<p>It'd be a match for me, but I'm out of state. If I went there, I'd study aero engineering. Thing is, I live in Indiana, so I'd get in-state tuition for Purdue. I ran GT's net price calculator, and it gave me $35000 EFC, which my dad laughed at and said heck no way would we EVER be able to pay that. He's encouraging me to apply, though, just in case it's inaccurate or I get scholarships or something.
I really like Purdue, and I haven't visited GT yet. I'm not so hot on their male:female ratio though. I prefer having other women in my classes as opposed to mostly males. <em>shrug</em>
I know Purdue has a great aero engineering program, but I feel like opportunities would be better in Atlanta. At the same time, I know that Purdue offers solid advising and internships. I've heard that GT rather throws their class in and if they flunk out, well, sucks to suck. Anyone have any experience with that?
Like I said, my dad wants me to apply just "for the lolz" (somebody's spending too much time around his three teenagers). And also because of possible scholarships and the fact that GT is a really good school. But I'm applying to 11 colleges--half of them are free though--and I'd like to narrow down my list. I mean, what are the advantages to going to an OOS public school? Or would it be better to go to Purdue for cheaper? </p>
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<p>Why do you “feel like opportunities will be better in Atlanta”? </p>
<p>I think you need to ask your dad how much he WILL pay each year.</p>
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<p>because of possible scholarships and the fact that GT is a really good school. </p>
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<p>You would not be in contention for a scholarship at GT. The upper 25% at GT has an ACT 33+.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids because Atlanta is a much, much bigger city than West Lafayette is. WL has, basically, restaurants (a super great Greek place though), cornfields, and a Caterpillar plant for your MechE majors. GT’s also closer to job opportunities than Indiana. Not very much space action going on out here.
Oh, I should’ve mentioned that I’m retaking the ACT. The 31 was without studying. </p>
<p>I think there are many that desire GT that are OOS, while some OOS want to go to Purdue!</p>
<p>I think you have scholarship opportunities to eng schools OOS like UA. Look at what is on the web site to see opportunities - honors college, freshman year research, STEM MBA; beautiful campus.</p>
<p>Look at what the schools offer for curriculum, visit campus.</p>
<p>I am a parent that will not pay a premium when apples to apples, similar. Not enough to pay the premium. When you can receive a tuition scholarship, parents know you pretty much have to pay r&b.</p>
<p>OP, with an ACT Math score of 27 and being OOS, you are not a “match” for GTech for Aerospace Engg. First, you need to improve your ACT/SAT Math score.</p>
<p><a href=“Blow the Whistle! (404 error: page not found) | Undergraduate Admission”>Blow the Whistle! (404 error: page not found) | Undergraduate Admission;
SAT Math - 700 - 780 (mid 50%)</p>
<p>Are you taking Calculus? GA Tech loves BC Calc students. BC students seem to have an upper hand in admissions. The further down you are in math your chances go down. Strong students with AB Calc that I know got rejected last year.</p>
<p>@scubadive yes. By the time I graduate high school I’ll have taken Calc I-III at a local private uni, so hopefully those’ll transfer.</p>
<p>GA Tech really looks at your high school math courses and the more advanced you are probably the better your chance provided you do very well in those rigorous classes.</p>
<p>quit dreaming and get real. that’s what your dad said. trust him. Purdue will give you a great education. </p>
<p>@jkeil911 what? Did you not read my post? My dad’s the one telling me to apply to GT. I’m not so sure that’s a good idea because Purdue and I like Purdue anyway. I wanted to get another opinion.
@scubadive do you happen to know if they weigh science courses as heavily too? My science workload is also quite advanced, and I usually do a bit better in science than math.</p>
<p>The fact that the city of Atlanta is bigger, etc, doesn’t mean that Purdue doesn’t have many opps, too. Opps don’t have to do with the campus city, opps have to do with who recruits there for jobs and internships. Purdue is well-recruited. </p>
<p>Your dad has said that he won’t pay for GT. He says that you can apply because you might get merit. Unless you end up with a 35/36 then you are unlikely going to be in the running for merit…or at least enough to make it low enough for your dad to pay. I know an ACT 35, NMF, Val, female engineering student from Kansas who got NOTHING from GT. Their merit is highly competitive…even for female high-stats students. </p>
<p>Your dad has said that “no way” would he pay $35k per year for GT (I am guessing that that is after a $5500 loan?)</p>
<p>If you end up having the time/money and a new high score, then apply to GT. But, you already have a large app list…and those will all take time. I know that you have some free apps, but often those free app schools give lousy aid, so they may not be affordable either.</p>
<p>Ask your dad how much he WILL pay. Purdue costs about $25k for an instate student. Will he pay that? Ask him. If not, then you may not have ANY affordable schools on your list. </p>
<p>OP, the only thing your dad said that has any importance is that your family is not paying 35K for you to go there. </p>
<p>Unless you have some reason to think the npc is grossly inaccurate, such as the reason that your father owns his own business or farm, or your parents are divorced, or your family owns a bunch of properties in addition to your home, you’re not going to GT.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids might get merit (which I told him probably not; GT is full of kids who were good enough to make it into MIT/Caltech but didn’t because of the admission rates) and because the NPC isn’t always reliable, especially for OOS students.
