Some Match/Safety schools

College Search & Selection
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<p>I'm a senior, and after some thought, I've come up with a list of schools that I'm interested in.
My stats are:
35 ACT
99.24 WGPA/95.12 UWGPA
Rank: 7/320
National Commended Scholar (No NMSF >.< )
SAT: 2260 (720M, 740CR, 800W)
SAT 2's: taking on saturday (Math II and Physics)</p>

<p>I want to major in some form of Engineering. I despise chemistry with a passion, so I'm currently leaning to either Computer Science or Electrical/Computer Engineering. I'm a New York State resident; however, my parents are able and willing to pay 60k/year for me to go to any school anywhere in the nation. I'd prefer the Northeast, but I won't outright reject any school based on location.</p>

<p>Also, I know my parents can pay full freight, but unless I get into an ivy, or ivy equivalent, I really don't want to take them up on their promise. So any merit aid recommendations are welcome. But of course, if I get into a top school, I can and will pay full, no questions asked, regardless of aid. </p>

<p>My list so far is:</p>

<p>Reaches:
Cornell University
Carnegie Mellon University (Computer Science or Carnegie Institute of Tech, probably Comp Sci)
Columbia University
UC Berkeley</p>

<p>Match Schools:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Rochester
Georgia Tech
University of Michigan</p>

<p>Safety:
Stony Brook University</p>

<p>As you can see, I'm clearly lacking in the match and safety columns, ESPECIALLY safety schools. I have looked and researched, but I really haven't found any true safety schools, that I'll definitely get into, beyond the SUNY's, which I don't like (personally). So if anyone has recommendations for safeties and matches for an engineering bound student, please tell me :D.</p>

<p>Also, I'm not looking for reach schools. Everyone knows that Stanford, Princeton, MIT and Caltech are great in STEM. I don't need this forum to tell me that. I think I have enough reach schools, and even though there are more, I really don't need recommendations for them. Assembling reach schools is the easy part: finding schools that match my profile is the hard part. What I'd like to ask this forum (if you'd all be so kind) is for schools that are good in Computer Science/Engineering (no cost limitation) and that I can consider a "safe bet" to get into. </p>

<p>Other schools I might apply to:
Purdue
UIUC
...</p>

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<p>NYU Poly if you want to be in the city.
WPI?</p>

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<p>Well, I’m not sure you’ll need any more safety schools. Unless you’re applying EA to a single choice early action school, you could apply to Cornell or Carnegie Mellon ED and U Michigan and Georgia Tech EA (deadline is Oct. 15th) and you’d probably have some positive news by the end of December If you wanted to add a few more schools that you would have good chances at, you could add in applications to University of Illinois-Urbana by the priority deadline of Nov. 1 and Case Western EA (and I believe with your stats you would get some very good merit aid at Case Western).</p>

<p>Even if you decided to apply to Princeton SCEA, you could still apply to public universities with non-binding admissions, which would mean you could apply to Georgia Tech, U Illinois and U Michigan at the same time.</p>

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<p>If you are willing to attend Stony Brook then you don’t need another safety school. If you are NOT willing to attend SB then you don’t have ANY safety. Purdue, UIUC and tOSU would all be good safeties.</p>

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<p>I think your list is great, well thought through. Apply ED to Cornell. Your stsas look great, odds much better ED</p>

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<p>I agree with Case Western. Also consider WPI, Northeastern. You should get into all of these and get merit scholarships :wink:
RIT could also be a safety if you need another…</p>

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<p>Thanks for the responses guys! Sorry for the (sort of) late response, this week has been really busy, with SAT 2’s coming up and all.</p>

<p>@OHMomof2: I have the free app to NYU Poly, so I’ll probably apply anyway, but I don’t think that I’ll end up there, and enjoy it. Unless I get into Columbia (unlikely), I want to leave the city, and besides, Poly is Brooklyn, which is a decent distance from Manhattan. </p>

<p>WPI I’ll definitely consider; I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, and Boston is our nation’s premier college town (in the words of my BC educated English teacher) so I’ll definitely think about it. </p>

