I plan to major in mechanical engineering, so I definitely want a school with a strong MechE program. I already have Purdue University as one, but I need another. I’m considering Rose-Hulman, but are there any others?
ACT: 33
GPA: 3.7
Preferences: -near/in a big city
-a decent social life
-not super workload intensive
What can your family afford?
A safety has to also be a school you can afford, not just a school you’re likely to get it.
Purdue is Not in a big city.
Try Catholic University or Trinity College (CT)
From other posts it seems you are from CA. Will your parents pay for Purdue? Ohio State (Columbus OH, 15th largest US city) might be an option and you might get some good merit aid. And all MechE is labor intensive.
Georgia Tech.
2nd ranked mechanical engineering program in the country (after MIT but before Stanford)
An astonishing urban location (way better than you’d think)
Okay, well it does have a hard workload but what ME school doesn’t? But it also has a football team…and a good social life.
I disagree with @SouthernHope
With a 3.7 GPA and 33 ACT, GTech engineering would not be a safety if you are OOS.
The 75th percentile ACT score at Tech is 33…that’s right where our OP is situated. Though I agree that if the definition of a Safety is a place you can absolutely get into it and is affordable, then I wouldn’t slot it there. But OP is a competitive candidate.
Assuming the worst case financial situation (e.g. high income, parents will not pay), the OP may be able to get a full ride at Tuskegee, Florida A&M, Louisiana Tech, and Prairie View A&M, if those schools offer the same automatic-for-stats full ride scholarships that they historically did. Maybe Howard also, but their web site is confusing about whether the scholarship is automatic (but first come first served) or competitive.
Since the OP is in California, there are likely CSU and UC options that cost less than Purdue and do not have the first year pre-engineering weed-out process that Purdue has.
Sorry, forgot to mention cost is not a factor
Providence College would be a low match/safety
@“Erin’s Dad” Purdue is near Chicago and Indianapolis. Big city doesn’t have to be world-renowned like NYC or LA
Purdue is at least a 2 hour drive from Chicago and Indianapolis.
Temple, USF, UCF . . .
Yup, I agree that OP is definitely competitive - just not definitely “in” (so not a safety).
-Drexel University
-Loyola Marymount University
-Rochester Institute of Technology (Low Match?)
-University of Pittsburgh
-University of Wisconsin
WPI
RPI
Lafayette