My chances at top engineering schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I have no specific schools in mind - recommendations on schools or just overall chances to get into top tier engineering schools would be greatly appreciated.
GPA: 3.75 UW (Positive Trend), 4.5 Weighted
ACT: 35 (34 E, 34 M, 34 R, 36 S) in February 2013, took again at the October 2014 test date with Writing (today). Predicting a 35-36 (slight increase, not much room to do so).
Classes: AP Physics, AP Chem, AP Calc BC/IB HL II (Combined class at my school), AP World, AP Lit, IB French 4, Engineering Design and Development (Project Lead the Way's Senior Design Class)
AP Test Scores: 5-Bio, 5-Calc AB, 5-APUSH, 5-Lang (And then 6 tests this year: The five classes plus Human Geo)
Class size/rank: ~225 in the graduating class, rank not reported, semi-competitive public high school</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
1) Authored grant-winning proposal to send an experiment to the space station (launching on SpaceX CRS-7 in June 2015), managing a student team to design and build the experiment. Last spring-ongoing.
2) Junior Black Belt in Karate - 5 hrs/week minimum (up to 12-13 at times), been doing it for seven years. Assistant instructor for two years.
3) On competition team, qualified for and competed in the US Team Trials this past July. (Training and competition team listed separately on the app).
3) Work - Programming intern last summer and the summer before that at a software startup.
4) Work - Baseball senior umpire for the local little league, have done so for three seasons and plan on doing so in spring.
5) School 360 Program - Freshman orientation, peer tutoring.
6) Ultimate Frisbee - I helped start the school team Freshman year, but had to stop due to time limitations.</p>

<p>It's worth noting that I was a semi-finalist to appear on Teen Jeopardy! (Auditioned, top 245/16,000).
Additionally, apart from the space station project, I'm working on two research projects: one on ion thrusters, another on siRNA anti-viral drugs.</p>

<p>Recommendations were quite good (9/10 average), and I'm a pretty good essay writer (8-9/10). I'm also a white male in the ~200k income bracket so no help there.</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

2

<p>Are you a senior now? And I just have to ask…why did you retake the ACT…just curious…</p>

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<p>@Sdgal2‌ Senior now yes. I have a slightly too long short list that I’m trying to edit, but new additions are welcome.
Retook it because I never did the essay. I’m fine with my scores, but many schools require that darned writing portion.</p>

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<p>UIUC Match, UMichigan Match, UMadison Match, Purdue Safety…those I know personally. But again many with your same credentials apply and are rejected. I can’t say this often enough tie in your EA with your major, then add others that don’t relate. Admissions get tired of lists of EA that don’t stand out.</p>

5

<p>Of course with your stats apply to many reach schools since you can afford the application fee. Good luck!!</p>

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<p>Where is your home state? What is your intended major in engineering?</p>

<p>For UIUC, they don’t want any recommendation letter, so it does not matter how good/bad they are. The admission stat and chance would depends on your major although your ACT is likely at or above the 75th percentile. Nevertheless, your GPA is below admission average (3.9).</p>

<p>For UMich CoE, your GPA is again below admission average of 3.9 and they value GPA very much. Your ACT is slightly above the 75th percentile but the admission rate is at 20% last year. It would be a low reach for you due to your GPA and low admission rate if you are from OOS.</p>

<p>For Purdue, it should be a match to low match.</p>