<p>So I have a list of colleges I'm interested into applying to but I can't cut it down. I am definitely going to major in engineering. Most probably some where between mechanical, electrical, and bio engineering. I need to cut down the list to max 10-11 colleges. </p>
<p>Here's the list
1) Cornell University
2) MIT
3) Carnegie Mellon
4) Berkeley
5) Northwestern
6) Johns Hopkins
7) Rice University
8) Princeton University
9) Cal tech
10) University of Michigan
11) Stanford
12) Dartmouth
13) Safety # 1 (Most probably Stony brook)
14) Safety # 2 (not sure yet)</p>
<p>So which 3-4 colleges do you guys think I should take out? I can't take out the safety colleges (I need 2 of those to be sure). Also, I'm definitely not taking out Cornell because I'm interested in their engineering co op program. Most probably I will take out Berkeley because I live in NY and I haven't heard many good things about it. For example, I'm looking forward to doing undergraduate research in college and I've heard Berkeley is losing a lot of money so its hard to do good research there. </p>
<p>I would cut Berkeley, beyond your listed reasons, tuition for out of state is pretty steep. Being an out of stater at UMich will lead to the same situation also, and it seems most of the schools on your list are small so if thats an atmosphere you’re shooting towards both Berkeley and UMich do not have that.
Personal bias would lead me to say cut Hopkins too. When I visited that campus it was the worst. Got a very bad vibe, people seemed miserable. And that idea fit well with the perception I seem to receive everywhere about Hopkins-- its cut throat. I guess if you’re into an ultra competitive environment (especially for biomed engineering)…
So I’d say Berkeley, UMich, and Hopkins :)</p>
<p>I don’t really want to post my stats. But, most of those schools there are matches/low reaches except…princeton, stanford, mit, and cal tech are reaches. Basically, I want to cut it down based on academics, undergraduate research, social life, etc. I feel like I’m the opposite of those tall elite guys that go to ivy league schools so I think I won’t fit in Princeton and might take that out also. I put Princeton because they have a good engineering program and if I get accepted I would get good financial aid. In terms of Dartmouth, my friend said they have an underrated engineering program so I put that on my list.</p>
<p>Alright sounds good on Berkeley and Hopkins. Did you ever get to visit Carnegie Mellon and what was the atmosphere their like?
Also, I put U Mich because its a low match (according to guidance counselor) and they have a good engineering program. If I take out U Mich I would need to replace it with another low match good for engineering.
And I agree with you, I’m looking for a medium sized school to go to…Cornell is a little on the big side but I visited Cornell and like it.</p>
<p>Have you checked the admission stats for Cal Tech? The whole school is only 900 students so I would think you would have to be a supersonic student to get in.</p>
<p>Since you are from NY have you considered RPI?</p>
<p>Frankly I can’t see how people who don’t know you can provide you with the advice that you seek. Work with your high school counselor or someone who has knowledge of your skills and chances at the universities that you’ve listed for suggestions on parring down the list.</p>
<p>But the above comment is not the main reason for my post.</p>
<p>Your “worry” about UC Berkeley funding and the future of ongoing research engineering programs is at best overstated and misunderstood. UC research funding comes primarily from industry and US government grants. California’s budget woes do not affect such funding. There is very little the State provides now or has provided before. For every university on your list the general economy, industry budgets, government agency budgets have the dominant impact on research funding.</p>
<p>I like the list, except if you’re a senior, you should have already applied to Michigan. Now you’ve missed the priority deadline. </p>
<p>I’d take out Berkeley and Dartmouth definitely. Dartmouth doesn’t belong in that group. If you really want engineering, go to a school with a strong engineering culture. That leaves 12. If you’ve taken out Hopkins, you’re at 11. </p>
<p>Now for safeties. </p>
<p>If you actually like Stony Brook, keep it. </p>
<p>Some other possibilities:
Georgia Tech
Purdue
Toronto
Northeastern (Good EE)
Boston University (known for biomedical, just so so in EE)
Case Western
Wisconsin</p>
<p>If you’re full pay, I’d leave Michigan. They are not in so dire straits financially.</p>
<p>The thing is, I don’t really like Stony Brook but I can’t find any other college that’s a financial and academic safety and has a decent engineering program.</p>
<p>i would say your list as too many reaches, they aree reaches for everyone so you need to find some matches. how much are you going to be able to pay at these expensive privates and oos publics?</p>
<p>@ivader71…don’t really know any matches because at some point you can only split it up into reaches and safeties. For payment, probably going to take a loan unless I get financial aid.</p>
<p>OP,
add RPI, and USC and take out Cal Tech, which is really small and one of the most intense, hard colleges in the US. Delete UCB and Dartmouth as well.
