 29-30 will get you some serious scholarship money (making them cheaper or in the vicinity of your in-state options), which have decent engineering and computer science, and which have plenty of religious groups on campus include Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, U of Kentucky, and U of Nebraska at Lincoln.

11

You might also check into the University of Toledo. They are less expensive than the flagship schools, you may qualify for for OOS scholarships and their engineering program is a definite strength of theirs. They have a required coop program which can further help offset the cost of an education. The University of Akron also has a very strong Chem E program due to the university’s association with the tire and polymer industry.

12

“Note - Third best public high school in Michigan.”

Ask your guidance counselor where students like you have ended up for college in the past few years. Ask if any of them were offered significant financial aid.

And get your parents to run the Net Price Calculators at the websites of all the places that are already on your list. You and your parents need to know whether any of them look like they can be made affordable.

13

I’m pretty sure Michigan residents get the in-state tuition at Toledo, too.

14

^I know Monroe County MI does I don’t think the rest of MI does.

15

I checked, and you’re right, but with as little as a 3.5 gPa and a 25 ACT u get $6000,

16

St Olaf is a dry campus, at least on paper. It either has no or minimal Greek life, can’t remember which. Lutheran-affiliated.

Earlham is Quaker.

Both integrate Christian traditions into student life but no student is required to partake. So you will find a diversity of faiths but everybody is likely to be respectful of Christianity and Christian life choices.

However, if you’re set on engineering, I agree with earlier posters that you should look beyond the LACs.

You might also want to do research about how active Christian ministry groups are on the campuses you are investigating.

17

St. Olaf may be dry on paper, but believe me… they are not dry in practice.

18

In terms of computer science, you might consider what style of education works for you. Larger/Engineering schools will likely allow you to go deeper in technical subjects, while smaller liberal arts schools are more likely to offer more conceptual courses but have interdisciplinary opportunities and hands on problem solving opportunities. I went to a LAC for undergrad computer science and it has served me well. The ability to write/communicate is helpful and technology has changed dramatically since I graduated ('80s) while the concepts really have not.

In terms of religion, you might also consider what will work for you. Some find that a very rigid religious atmosphere for college is too brittle and forces a break from their religion and something like Quakerism (no creed) actually helps them retain and explore their religion. Others find that an atmosphere where they are expected to question and explore their beliefs is uncomfortable.

It is important to visit and consider what you see. Also realize that you will change dramatically in the next couple of years, so don’t rule things out because they don’t appeal right now, just soak in the information so that it can be considered your senior year. Also, you will change dramatically during college, so consider being somewhere that will allow that (change of academic interests, change of world view, religious growth…)