Purdue will only be ~$13000 because I don’t need room and board. We can afford that. My older brother’s going to college for $25000 per year, but my parents have told me that I don’t get to go to a college that expensive. Basically, I’m just hoping for fin aid.
(Btw, the free app colleges are the Seven Sisters, and they definitely have a large endowment. I’ve talked to admissions counselors there and they’ve me what people in my situation have received, and it’s affordable. The NPC 's agree…however reliable those are though.)
I mean, like I said, my dad’s really pushing for me to apply, but he only applied to one college. I really only have this website for advice, so if you all think it’d better to just stick with Purdue, I’ll probably end up doing that.</p>
<p>The only reason to go OOS public is if you are in the running for merit scholarships. Check each college website to see if they even give merit OOS, and what scores are the minimum to be considered.
I’ve heard the same thing about GaTech - that they are sink or swim. Haven’t rec’d it to my D for that reason, and she is strong in Math.</p>
<p>Don’t agree with @scholarme at all. I am from PA, my D2 is attending GTech where I am happy to pay full fare. As I have mentioned in other posts, she is going to be a 3rd generation Engineer, so I am not going to be easily convinced otherwise.</p>
<p>That aside, OP, I agree with what @jkeil911 has already advised you earlier… “get real;”. Everything is moot unless you have the credentials even to contend to get in to GTech for Engg. Purdue is an outstanding Engg. school and your focus should be to get admitted there and then do well.</p>
<p>Well full pay in state at Penn State would run around $32K anyway, right? So GT is not that much more. But apparently it is a lot more for the OP than Perdue would be.
(Checking - Perdue in state COA is approx $23K)</p>
<p>If female, you might be able to get large merit money from Scripps and do engineering there through Mudd (might be 3/2 for all but CS). Check about whether doing the degree through Mudd is pretty much automatic for Scripps students, however.</p>
<p>The classes in Mudd would be very tough, however. </p>
<p>The Seven Sisters have any sort of engineering (much less aerospace engineering)?</p>
<p>SOSConcern is right; it is unwise to pay a premium for an engineering degree when the future students finds both schools suitable and appealing. Also, there is no academic [engineering] advantage of attending college in Atlanta over Indiana. Both universities attract national employers to recruit their respective students. Both are considered top STEM universities. Of course as a metropolitan area Atlanta has more social/ cultural attractions, but that’s another story. For an engineering major, Georgia Tech and Purdue are peers.</p>
<p>Given your father’s concern about finances, you might wish to expand your list of target schools to include excellent private universities that might provide significant financial aid;</p>
<p>U of Rochester
Rice University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Northwestern University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Case Western Reserve University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
U of Portland
Saint Louis University
Texas Christian University</p>
<p>By the way, Aerospace Engineering is a subset of Mechanical Engineering. Most aerospace companies hire truckloads of MEs. Heck, at some schools AE is offered only as a minor or a graduate degree, including at U of Washington, a leader in the field and a producer of many engineers at the Boeing Company. Check the online newsletters and magazines of a few of the schools I mentioned and you will discover that their ME alums certainly have been able to get their foot in the door at places like GE Aviation, Boeing, UTC-Pratt Whitney, Sikorsky and NASA. The big boys even hire students from small schools such as South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, a STEM school which I am very familiar with. Tell your dad that SDSM&T is a tuition bargain and that Boeing, NASA and the DOD etc. travel to SDSM&T to recruit engineers.</p>
<p>@LakeWashington thank you so much for your thorough response! I considered MechE for a long time, but I really despise the sound of the major, so if I don’t end up in aero engineering I might do computer instead…I talked to my dad this morning and he said that he supposed that I didn’t have to apply to GT if I didn’t want to, but he still sounded as if he’d rather me apply. <em>shrug</em> I’ll show him your list and see what he thinks! (He’s a mechanical engineer, actually). Thanks! ^-^</p>