Are you a NMSF? If so you would receive an automatic 1/2 tuition scholarship at USC if accepted. If your stats/ grades are tip-top then apply to USC before Dec 1 and you’ll be considered for one of there 150 full tuition scholarships. USC has a very highly ranked Engineering program -# 11-[ ahead of Princeton, and Northwestern], and very generous FA program and is on a roll. It might be the perfect match for you, if you dont get into one of the most selective colleges on your list.</p>
<p>@menloparkmom, can you write the whole college name lol I don’t know any of the acronyms.</p>
<p>Okay, I understand deleting Dartmouth, but why Berkeley (considering the fact that someone disproved my original belief).
Also, I’m not a national merit finalist.
About RPI, I know this is an extremely stupid reason, but the 7:3 male to female ratio just ticks me off. </p>
<p>stony is actually okay for a safety, considering the fact that they have a good undergraduate research program, its cheap, etc. the only thing I don’t like about it is that its a commuter school but I realized if I went to Stony I would end up going home on the weekends as well. Also for Stony, they have on site admissions (after the interview at my school they tell me whether or not I’m accepted). <= sorry for completely contradicting my original post about not liking Stony.</p>
<p>I don’t know how much the schools interact chickenlatte, but there is a women’s college in Troy called Sage that has about 900 women. I imagine a motivated young man might be able to find a way to associate with them in what little spare time you will have and in case you hadn’t noticed, most all engineering programs have a 7:3 male to female ratio, even Cornell.</p>
<p>University of Southern California
where the male female is ratio 50/ 50</p>
<p>Delete UCB cause it will cost you $45-50 total to go each year -OOS Tuiton + cost of living in Calif 15-20 = 50.
The state of Calif is broke and there will be no FA for you as an OOS student.</p>
<p>I know that it will cost a lot, but so will all the other colleges I have on my list (except I have a decent change at getting financial aid from Cornell…if i get in).</p>
<p>You have decent chances of getting financial aid from ANY of the private schools on your list if you have any chance of getting decent financial aid from Cornell. Most of these private schools meet demonstrated need.</p>
<p>USC would be a good potential addition. If undergraduate research is important to you, I wouldn’t be so quick to cut Hopkins – something like 80% of the undergraduates at Hopkins do independent research, and a most of the comments I’ve read from students who are there say it’s not cutthroat at all. </p>
<p>This is a very tough list to trim – it’s hard to go wrong with any of these schools. But a lot of these have very different environments, and you might want to think about what type of college experience would be best for you. Do you want to live in a city? Near home? Small classes? Lots of school spirit? Many of these are relatively close to NY, and if you possibly can I’d recommend visiting them. </p>
<p>Without knowing more I’d keep Princeton, Stanford, MIT, and Cal Tech, the two safeties, and five of the other schools.</p>
<p>To tell you the truth, I don’t know why but I feel like I wouldn’t fit in Princeton…I’m a short brown kid and most of the guys there were like “preppy” types, if that makes sense. </p>
<p>I agree about not taking out Hopkins.
So, I’m definitely taking out Dartmouth. I still need to take out like 2 more schools…I guess possible Berkeley, Princeton, or U Mich. But if I take out U Mich I need another low match.</p>
<p>“But if I take out U Mich I need another low match.”<br>
USC is your low match. Trust me. Take out UCB cause you wont get enough aid. They are trying to attract full pay OOS students to help balance the budget in calif.</p>