Safeties/Matches

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Erm, here's some basic info: GPA is only 3.6 weighted, no idea what it is unweighted. I also take the IB Diploma. I'm an international student in Thailand. My school doesn't rank. ECs are average-ish (secretary of a club, did Habitat twice, tutoring, miscellaneous community work). Nationality: Thai/Mauritian</p>

<p>SAT 2100 (800 Math, 670 Reading, 630 Writing) SAT II (Physics 740, Math II 750, Lit 710)</p>

<p>After taking some time to develop my college list I found out that I have an embarrassingly large amount of reaches (Columbia/Cornell/UNY/UCLA/UC-Berkeley/USC/CMU/etc.)and no safeties/matches at all. </p>

<p>I'm interested in mainly engineering and architecture and prefer larger cities/an urban environment. Any suggestions? (BTW does me being an international mean that I'm very disadvantaged?)</p>

2

<p>Are you looking for financial aid? If so, you are very disadvantaged. If you can pay the total approximately $200k without financial aid, then you will have no problem finding a school although your list is all reaches, as you know.</p>

3

<p>Actually money isn’t a problem. I don’t really need financial aid.</p>

4

<p>Carnegie Mellon?</p>

5

<p>Univ of VA for architcture.</p>

6

<p>Illinois Institute of Technology for architecture, Georgia Tech, Pitt</p>

7

<p>Syracuse, UT-Austin, and Virginia Tech for architecture. Rice would also work but it would be a reach.</p>

8

<p>UT Austin probably would be a huge reach. </p>

<p>Syracuse and VaTech have top rated architecture programs and would be reaches for direct admit to architecture. The OP can explore engineering and possible transfer to architecture. They don’t fit the OP’s interest in larger cities though - Syracuse is a small city and VaTech - Blacksburg is very rural.</p>

9

<p>SUNY Buffalo has engineering and architecture, and a VERY large international contingent. Would definitely be a match/safety.</p>

10

<p>I’m from Thailand as well, and a good friend of my got into Syracuse Architecture with substantial fin aid as a Thai citizen with only a 1800 SAT. So it’s not impossible :)</p>

11

<p>Drelnis: That seems a little suprising. GPA and portfolio are more important than SAT scores so perhaps he/she stood out in those respects.</p>

12

<p>Thanks so much for the suggestions!</p>

13

<p>Not needing financial aid gives you some great options. Beides the reaches you’re already aware of, you could also consider McGill in Montreal.</p>

<p>As for matches/safeties, IIT in Chicago has already been suggested and is a good choice for both architecture and engineering. Northeastern in Boston and Drexel in Philadelphia are noted for their coop programs. Minnesota and Washinton are big universities that have a large international presence, and UM is also relatively inexpensive for someone who won’t be getting FA.</p>

<p>Finally, Cincinnati is an outstanding architecture school (but a lower end engineering school), so if that’s your focus, it could be a good choice. Wouldn’t be an easy admit for architecture, though.</p>

14

<p>Georgia Tech is a very strong choice for engineering or architecture. It is in Atlanta which is a very large metropolitan area and the winter weather would not be as much of a shock to someone from Thailand as the more northern schools on your list. Your SATs and grades would make you a competitive candidate.</p>