<p>@midatlmom: That actually described my plan perfectly! :slight_smile: I will finish Georgia Tech app by next week, and get Cornell/CMU, Michigan and UIUC done by Nov. 1. I think I’ll apply to both UIUC and Michigan, because I’ll qualify for lots of merit aid from UIUC, and because I really like Michigan (campus, town, academics, and of course, the wolverines). I will apply to Case, but not early, because I think I’ve left enough options open for myself come decision time in December. Also, I’m not in love with Cleveland.</p>

<p>@Erin’s Dad: You’re completely right. I really do not want to attend Stony Brook (it’s like my last choice) and the only reason I’m applying is cause it’ll cost me very little per year. It’s about 30 mins from my house, which I don’t like, and although the campus is nice, there is plenty of commuters and it is deserted, without a “college town” surrounding it. UIUC, like I said, I will apply to. Purdue and UIUC seem comparable, so I don’t want to apply to both, tOSU I’ll have to look into more. I really haven’t thought about it.</p>

<p>@Murphy600: Thanks! I will definitely apply ED to Cornell or CMU, depending on how much I like Cornell’s “feel.”</p>

<p>@BeanTownGirl: CWRU I’ll apply to during RD. I will only apply to one of WPI and Northeastern, because again, I think that they are decently comparable, in terms of location, academics, etc. I haven’t decided which one yet. RIT has been sending me a ton of literature since I won some computing medal for them last year, but I don’t know if I should apply to 2 Rochester schools, or whether it can be compared to University of Rochester in terms of Engineering. I’m also trying to avoid schools with a 70/30 male/female ratio (RPI and GaTech are exceptions because I really like their campuses and programs) and RIT is another one of those schools, so I don’t know if I’d like it there. </p>

<p>Also, just a few questions on sports, cause a lot of the schools I’m applying to are big D1 schools. How large of a role do sports play on campus? Is it like a giant thing when the Wolverines have a home game, for example? Is the atmosphere like an NFL game? (Which would be awesome; I love football, at least watching). </p>

<p>And a question on size. I know a few of my schools have like 40k students, so I was wondering about how easy/hard is it to get individual attention, research opportunities, internships and the like. And do the major tech companies (i.e. Silicon Valley giants: Facebook, Google, Apple, etc.) recruit at all of the ones in the match/reach category on the list? And if you can’t tell me, how could I find out?</p>

<p>And of course, partying. Is it like an all consuming affair? Or can one have an active social life without partying every night? I guess this question segues into Greek life, which I also have questions on. How large of a presence do Greek organizations have on campus, at least in the larger schools and Cornell? I’ve heard a lot about hazing and rushing, so I’m wary about committing to a school like Cornell or Mich or any other school where greek life is a big part of campus life. </p>

<p>Sorry for all the questions guys! I just have a lot of requirements, because I want to find the best school that I can for myself. You guys have been really helpful so far.</p>

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<p>I think Michigan is big on frats. Do some research. Great school</p>

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<p>WPI and Northeastern are actually not in the same category at all. First, WPI is in Worcester not Boston :frowning: More important, Northeastern is a really large school (26,959 (16,576 undergraduate) with very diverse offerings, everything from nursing to education to liberal arts to business as well as engineering. Well known for its co-op program which I believe is mandatory for engineers.
WPI is quite a bit smaller (5,778 (3,849 undergraduate) and is focused on engineering, sciences and business. Liberal arts are there to support the curriculum but you wouldn’t go there to major in liberal arts. Co-op is available but most student don’t do co-ops because there are so many other opportunities with internships and the WPI project requirements which are often done offsite. Greek life is present but doesn’t dominate. If you want to party you can find them at the frats or off-campus apartments, but lots of kids don’t party at all. It has a nerdy vibe, similar to RPI.
And Northeastern has a better male/female ratio.</p>

<p>I would also say that RIT and U.Rochester are very different schools. If you are avoiding schools with a poor male/female ratio, go with U. Rochester. RIT is also very focused on engineering(mandatory co-op)/science/art/business while U.Rochester is more of a broad-based university.
My son did not like RIT at all but was very impressed with U.Rochester.</p>

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<p>Hmmm, doesn’t Stony Brook consider “level of interest”? If so, it may not be a safety, though it would be a likely.</p>

<p>Others to consider (which are also not as expensive as most private or out-of-state public schools):</p>

<p>Minnesota
Virginia Tech
North Carolina State (apply for the Park scholarship also)
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo</p>

