Safety Schools in California

<p>I'm having a difficult time whittling down my college list. I can't seem to come up with any safety schools in California for civil engineering, especially since I want to pursue a minor in architecture and all of the CSUs (minus the Cal Polys, which I would not count as safeties) do not offer architecture. So, if anyone could recommend safety colleges with that option for me, that would be so helpful.</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.94</p>

<p>AP Scores
Human Geo: 4
Euro: 4
Bio: 5
English Comp. and Lang. : 5
Chem: 5
Calc B/C: 5 (A/B subset: 5)</p>

<p>IB Diploma Candidate
Chem: 5</p>

<p>ACT
34</p>

<p>SAT 2
Math 2: 760
Chem: 720
Lit: 580 (I know, not so impressive.. I found out that I did not do an entire passage.. -_-)</p>

<p>ECs
Marching Band (2009-2013): Co-section Leader (2011-2013)
Band Council (2012-2013): Co-president
Invisible Children Club (2011-2012): President
Knitting Needles for Needy Peoples (2011-2013): President
Harry Potter Club (2009)
CSF (2011-2013)
Hospice of the Valleys Volunteer Club (2011-2013)</p>

<p>Yeah, my ECs aren't too science-oriented, but they keep me busy hah. Thanks!</p>

<p>Louisiana Tech has civil engineering, architectural studies, and a Presidential Scholarship that gives tuition, fees, dorm, and meals for four years if you have a 3.0 GPA and ACT of 32.</p>

<p>If you actually want a school in California, the criteria of having civil engineering and architecture and being less selective than Cal Poly Pomona is likely to leave you the null set.</p>

<p>For public universities, only Berkeley and the Cal Polys have architecture, though UCLA has architectural studies and UCSB has an architecture emphasis under art history. But Cal Poly Pomona is the least selective of these.</p>

<p>Of the private universities in California with civil engineering, Stanford and USC are obviously more selective than Cal Poly Pomona, while LMU, SCU, and UOP do not appear to have architecture.</p>

<p>CSU Fullerton has a civil engineering degree program with an architectural engineering emphasis, but it may not be any easier to get into than Cal Poly Pomona (though it depends on the popularity of the major at each campus).</p>

<p>Besides Louisiana Tech (whose Presidential Scholarship requires a college GPA of 3.0 to keep), here are two other potential safeties with both civil engineering and architecture and near-full ride scholarships for your stats:</p>

<p>Howard University with Founder’s Scholarship (but it requires a college GPA of 3.50 to keep it, so be careful since Howard is otherwise expensive; apply early if you are interested)</p>

<p>Prairie View A&M with Regents’ Student Merit Scholarship (requires a college GPA of 3.2 in 15 units per semester to keep it)</p>

<p>It’s definitely easier to get into CSU Fullerton; I’m observing that they have several programs to entice transfer students into their STEM curriculums. Because I’m involved with such a program, I’m even being offered admission for Spring 2013 with priority registration; this is despite of my approaching enrollment at UC</p>

<p>Thanks! This has really helped. I’ll apply to CSU Fullerton for sure. Between Howard University and Louisiana, would you recommend one over the other, in terms of academics?</p>

<p>Louisiana Tech is probably a safer choice financially due to the lower GPA threshold to keep the scholarship, and a lower (out of state) cost of attendance even if you lose the scholarship. Prairie View A&M is likely next safest financially based on the GPA threshold to keep the scholarship and (out of state) cost of attendance if you lose it. Howard is pretty expensive (private) if you lose the scholarship, which requires the highest GPA threshold.</p>

<p>All three schools have ABET accredited civil engineering degree programs and NAAB accredited architecture programs, though you need to check each school on the feasability of fitting an architecture minor (if offered) or the desired architecture courses into the elective space of a civil engineering program of study.</p>

<p>You can use [Accredited</a> Program Search](<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx]Accredited”>http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx) to search for civil engineering degree programs and [NAAB:</a> ARCHITECTURE PROGRAMS](<a href=“http://www.naab.org/architecture_programs/]NAAB:”>http://www.naab.org/architecture_programs/) to search for architecture degree programs which may provide courses or minors.</p>

<p>On the other hand, it would be surprising if your stats did not get you into any of the Cal Polys or CSU Fullerton, though they are not quite as sure a thing as the above three schools are. (But cost is another aspect of finding a safety, so the near-full rides may be helpful if you are uncertain about being able to afford the CSUs.)</p>

<p>You may want to cross reference the ABET and NAAB lists with the big merit scholarship for your stats list here when looking for more safeties:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;