<p>Trying to help a friend with her dss college search. His interests are so different from my own dss that I need some help from yall.</p>
<p>Stats:
PSAT -- 213, not enough in his state for NMSF
SAT -- 2090 but retaking and should get 2200+
SAT Subject Tests range from 590 in history to 760 in Math II
APs: 5s in English, BC Cal; 4 in history; 3 in physics. Currently taking MV cal and six APs
Current weighted GPA - 3.98 (Spanish kills him every time); As in math/physics.
Rank is poor at his highly competitive, top 50 school, probably second quartile.</p>
<p>Interesting, music-loving kid with a couple of really interesting ECs I dont want to post as they could be identifying. One involves intl travel; another involves car racing.</p>
<p>His ideal school would be on a coast in a large urban area with strong arts/live music community. Would like a LAC with a strong engineering program. Not interested in an engineering school per se but definitely wants to integrate engineering/math/physics into a liberal arts education. Also wants strong Spanish, Latin American/foreign relations. Wants to live abroad for a year and not likely a university program, but living in a rural community. Absolutely could see him doing Peace Corps.</p>
<p>Right now hes looking at Berkeley, Pomona, Columbia, Tufts, maybe Harvard, maybe UC-Santa Cruz. Definitely Swarthmore. In fact, Swarthmores approach to engineering is perfect for him, but its a reach. Anything like that at a less-competitive school?</p>
<p>YDS, I wondered why you were posting, since I knew your kid was already in college. How about Wesleyan? There’s also Oberlin. I don’t know about engineering, but they have great sciences. Trinity (Hartford) is also an excellent LAC that’s often just-off-the-radar.</p>
<p>Hi YDS! Nice of you to help your friend. Since your friend’s ds is looking for safeties/matches, maybe Boston U and Northeastern U? Both are in Boston - not LACs, but they seem to meet his other requirements. Other schools he might want to consider are Lafayette and Lehigh. Neither are in big cities, but they’re both within 90 minutes of NYC and Philadelphia. Wishing him good luck.</p>
<p>Maybe GW? They have one of the few engineering schools with a 50/50 male/female ratio according to their tour. American University has some sort of dual program in Engineering with the University of Maryland. Both schools have great international relations. I’d see AU as a safety with a very good possibility of merit money. GW slightly less safe, but still a good bet.</p>
<p>I have been reading wonderful things about Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. It has great math/sciences AND and very active music and fine arts dept.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon is at least as selective as the schools already on his list.</p>
<p>What state does this kid live in? Are there financial constraints? Does he really want engineering, or would he be happy with a hard-science, nonengineering major, e.g physics?</p>
<p>American’s engineering program is a 5 year program, so that should be taken into consideration. Lots of LACs have them, but not everyone wants to/is able to pay for 5 years of school.</p>
<p>Vassar? It’s interesting, my son actually has very similar stats (except for the EC in car racing :). I would second Wesleyan although still a reach school. Not sure about Bard, but that may be worth looking into. My son’s applying to UC Santa Cruz too :).</p>
<p>University of Rochester is exactly what you are looking for except the “large” part of large urban university. Rochester is a city though. It’s a small research university that has the feel of a liberal arts college. Engineering is integrated with the college as just another set of majors. It should be a safety. </p>
<p>Case Western (outside Cleveland) might also fit the bill. </p>
<p>Elon University is a LAC in NC with some engineering programs</p>
<p>Union College, a LAC in Schenectady, NY also has some. I think they also have cross-registration with RPI</p>
<p>Lafeyette, a LAC in Easton, PA also has engineering. </p>
<p>These LACs are hard to call safeties because some practice enrollment management, but I think these are far less competitive than those on your list, and barring enrollment management issues, he should get in. </p>
<p>I don’t think Lehigh is a safety, it’s quite competitive. It had 93% of it’s students in the top 10%. I think Northwestern and Johns Hopkins are probably more matches. Roughly 80-85% in the top 10%.</p>
<p>I had to post and run. Thanks for all the responses thus far. Exhausted, so I’ll respond tomorrow to all the questions but will say he’s not in California.</p>
<p>Well, Pitt is urban, but not coastal, but has a robust arts scene for a mid-sized city, and a great [program[/url</a>] through the university for free/reduced tickets to things and free public transportation. Pitt has solid engineering, with a recent [url=<a href=“http://www.engr.pitt.edu/transformation/index.html]$100”>http://www.engr.pitt.edu/transformation/index.html]$100</a> million in renovated facilities](<a href=“PITT ARTS | Student Affairs”>http://www.pittarts.pitt.edu/), although not among the top crust of dedicated engineering schools. It use to have outstanding physics (several decades ago), but now it is just ok. Pitt has a very strong latin american/spanish international program through the [Center</a> for Latin American studies<a href=“which%20is%20Dept%20of%20Education%20National%20Resource%20Center…one%20of%20five%20at%20Pitt”>/url</a>. It has a strong liberal arts background for a mid-sized university, because it was smallish and private until 1966. It is also one of the top producers of Peace Corp volunteers, and has a strong study abroad program, including a multi-region one that hits three different continents in one semester. The engineering school also has a [url=<a href=“http://www.engr.pitt.edu/fsae/]Formula”>FSAE]Formula</a> SAE racing team](<a href=“http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/]Center”>Center for Latin American Studies), if that is of any interest to him. His stats also seem to be nearing what has been reported on here for full tuition awards. Could be a good alternative if he is looking at urban schools.</p>
Nice of you to help your friend. Since your friend’s ds is looking for safeties/matches, maybe Boston U and Northeastern U? Both are in Boston - not LACs, but they seem to meet his other requirements. Other schools he might want to consider are Lafayette and Lehigh. Neither are in big cities, but they’re both within 90 minutes of NYC and Philadelphia. Wishing him good luck.</p>