Are Michigan, Purdue, UIUC off the list due to location? They are the ones that jump out to me, based on D17s engineering search.
Lehigh is Northeast and was also on her list. Virginia Tech is marginally Northeast and/or South - it was second on her final list.
if Pitt is on the list, I’d include Penn State.
If the OP’s student is concerned about racial conservatism or racism affecting her quality of life in some states, she may investigate that carefully in the Midwest, since the high level of residential racial segregation in the region suggests that there may be similar issues there, even though they may not be draped in Confederate battle flags and such. Pennsylvania may have similar issues, particularly in rural areas of that state.
Penn State, Purdue, I Tech are not on the list due to location.
I know, sometimes sacrifices need to be made to attends great school at a great price. But if she can get what she wants while getting what she needs, more power to her.
Not ready to sacrifice location yet, if the list as written is realistic in terms of cost and likelihood of admission. So far, and have not heard a ton of objections to my assessment of either.
The reaches seem to be just that, as do the other categorization.
Not to get off topic or stir things up, but I see more Confederate flags in some rural parts of the Midwest than I do here in GA!
ETA: After seeing OP’s request, I did not bring this up for political reasons. It simply surprised me as someone from the South not expecting to see that elsewhere. Apologies, OP, if my comment offended you.
Here’s the thing: the student is only kinda-sorta sure about engineering, which says to me that she needs to work on learning about the actual programs at each school- they vary more than it might seem. Programs with multi/cross disciplinary options hardwired in, and that allow for flexibility in specializing should be prioritized- and any program that doesn’t have what is sometimes called a “Freshman Entry” option (ie, you can come undeclared in terms of speciality) should be ruled out.
I would like to shut down politics before we get to far here.
My daughter has her preferences for her reasons. I don’t want to bash/degrade anyone or anything. We all have out own experience.
Collegemom3717
That is a very good point. My wife and I are newbies to the world of engineering so this point is one we are unaware of. If you know the status firsthand of the schools listed, it would be a great piece of information. If not, where I might ascertain would be appreciated.
@MrkInMerrick: Rigor is very important for the UC’s but it is also HS dependent. If the HS only offers AP classes Junior and Senior year then the Capped weighted and Fully weighted will be on the lower side which a GPA of 4.2 can be for schools like UCB and UCSB.
An applicant will be evaluated in the context of what is available at their HS.
UCB 2020 Freshman profile:
| Unweighted UC GPA | 3.86-4.00 |
|---|---|
| Fully Weighted UC GPA | 4.27-4.62 |
UCSD Freshman profile: https://ir.ucsd.edu/undergrad/publications/6-25INORDER.pdf
Capped weighted GPA of middle 25%-75% students
High School GPA 4.07 - 4.29
Engineering applicants need to be above average for the best chances.
But also programs where engineering undeclared students must meet a high GPA or go through another competitive admission process to get into specific majors need to be evaluated with that under consideration.
Michigan, Purdue, UIUC are not “warm weather or northeast”. No idea how this turned into a discussion of “racial conservatism or racism”.
I don’t think I would agree at all with this as an unqualified declarative. It depends completely on the student. My son for example heavily prioritized programs that did not have freshman entry programs. He wanted ME from day 1. One is not necessarily better than the other. It depends on how much the student knows about what they want.
For the Northeast: consider adding UMass in Amherst (main campus).
Drop: University of Denver (if you want a school in Colorado, consider the University of Colorado in Boulder instead); University of South Carolina; either SUNY New Paltz or SUNY Binghamton (keep one for a safety).
Has your daughter visited any of these schools? That might help in modifying your list.
Exactly! The comment was made for this student - who isn’t even 100% sure of engineering as a field.
Collegemom3717
While I appreciate the fact that selecting schools is far easier when kids know exactly what they want to study, we do not all have that luxury. Some of our kids are just kids, without parents who can give a ton of direction on matters we are unfamiliar with.
I have the kid I do, and she is smart and has a decent idea of what she would like to major in. The fact that she is yet to be perfectly specific at 16 years old should not disqualify her from the field of engineering.
How exciting!!! I think your daughter will do well with her admissions. I don’t know very much about many of the schools on her list but I’ll comment on the ones I know about based on what you have described her priorities to be.
Cal -KEEP. You mentioned that she would like easy transportation to an airport. Nothing can beat lugging your duffel bag on foot from the campus to BART which will deposit you at OAK or SFO. Walking distance to a good train system is a big plus in my book. Great engineering department too within a larger university in case she changes her mind (happens more than you would think). I would not pay out of state tuition for Cal but you mentioned upthread that you are willing to consider it. I would not apply to any other of the UCs you mention. I think you will have better choices on your list (in terms of cost/quality when the time comes).
SDSU -KEEP. Good cost/quality and makes for happy students. Lots of stressed out SF Bay Area kids that I know choose it to get away from the sometimes overly competitive high school mentality in our area. I can’t say the same about UCSD but take this with a grain of salt, as my sample size is under 10 for both cases.
I too would recommend not having as many safeties. My daughter did the same last year and it only added extraneous noise when it came time for a decision. And I will not add any other schools to any of your categories as I think your list is well constructed.
I wish you daughter all the best and think she will do well.
@MrkInMerrick, I am sorry I gave you the wrong idea- I am completely onside with you!
Of course a 16 shouldn’t be expected to know what she wants to major in. It’s just that the hard part about engineering is that most places make students choose before they start. That’s why I was advocating short listing schools that are specifically flexible for students who aren’t sure about their path. Over this year and summer she can research the different programs to learn more about what it means to do engineering at college A v college B (vs all the usual metrics of location, selectivity, size, etc). She can also check out colleges (such as Bucknell and Smith) where engineering is not a separate school. The process really does help a lot of students to develop and focus their thinking.
I don’t think @collegemom3717 was suggesting that, but rather that for an equivocal student, starting in engineering, but not in major, might be better. Our son knew he wanted to be an engineer at 16, but not what type. By the time he applied, with the help of others, he figured that ME was the best fit. Your daughter might know by then. If she doesn’t, seek out schools like Purdue that don’t start in major, but aren’t hyper competitive to get into the major of choice. If she’s unsure completely about engineering, it’s still best to start in engineering. It’s far easier to change out of engineering than it is to switch in. Good luck!
However, one thing to be careful of is that a student who may want to choose an engineering major needs to start from the first semester following the schedule template for engineering majors, because it can be difficult to catch up if the student has not been doing so and decides on an engineering major later.
Advanced placement in some subjects like math can reduce the schedule pressure, although an entering student should consider trying the old final exams of courses that may be skipped to verify knowledge of the subject by the college’s standards.
What about Rice? Houston is a very diverse city and they have a handful of merit scholarships.
We are a Latino family and I am not going to lie and say it hasn’t been an adjustment for my son and most of his friends at schools with low diversity, but they find their people.
For in-state safety, SUNY Bing is what I’d recommend . Is there a reason for including SUNY New Paltz ? In Ny , for Engineering, SBU, UB and Bing are well regarded. They are also strong in other areas if she changes her mind.