<p>In your region, Massachusetts - Amherst has a good computer science and engineering reputation, despite the lowly reputation of the school overall. So does Rutgers.</p>

<p>If you are worried about recruiting, the big companies tend to recruit widely, because they have the resources to go lots of places and need lots of recruits. Plus, no matter where you are, you know who they are and can just apply. But smaller companies visit fewer schools – mainly well known for CS schools and local schools (e.g. Silicon Valley computer companies may visit San Jose State, UC Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara for convenience; Berkeley and Stanford are both high profile for CS and local to Silicon Valley).</p>

<p>Note that for Berkeley, you can apply to either the electrical engineering and computer science major (EECS) in the College of Engineering, or as undeclared in the College of Letters and Science, in which you can declare the computer science major (L&S CS) after completing the lower division prerequisites. They are different majors, but select from the same CS courses.</p>

<p>Should MIT and Stanford be added to your reach list (not sure why you have Columbia over them)?</p>

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<p>The Greek scene at UIUC is substantial.</p>

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<p>Absolutely you will know best what you like. But for the distance…Poly is the first-second stop in Brooklyn (Jay St) on several train lines. Faster from there to downtown, even midtown, than from Columbia.</p>

<p>My high school was a block away from Poly. Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens are all close and all have really lively nightlife, restaurants, shopping, etc. It’s a great neighborhood :)</p>

<p>But I get you…I grew up next door to Columbia and didn’t even consider applying there, or anywhere else in the city.</p>

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<p>@ucbalumnus: I definitely will look into VaTech and Minnesota, and maybe even NCSU. One of my friends goes to Virginia Tech, and he loves it there so far, so I’ll research that school more. About Cal Poly…I don’t think that I will move all the way across the country to go to one of the Cal Polys. I’d only consider that kind of move for Berkeley/Caltech/Stanford. Otherwise, there are plenty Cal Poly level schools here in the northeast for me to attend. I’d rather apply to UMass Amherst/Vatech than Cal Poly personally, because I might actually end up going there, instead of spending app fees on a school I won’t go to. </p>

<p>For recruiting, I decided to google “career fairs for <em>school name</em>” and I was able to see that for most of the schools on my list, the large companies actively recruited and hired graduates. So I think I should be alright on that front, at least in career prospects. </p>

<p>I have looked into Berkeley’s 2 programs for CS, and I think I want to do EECS because I’d prefer the Engineering background over the Humanities background, and I’ve a decent amount of experience in engineering in high school that I won’t suddenly get the urge to deviate and change majors.</p>

<p>As for why I’m not adding MIT/Stanford as reaches, well, I don’t think that I have any chance of getting into them (same with Caltech).</p>

<p>@BeanTownGirl: You raise a good point. I honestly don’t know how I feel about co-op education, which is why I was wary on RIT, and why I’m being cautious with Northeastern. It’s a great way to get work experience, but isn’t that what internships are for? And I agree with you; WPI and Northeastern are completely different. I think I misconstrued myself when I said they are “comparable:” I meant purely from an academic perspective. WPI is a much more tech focused school, like RPI and RIT, which would make it kind of redundant on my list I would think. </p>

<p>And isn’t Worcester like a suburb of Boston, like Cambridge is? That’s how I always imagined it. But if it isn’t, feel free to call me out on it. </p>

<p>Now that I think about it, both Northeastern and WPI are redundant, because they are comparable to RPI and URoch right?</p>

<p>Still, I don’t want to rule them off like that. I’ll have to do more research after SAT 2’s tomorrow.</p>

<p>@OHMomof2: I think it’s less of a distance thing, and more of a “I’ve lived in (by) the city all my life, I want to see something new” type of thing. Columbia I’m only applying to because it has a great campus, has a financial engineering major, and would get recruiting from Wall Street. Otherwise, I want something new and fresh.</p>

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<p>I’d be surprised that any school on the level of Stony Brook would turn down a kid with stats like the OP–he has fantastic credentials and has thought through his strategy in a really mature way. I might be wrong, but I think the “level of interest” factor mostly applies to the most competitive schools.</p>

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<p>I believe that Stony Brook is a safety for the OP as well, especially given the fact that he is a NY resident.</p>

