Recommendations?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Desired Major:
Engineering (Either Chem, Mec or Elec)</p>

<p>Price:
Not a major issue though obviously cheaper is better. Under 30k is great, under 40k is good, under 55k is doable. </p>

<p>School Type:
Suburban is favorable, however I could see myself in a city as well.</p>

<p>State:
NJ</p>

<p>High School:
Top public - Nationally ranked (#125 Public in the Nation)</p>

<p>GPA:
Freshman
W: 3.1
UW: 2.8
2 Honors</p>

<p>Sophomore:
W: 3.2
UW: 2.9
1 honor & 1 advanced (AP>Honors>Advanced>Regular/College Prep)</p>

<p>Junior (currently a junior):
W: 3.9-4.0
UW: ~3.7
1 AP, 1 honors, 1 advanced</p>

<p>Senior:
AP Stat, AP Environmental, AP US Pol & Gov, English 12, Honors Physics, Honors Calc</p>

<p>SAT:
1860
CR - 580
M - 660
W - 620 (9 essay)</p>

<p>ACT (Practice test - took april ACT):
Cumulative - 30
English - 26
Math - 32
Reading - 29
Science - 32
Writing - unscored because it was a practice test</p>

<p>Good EC's, not spectacular but not bad.</p>

<p>Schools in Order:
1) Georgia Tech
2) UIUC
3) Purdue
4) UMaryland
4) UWisconsin
4) Texas A&M
4) Virginia Tech
8) Rutgers
8) Ohio State
10) Drexel
10) NC State
10) UFlorida
13) Delaware
13) Rowan</p>

<p>Safeties:
NJIT
Florida Tech</p>

<p>QUESTIONS:
CHANCES?
WHICH SCHOOLS SHOULD I ADD/REMOVE?
WHICH SCHOOLS ARE GOOD SAFETIES?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance</p>

2

<p>I know it is long, but can someone please take the time and help me out?</p>

3

<p>deleted, since GPA is not as high as it looked at first glance</p>

4

<p>Ok, here is an actual safety for which you should be above the scholarship threshold:</p>

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5

<p>Which campus is that?</p>

<p>Also, is my list good, what are my chances and is there anything I should remove? Also, I know that I am a reach at GaTech and UIUC. I am hoping that the combination of a decent junior GPA, going to a good HS and (hopefully) an average ACT/SAT score can give me a chance.</p>

6

<p>uab.edu = University of Alabama - Birmingham (has electrical and mechanical engineering, but not chemical)</p>

7

<p>No Chem may be a problem. How about the others on my list? Should I remove any and do I have a decent chance at those schools?</p>

8

<p>The more selective ones are probably big reaches with a GPA of around 3.1.</p>

<p>Even a mid-level non-flagship state university may not be that safe for you. For example, the California State University system does not include 9th grade grades in admissions GPA; your GPA is probably around 3.3 for CSU purposes. This gives a CSU eligibility index of 3.3 * 800 + 580 + 660 = 3880 (GPA * 800 + SAT-CR + SAT-M). For fall 2012, this would have gained admission to San Jose State as a chemical or electrical engineering major, but not a mechanical engineering major: [SJSU</a> Admission](<a href=“http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/admission/rec-943.html]SJSU”>http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/admission/rec-943.html) . Of course, selectivity may increase next year.</p>

<p>However, University of Alabama - Huntsville has chemical as well as electrical and mechanical engineering, and your GPA and SAT score appears to put you in the automatic scholarship range: [UAHuntsville</a> - Entering Freshmen](<a href=“http://www.uah.edu/financial-aid/aid/scholarships/new-freshmen]UAHuntsville”>http://www.uah.edu/financial-aid/aid/scholarships/new-freshmen) . So you might want to consider it as a safety.</p>

