Overwhelmed,new at this mom needs chemical engineer school suggestions w/good fin aid and/or merit

College Search & Selection
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Can you please list school that you have run across that might be apprpriate for my son? I need some places to start to investigate to get a feel is what I’m looking for. Thanks!!!

I hope this is in the right spot.

I have looked through the merit threads and fin aid threads and there are sooo many schools listed, I feel overwhelmed.
DS is a junior and def wants chemical engineering woudl liike to minor in materials engineering or math.

Our agi is about 45,000 with a family of 5. I have medical issues that leave my husband sole supporter.

DS is an IB student and is aiming for HL in English, Math, Chemisty, Physics and would like to trasfer credit so can work on minors. He has one of the toughest class schedules available. Meets class requirements for every school that i’ve looked at.

Has 4 unweighted GPA 4.4 weighted GPA. Math, science and foreign languages are a breeze for him. Top 10% of super good school.

PSAT was 211 with a score of 154 m/r could have had perfect on math but mismarked two easy questions. Lesson learned.

His predicted ACT is 33. Will take ACT and SAT this spring.

ECs are regular run of the mill, he is engaged but nothing outstanding.

No hooks.

A school that is affordable and that will challenge him are very important. We need a school that will be less than $10,000/yr oop including loans.

He feels that he can make the best out of any 4 year college experience in Chemical Engineering. Big or small he does not care. Would prefer rural.suburban but urban ok. Does not want conservative/religous school. Any location ok. Would prefer honors classes, lab work, summer internships. Really this bright kid just needs a chance to be challenged. Travel for visits to schools may be a money issue.

Our two local schools that have chemical engineering may not be an option. One does not meet financial need and the other that could be affordable just told him that his major is in such high demand that even with his stats he might not get in.

Any help is much appreciated.

2

State of residency?

http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ lists possible safety candidates. Examples if he actually does get a 33 ACT and SAT scores similar to his PSAT score:

Tuskegee
Howard
Louisiana Tech
Florida A&M (if Florida resident)

These may be affordable if he gets sufficient Pell grant money in addition to the automatic scholarship:

Alabama
Florida A&M (out of state)
Temple

Of course, there are competitive big scholarships listed in the threads like from http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html . These are not safeties, but could give additional schools for the application list as matches or reaches.

Depending on your state of residency, 211 PSAT may or may not make National Merit Semifinalist. http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/ lists scholarships based on National Merit status.

He also has the stats to apply to some highly selective schools that typically give good financial aid (however, the most selective of them may need an outstanding extracurricular achievement as well as top-end academic stats). Use the net price calculator on each school’s web site to get an estimate of need-based financial aid. Of course, they are not safeties, but can be added to the application list as matches or reaches.

Use http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramSearch.aspx/AccreditationSearch.aspx to check for chemical engineering majors at the various schools under consideration.

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Alabama is not a conservative school… It is a moderate school because it is a flagship and about half of the students are from OOS.

If he gets a 33 ACT and has at least a 3.5 gpa, then…

In merit, he’s get free tuition plus 2500 per year.

For need, it sounds like he’d also get a good sized Pell Grant. He’s also likely get work study and a student loan.

what state are you in? If he makes NMF, then Alabama would give him a lot more.

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U Delaware has some scholarships and a top notch Chem E program. I don’t know how your S’s stacks stack up for the merit aid.

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@rockhoundmom - As has been mentioned already, your son could get into some VERY good elite schools with those stats…not guaranteed of course, but he’s a strong candidate. See this list of the colleges that provide “full financial need” - http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2014/09/15/colleges-and-universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need

Investigate the schools on that list to see if they provide the chemical engineering degree he wants. Do NOT be put off because cost will be $60,000+ per year at many of them. If your family income is moderate, you will get a LOT of financial aid at most of those colleges. Make less than about $65,000 a year and he will go for FREE or close to it at most of them…that’s room and board, tuition, books, travel, personal expenses). Trick is getting accepted.

