Trying to identify a few more target schools for my senior. They have a 4.0 unweighted GPA, 1520 SAT, heavy load of science and math with 5s on related APs.
Looking for:
Strong engineering program - leaning towards Chemical Engineering
But wouldn’t mind a balanced school so not all tech.
Be aware that Washington engineering requires applying to the engineering division for frosh admission, and there is a secondary admission process (with resume, essays, and college courses/grades) after entering as an undeclared engineering student.
Is the “no red states” more of a concern about the social environment near the college, or about the state laws, or both?
If it is about the state laws, pay attention to what the state level looks like, which may be different from voting for presidential electors or US senators.
So Northwestern is too small for you. With grad students it’s not but alone as an undergrad it is… Same with MIT and Cal Tech is just flat out too small.
So your top cheme schools will include Delaware as @DadOfJerseyGirl stated - think of all the chemical companies there.
UMN, Wisconsin are two others in blue areas.
CU Boulder may be a safety but is strong.
If you want to save $$, then your entire reach list should come off. If you’re just going to work, you’ll do as well as others. Same with your targets.
UW is not a safety.
But CU, Delaware, UMN, and Wisconsin would be as strong for ChemE as your entire list (in my opinion) with significant cost savings too.
The UCs are test blind so his application will be evaluated based on these 13 criteria. The UC application is one application for all schools. Once you complete the application, you pay $70 for each school that you send it to. If he is applying to Berkeley, UCLA, UCD and UCI, I would add UCSB. They have an excellent chemical engineering department that is ranked top 10 by USNWR.
Then UT should come off - but if you have UT, then add Rice which is a tad small (but larger than Cal Tech) and Rice is also a reach (as is UT) but would be potentially merit vs. a Stanford or Cal Tech (just too small) which are unlikely, don’t fit (Cal Tech doesn’t) and have no merit.
Engineering is very competitive - there were kids getting turned down at UF and UMD with your stats last year - not to say it will happen to you. There are more criteria than GPA/SAT and we don’t know what you have but.
In the same vein as Austin, you might look at Arizona - with merit you’d be $10K or so for tuition ($32K merit in 23 for a 4.0- and like UT, Tucson is a blue bubble in a reddish state. Total safety, solid school.
Agree that UMN and Wisconsin should both be considered. Both are on the large side of what your student wants, but both schools feel smaller because the engineering departments are welcoming. And both are strong schools in the humanities, too. Very different cities: Minneapolis has excellent theater, food, museums, music. Madison has a great college town vibe. Direct flights to Mpls are frequent and inexpensive. Direct flights to Madison exist, but are expensive.
Not to pile on, but I just wanted to point out that the undergraduate enrollment at Caltech (one word, don’t capitalize the T, please ) is around 900. Graduate students add another 1000 or so to the enrollment. It is very much not a medium-sized school. And therefore Pasadena is really not a college town either - Caltech takes up a couple of blocks, and it’s pretty easy to drive past and not even realize you did.
I thought Purdue as @momofboiler1 daughter is there but it was oversized vs the desire stated. The campus isn’t though and what’s the difference of 35k or 45k kids.
I won’t send my kid to an abortion ban state. What you are saying (schools themselves are liberal) may have been a factor before, but not any more for us.
I totally understand. OP noted in message one - UT - Texas not good but a nice blue dot. Only reason I made the comment.
Houston/Rice also a blue dot…just like Tucson.
But I don’t disagree with you - if the state laws are what’s most concerning and that’s an individual call - then you are 100% right - and OP should remove both from the list.
I was just going based on what OP stated.
Edit: Looking back I misread your message - I thought you were saying the student bodies were conservative. You were noting the state. My bad.
) is around 900. Graduate students add another 1000 or so to the enrollment. It is very much not a medium-sized school. And therefore Pasadena is really not a college town either - Caltech takes up a couple of blocks, and it’s pretty easy to drive past and not even realize you did.