9

<p>What about UMinnesota - Twin Cities? As far as GPA goes, I have heard mixed things. My councilor seems to think my scores junior year will help to negate my weak early years. My SAT tutor also thought the same. Obviously they know I am not in the same standing as a usual 3.6-3.7 UW due to my lack of consistency, but they think I have something equivalent to about a 3.5. I don’t know the truth in this, but considering purdues average ENG GPA is 3.4-3.8 (middle 50%) I’d hope I atleast have a shot. They average purdue ENG SAT/ACT is 1710-2010/27-31. GaTech and UIUC I don’t have as high of expectations on. Is there anything above I should remove?</p>

10

<p>I would take a shot at some of the Cal State and SUNY schools…</p>

11

<p>@fliqer - I have thought about that a bit. I figure it may be much easier to get in being 2000 miles away. </p>

<p>Any recommendations?
Cal Poly Maybe?
Also, how do you calculate UC GPA?</p>

12

<p>Just figured out the UC thing. I have a 3.13 sophomore year and a 4.06 junior year. 3.67 total weighted.</p>

13

<p>Note that honors courses only get +1 for UC/CSU GPA if they are listed in <a href=“http://doorways.ucop.edu%5B/url%5D”>http://doorways.ucop.edu</a> . These listings typically include only California public and private high schools. Out of state applicants can only count AP courses as honors for UC/CSU GPA.</p>

<p>Cal Poly SLO is the most selective CSU; it has freshman class profiles on its web site. Note that selectivity varies by major. It also does not have chemical engineering (though the somewhat less selective Cal Poly Pomona does).</p>

<p>CSUs are about $30,000 per year out of state; UCs are over $50,000 per year out of state. Do not expect much financial aid. Merit scholarships tend to be small (there is a full ride one for Berkeley mechanical engineering students, but your stats are unlikely to even get in to Berkeley, much less get that scholarship).</p>

<p>UM Twin Cities is good, and relatively inexpensive for an out of state public. But you have to check how realistic your chances of admission are (and the engineering majors’ selectivity may differ from the overall average level of selectivity).</p>

14

<p>I’m looking into it. As far as cost goes, like I said, under 55k a year is definitely doable. For cal schools I would expect 5-10k in travel costs as well. How hard is it to get into cal poly?</p>

15

<p>Well, here is the freshman class profile for Cal Poly SLO, although the caution is that selectivity depends on major:</p>

<p>[Prospective</a> Students - Admissions - Cal Poly](<a href=“Cal Poly Admissions”>Cal Poly Admissions)</p>

16

<p>I figured as much. Might as well apply. My biggest problem now is that I don’t want to apply to 15-20 different schools. Can you help me prioritize? I am going to apply in waves. First being in september. I’ll wait to see what I do and don’t get into, then i’ll apply RD at other schools. Where should I apply early?
Here is what I am thinking:
Georgia Tech - $65
UIUC - $50
Purdue - $75
VTech - $60
Rutgers NB - $65
NC State - $70
Drexel - $0
+SAFETY - ~$65</p>

<p>$450</p>

17

<p>Check deadlines for applications and scholarships.</p>

<p>Rolling or early action (not early decision unless it is your clear first choice) schools can be applied early, since an early acceptance (with enough financial aid if needed) turns the school into a safety, so you can drop from your application list any schools less desirable than your early acceptances.</p>

18

<p>im also in the same boat as you, and am interested to hear the results, I also have drexel listed as a safety. Im also interested in engineering and my counselor suggested that wherever I apply I should apply as undecided or an obscure major at that school.</p>

19

<p>Almost all of the schools listed above are rolling admissions and I will apply early to all of them regardless. Not early decision because none of my top 3 have early decision.</p>

<p>@Lax - are you a junior also?</p>

20

<p>yes I am, im looking at purdue too and these schools aswell.</p>

<p>Drexel
Temple
Pitt
PSU (Summer Session)
Maryland
WPI
Syracuse
RIT
Boston University</p>

<p>These here are probably big reaches for me:
Virginia Tech
Lehigh
Villanova</p>