I would offer this to you too – he COULD decide to get an undergrad in Chemistry (opens up a lot more school possibilities) and then plan to work his butt off in college so that he will be accepted to a graduate program in Chemical Engineering.

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University of MN - Twin Cities is top notch for ChemE. OOS tuition is low, but not as low as you need. Not sure what scholarships might be available, though.

University of Michigan has recently improved need based aid for OOS students, it would be worth running the net price calculator on the school website.

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This is not a particularly attractive option, though. While PhD programs are typically funded, MS programs may not be, and therefore unaffordable (of course, then there is also getting admitted to a graduate degree program). And bachelor’s degree level job prospects tend to be worse for chemistry than chemical engineering (which implies that it is probably difficult to get a chemical engineering job with a chemistry bachelor’s degree), so the option of working as a (not very well paid) chemistry lab technician for several years to save money to pay for an MS program in chemical engineering is not a particularly good one.

Since the student has the stats for both large merit scholarship schools (including safeties as well as matches and reaches) and highly selective good financial aid schools (non-safeties) which offer chemical engineering, it does not really make sense to abandon a major of strong interest before even entering college.

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it’s become insanely hard to get into it…But Georgia Tech and UMinn are good choices – http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-chemical

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A school that is affordable and that will challenge him are very important. We need a school that will be less than $10,000/yr oop including loans.


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This will be the most difficult part if applying to OOS publics. Schools like GT would not likely be affordable even if he got in. His aid pkg will already INCLUDE loans, so his parent is saying that they can only contribute about $4k per year.

This kid doesn’t just need some aid/merit…he needs HUGE aid and merit. This student needs to get grants and/or merit that is MUCH larger than free tuition. He needs for his grants/merit to cover all but about $10k per year.

UDel and GT will not likely be those sources. Don’t know how big merit would be at UMinn, but likely not full tuition…and this student needs MORE than free tuition.

He needs to find schools that meed need and some schools that will give him HUGE merit. .

All good schools with ABET accredited eng’g programs will challenge him. There are no easy eng’g programs that are accredited. They’re all very hard.

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Both do have full ride merit scholarships, but they are highly competitive, so they should be put in the “reach” category for a student who needs a full ride to be able to attend.

If the student gets a significant Pell grant, a full tuition merit scholarship may be sufficient if adding the Pell grant brings the net price down to under $10,000. This is not the case for need-based aid, since the assumption is that the Pell grant is included in the total of need-based grants (i.e. when looking at net price calculator results, a net price after grants under $10,000 is needed).

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Asking again where you all live. The in state flagship is often the best bet for engineering. Would he be a merit candidate there? I know you said ChemE was competitive in one of the schools, but it would be a starting place. Are there any other local schools? Does your state have a tuition agreement with any neighboring states?

Alabama has been mentioned. Very generous to high stats kids. Big enough for him to find his social niche.

New Mexico State and UT Dallas are generous to NMF if your son qualifies.

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“the other that could be affordable just told him that his major is in such high demand that even with his stats he might not get in.”

Way to try to convince someone not to apply. Engineering will be difficult no matter what. It’s a really growing field and it seems like everyone and their brother is getting into it. I just hope the field won’t get saturated…I hope your son has a backup plan just in case.

Nevertheless, give the affordable school a shot and apply. The worst that will happen is that they’ll say no. I think with that PSAT score your son might qualify for NMF. That could be a BIG scholarship opportunity in the future. Make sure he gets those scores up. Projected 1540 out of 1600 is great; see how he does on the ACT too.

Problem with most of the really good ChemE schools (UDel, Minnesota, UT Austin, Georgia Tech etc.) is that they have OOS tuition. 9 chances out of 10, you’re out of state and the private schools start at 40K and up. Your son might get some good financial aid/scholarships due to your situation and his stats, but it’s too early to tell.

13

Have you tried some of the search tools?

