I need some reality check on the list of schools we are considering. My DS is an incoming senior at a reputable local public HS and here are his stats:
GPA (unweighted): 3.5
GPA (weighted): 4.22
SAT: 1300 (he is going to retake this in August and thinks he can score better, but who knows?)
Class rank: top 25%
If you have a child with similar stats and was admitted to STEM majors, which schools are they?
Thanks!
My D was in that range also at a very good HS. She specifically wanted to attend a LAC that was strong in teh STEM fields and her top choices were Lafayette, Union, Franklin & Marshall, and Bucknell. We also looked at Lehigh which was larger than she was looking for but would have been another good option. FWIW she applied ED to Lafayette and absolutely loved it.
What type of school is your S looking for? What is affordable to your family?
Thanks @happy1! Here is S’s list. Our EFC is roughly at 50k (depending on which calculator I use), so I honestly do not expect we would get lucky for much need-based aid. I am hoping he can score some merit aid but since he is a B+ student, I am not sure if that hope if realistic.
UR
Pitts
UMD
Northeastern
UGA
Umass
Binghamton
NC State
Purdue
BU
Penn
Syracuse
UVM
Uconn
Rutgers
VT
Northeast is (or at least used to be in the not-so-distant-past) very friendly toward kids from beyond the Northeast. This may be one tactic: to look for schools that like geographic diversity.
I was a B+/A- student (although leaning a tad bit on the A- side). I graduated HS in 2015 and had a SAT score in the 1500-1550 range out of 1600. I go to Michigan now. Granted, it was a reach for me I assume.
RE #3 – That was supposed to be NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY… sorry
What state do you live in?
We live in MA.
OP- thank you for giving a test score as well as gpa. There are those who underperform and those whose grades are higher than expected from test scores. That’s a diverse list of schools. He will need to figure out which STEM majors most interest him, such as math, a science, CS, an engineering field or other. This will determine which rankings to assign schools. Some very different atmospheres on the list. Time for him to rank his priorities in a school. Academic programs compared in potential majors, plus the social and other factors. He needs to look at incoming freshmen/admitted student gpa/test score profiles to see where he fits. It’s going to be an interesting application process for you to help him with.
Getting in to a STEM like CS might be a different story from getting into the school. For instance, at UMass Amherst I believe first year acceptance to CS is extremely competitive. Is UMass Lowell on the list?
S is interested in CS and I understand this major has higher admission requirements. We have either visited or researched a lot of schools and these stand out. I know some are definite reaches.
@compmom We visited UMA and S LOVES the school. In fact, it is his first choice. CS is quite competitive so he is hoping to at least make it into the exploratory track program and work his way into CS. No, UML is not on the list. S has done 2 summer camps at UML and does not care for it.
My son was an A-/B+ student, I think his weighted GPA ended up around 4.25, but his ACT was 32. He’s going to NU next year.
I was just there for orientation and heard Computer science is the hardest major to get admitted to by far.
I think it’s gotten much more difficult to get into NU and BU. I think most kids need SAT near 1400 and over and ACT of 31 and above these days, and those schools will be full pay- no merit money with those sats.
You might want to consider U mass /Lowell, WPI. UVM has a new Stem center being built right now, he may qualify for some merit there.
Good luck.
@RightCoaster Based on Naviance his chance of getting into WPI is below average. I honestly do not hold much hope he would get into any of the in state schools on his list (NU, BU, UMA). This is why we have a lot of OOS schools on the list. S actually prefers to go OOS. UVM is nice and S liked the school during our visit, but I am hoping he would make it into a school with a stronger reputation for STEM.
My S went to RIT (with a scholarship) and graduated with highest honors. His ACT score was 31, which was higher than his SAT result. He was admitted to the competitive video game design major (applied ED because he knew he qualified for the scholarship). He worked harder in college because he was more motivated, and had better grades
Has he tried the ACT?
You can checkout schools like RIT. Clarkson and RPI. RPI is the most competitive of the 3. Computer science dept is strong there. Your son would probably get some merit $$ a Clarkson. It’s a nice place, strong in STEM, but remote location. RIT might be a good fit too. I may visit the Rochester area at some point to visit RIT and U Rochester with my son19.
UVM is going to make a strong push into Stem over the next few years. The schools president said it was the highest priority for the school going forward. The new Stem center is going to be awesome and the new dorms are nice. UVM is a decent choice, especially if your son likes it. He’ll get in there, and the town is super. I think it’s a nice place to go to school.
There is a topic on this forum: Parents of the HS Class of 2017 - 3.0 to 3.4 GPA, starting on page 238, there is a list of schools that those who were active on the forum posted that their children were accepted to and cost. This may be helpful.
A B+/A- student with a rigorous course load from a very competitive high school, is a lot different than a B+/A- student without a lot of rigor, so that will be a big factor in where the chances will lie.
D15 stats were pretty similar to your son. She’s at UMass Amherst now and loves it. Applied undeclared and decided uring her freshman year that she wanted business, which is a competitive major at UMass. Did the prereqs, worked hard, is now double majoring in Isenberg. I don’t know about CS, but it may well be that being accepted into the major once he’s on campus (if he doesn’t get into it when he applies) is entirely feasible. And, of course, in-state tuition makes a big difference.
I will check out Clarkson - don’t know anything about that school.
About RIT - this was originally on our list because it seems like a great match for S. However, S looked into it, did some virtual tours and watched youtube videos. He dislike the look and vibe of the campus. I also read some CC reviews saying the campus feels more like an industrial park, too much brick and concrete, not much green space.
Great to hear about UVM. S loves the town, the campus and the school.
@ECmotherx2 Thanks so much! I will check it out.