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<p>“Level of applicant’s interest” is often a factor at schools that want to keep their yield rate up, so they reject or waitlist “overqualified” applicants who appear to be using them as safeties. Showing interest that the school is one of the top choices, instead of a last-choice safety, improves chances (though different schools have different definitions of “showing interest”).</p>

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<p>^Right. That is my understanding of what it means too. But I have never heard of a state school or “lesser” private university doing this–only those slightly below the “top tier” that are strategically trying to improve their results. (Isn’t this what “Tufts Syndrome” refers to?)</p>

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<p>No, Worcester is about 50 minutes by car from Boston, while Cambridge is right next door to Boston (actually across the river). So if you would prefer Boston as a location then go with Northeastern. I think RIT and Northeastern are analogous academically though Northeastern is more selective. WPI is more like RPI only smaller. My son (and his parents!) visited/evaluated a lot of your schools for EE or CS as a major. Here’s a summary of our opinions:
RIT - he didn’t like the forced co-op. The experience is definitely valuable but he’d rather spend 5 years and come out with a Master’s degree. He **HATED **the campus (“Brick City”) and it is not in Rochester but in a suburb, close to chain restaurants and strip malls. He didn’t want to stay for the dorm tours after the campus tour. Awesome new athletic facility complete with a lazy river. He liked the Ben and Jerry’s in the campus center. Did not apply.
U. Rochester - surprisingly beautiful campus, smart students, good facilities, good mix of engineering, sciences, pre-med, with liberal arts. Mixed feeling about the area around the school and Rochester itself. Didn’t apply, but only because it dropped off the bottom of the list.
Northeastern - didn’t visit, too large for his tastes and he didn’t want to be in downtown Boston. Never on his radar. Ditto for B.U.
He ended up choosing between UMass Amherst (too big), UMass Lowell (full merit scholarship), Bucknell, Lafayette, Case Western, RPI, WPI, and Tufts. At the end it was between Tufts and WPI and he chose WPI. He liked the nerdy non-competitive student body (he says they are “happy Geeks”) and the project-focused curriculum with multiple opportunities to travel abroad for projects.
You may want to keep your options open in terms of applications to allow more time to analyze and/or visit these schools.</p>

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<p>It’s difficult to tell if Stony Brook uses level of interest because, for whatever reason, they don’t publish their CDS. :mad: Since the OP wouldn’t want to attend there it wouldn’t be a good selection for a safety school anyway.</p>

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<p>Wow. I never knew that Stony Brook tracks and takes into account “demonstrated interest.” That puts a slight damper on my plans. I guess “Tufts Syndrome” is contagious. So how do I show demonstrated interest, and what counts as “interest?” Should I email them about a random topic to show interest? Do they keep track of correspondence? Or is interest supposed to be through visiting, going to information sessions, etc.? </p>

<p>@BeanTownGirl: Congrats to your son! It seems like he ended up in the best place for him. What year is he in now? What does he think about WPI, in terms of social life, academics, and workload? Also, how does he feel about WPI’s different, more project-oriented curriculum? I looked into it, and their project-based learning is significantly different than their peers. </p>

<p>I think I agree with his opinion on the forced co-op; it really doesn’t seem worth it to spend an extra year just for that. I think that it is more practical to get internships/research during summers to gain experience, instead of spending classtime. And of course, if I am going to spend an extra year, I want to come away with a masters: I think that would be a more productive use of time than co-op.</p>

<p>So, with additions suggested by you guys, I think it’s time for a list update:</p>

<p>Reaches:
Cornell University
Carnegie Mellon University (Computer Science or Carnegie Institute of Tech, probably Comp Sci)
UC Berkeley</p>

<p>Match Schools:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Rochester
Georgia Tech
University of Michigan
UIUC
Case Western
WPI</p>

<p>Safety:
Stony Brook University
Rutgers
VaTech</p>

<p>That’s 14 schools I’m applying to, with UMichigan, Georgia Tech, Cornell/CMU, and UIUC during EA/ED? Is that too much? Should I narrow down my choices more? </p>

<p>I think I’ve found a better safety in Rutgers and VaTech than SBU, and my top few are: CMU, Cornell, UMichigan, Berkeley, Georgia Tech. I think I should be able to get into at least one of those 5 (hopefully).</p>