For example, http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/

In the “My Scores” section, check; " I’m interested in schools where I would be well above average, to increase my financial aid opportunities"
This will help you find merit opportunities.

14

If the AGI is 45000, it would be a good idea to explore questbridge.

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Temple University has an automatic full tuition scholarship for students with a GPA 3.8 and SAT of 1420 on Math and Critical Reading (or 32 on ACT), with two $4,000 stipends for summer activities and automatic entry into the Honors Program):

http://admissions.temple.edu/sites/admissions/files/uploads/010-1415_Scholarship-Info_FINAL-ADA_508%20%281%29.pdf

Edit: Just noticed that ucbalumnus previously mentioned Temple.

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With a predicted ACT of 33, then schools like UDel and GT would not likely be sources of huge merit.

However, if he were to get an ACT 35-36, then maybe…but still those awards are highly competitive.

I’m still shaking my head at GT’s refusal to give any merit to a Kansas female eng’g student that I know that was Val of her class, NMF, 4.0 uw, ACT 35. You’d think geographically she’d be desirable as well as being a girl.


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If the AGI is 45000, it would be a good idea to explore questbridge.

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Good suggestion.

But still the student needs to identify “for sure” safeties that will provide MONEY and will accept him.

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University of Alabama. I am currently and undergraduate chemical engineering student there, dual majoring in chemistry, and minoring in german. (I looked at minoring in math and it is only two extra classes (6 credit hours) from what is needed to major as a chem e) I am out of state and I had a 4.0 GPA, 2150 SAT and 31 ACT. I was able to bring in 44 credit hours because of AP classes (physics, chem, govt, us history, enviro science, bc calc, bio). I had no outstanding extracurriculars. I have a full tuition scholarship and the College of Engineering gives me $2500 each year which helps with housing and books. I have had so many opportunities here. Currently, I am working in a chemistry research lab as a freshman undergraduate. I am enrolled in a STEM MBA program where I get my MBA in 5 years with only 1.5 extra credit hours each semester. I am in the honors college and involved in the AIChE(American Institute of Chemical Engineers) on campus. I love this school so much.

Honors classes are great. I took my credit for BC calc and went straight into Honors Calc 3. The class was about 30-40 people and the professor was easily understood and knew what he was doing. Extra credit was given a lot. I had no problems understanding what was going on, though it took awhile to get adjusted to how much time outside of class I had to spend studying. I also took EN 103 which is an english class for honors students only and if you have the prerequisite ACT/SAT score, you can take it and get credit for both EN 101 and 102 which are required for the completion of the ChE degree. (If your son took or is taking AP english, I believe as long as he gets a high enough score on it, it will give credit for EN 101 and 102.) The honors college requires 6 credit hours of UH designated coursework. Those classes are very easy A’s. Another requirement of the honors college is 12 hours of honors courses. So the honors calc 3 I took counts towards that and the STEM MBA classes I have to take satisfy that requirement as well. From what I have experienced and compared with my peers who did not take the honors section or did and I did not, honors courses are much easier than regular courses. I account this to the smaller class size.

They recently came out with a new scholarship searching tool which I was planning on using for the required summer lab (required for a chemical engineering degree at any school).

Bama has the out of state scholarship requirements here: http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out-of-state.html. In state is pretty similar, the value is just less numerically. Remember these scholarships are automatic, as is the College of Engineering one. Engineering scholarship: http://eng.ua.edu/undergraduate/scholarships/ There is also a National Merit Scholarship:http://scholarships.ua.edu/nationalscholars/

Housing is not too bad. I live in the honors dorms, which are suite style. I have my own bedroom and share a bathroom with one other person. There is a large common area already furnished (as is the bedroom) and a kitchen with a microwave, sink, fridge, and lots of cabinet space. Down the hall is a community stove top and oven. Maintenance is good at fixing things in a timely manner. I believe the dorm I live in is a little over $7000 for fall and spring semesters. The University makes all freshman live on campus and have the unlimited meal plan: http://fawp.ua.edu/bamadining/meals-plans/ Apartments for successive years are plentiful and you can usually get pretty good deals if you sign a contract in October or November for the following fall. There are off campus housing fairs at the student center(the Ferg) once a month and there are alot of options, some even go for about $300 a mo if you have roommates. This year, I believe the total cost for me, not including travel for breaks, was just over $10,000. Next year, it will be less because I will be living off-campus, approximately $9000, including gas, but not money for books because I assume the College of Engineering Scholarship will cover that and an average meal plan.

(I was reading through the other posts and thought I should say this as well:) I am from VA and was considering UVA and VT. UVA deferred me when I applied early and then outright rejected me later. VT accepted me but would not give me a spot in their College of Engineering, nor offered me any aid at all. Bama however, offered me full tuition plus some, a spot in the STEM program, a spot in the dorms with air conditioning and my own room, and I was able to dive straight in to chemical engineering whereas UVA and VT would have me apply to the specific engineering program (with no guarantee I would get in) after I had completed a year of general classes. At Bama, I am also able to get into classes easily and am able to speak with my professors on a one on one basis during their office hours or after class. I am also able to participate in a Graduate research lab as an undergrad, and a freshman at that. UVA and VT could not even give me a spot in their engineering program, getting into a lab would never have happened. Bama also has newer equipment and lots of money to fund research in nice, clean labs (I was unimpressed with UVA and VT’s labs where the equipment was old and the labs were tiny). Rogers Library also provides science and engineering students with all the computer programs they might need to complete any homework or projects. A large sample of Macs and Windows are found in each library on campus (only the ones in Rogers have programs like AutoCad and MATLab). Shelby Quad has four buildings used by all the science and engineering students. They are really nice. Nearby is Rogers and Fresh Foods(The best on campus dining hall). From there, the Bio building, Gordon Palmer and Lloyd, where most math classes are held, are not a far walk. SMART boards are in every classroom and lecture hall. Professors reply to emails within two days (unless it is a weekend) and normally do a good job answering any questions and concerns. If not, their office hours are consistent (normally a two hour block once or twice a week). The ENGenuity Lab is easily accessible with normal hours every day where engineering students can find tutors that can help with specific classes. The center for academic success (CAS) is underutilized, but can be a great way to find a tutor for a variety of subjects, especially math and chemistry. CAS also has a resource where it can connect you with internships and co-ops. I haven’t used it yet, but it seems promising. Co-op fairs are quite common and when you co-op, there are specific instructions you can follow to put a hold on your scholarship while you co-op.

There is a lot more I could say about Bama but I have been really happy so far. I know that I would not have gotten any of the opportunities I have had anywhere else but here. Not three days after I submitted my application did I hear back that I was accepted, and with the automatic scholarships as well. I found my roommates on facebook within the next week. It was a great relief to know that I was able to go somewhere where I would not have to worry about money and since I have been here, I now know that this is the best place for me to get an education. There are so many resources available here, that it seems impossible to fail a class as long as you utilize them. Here, I know the University doesn’t consider me a number. I am a person and once you get through your gen eds, I have found that most professors care whether or not you learn the material and are very helpful and forthcoming.

I hope this helps, and if you have any questions about anything pertaining to Bama, research labs, or what chemical engineering is like, I would be more than happy to answer.

Roll Tide Roll

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Lots of good suggestions, but I suggest that you look at private schools that award financial aid. They aren’t all elite. For example University of Rochester typically awards good financial aid. I believe that Case Western, RPI and Lehigh do also. Even though they do not promise to meet full need, they often do.

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Iamfuniswear, I can not thank you enough for this post! I appreciate the time and effort that it took to type out. My DS was so bummed that his super safety school(financially) was not a safety at all and this post has him more excited to look at other schools.Really good info and Alabama has moved towards the top of his list. Thanks again!

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Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and info. It is very much appreciated!