<p>@sseamom, yes I am driving the college search. No lectures needed, its what has to be done. He is welcome to choose what ever he wants but at this point he likes to be a passenger. It is what it is. Which is why I would LOVE if he could leave then nest and learn to fly on his own.</p>
<p>Don’t overplay the URM thing. The GPA will always be weighted more heavily in admissions decisions than a one-off test day result. In fact, it works against you: how can a kid this smart (exemplified by SAT) be so poor when it comes to just getting through classes? I’m not saying the GPA is a killer, I’m just saying the GPA is a killer.</p>
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<p>I still think you are underestimating the rigor of an engineering major, especially at a top school. It is a very difficult major, and if HE is not completely on board with wanting to be an engineer, it is going to be even more of a struggle.</p>
<p>Since YOU are driving this college search, what schools are safeties he has 50% or better a 75%+ chance of admission with his GPA AND you can afford AND he would love to attend. The folks on CC have largely found the happiest results if lists are built starting with a safety that is loved and then built upon.</p>
<p>Engineering is tough and many students that really want it get weeded out. Be sure S has a backup major as well, to minimize disappointment</p>
<p>Slymlady, you have this wonderful, confident breeziness about all this but I don’t think you can underestimate the letdown that can occur come April 1–and the impact it can have on a child who is already facing a lot of major changes on the horizon at the end of high school. Many of us have had kids who needed a parent to help guide the admissions process. Many of us also realized (perhaps too late) that our kids just weren’t ready for college at age 18. I know several kids who are thriving in four-year programs now because they DIDN’T start college right after high school. They took gap years, attended CCs, or otherwise did what they needed to do to develop their own internal motivation. And they don’t resent their parents for “making” them do something they didn’t want to do. </p>
<p>(Really not trying to lecture you, just speaking from experience. :))</p>
<p>Frankly, you do not seem to know much about HBCUs because you lump them all in one pot, so to speak. Take a look at NC A&T’s engineering school for example (particularly the Nanotechnology Center). As for the undergraduate STEM program NC A&T generally, I’d suggest that you read about their most famous alumnus, the late Ronald McNair of the McNair Scholars program. It’s not a wise strategy to dismiss options out of hand just based on a lack of knowlege.</p>
<p>I wasn’t meaning to lecture either. There’s guiding and then there’s doing it ALL. I still haven’t seen what HE wants to do. I speak from experience when I say that choosing a path FOR your child instead of WITH him is likely going to backfire.</p>
<p>My ex and his father were never close again after his dad insisted on a STEM major, which he WAS actually good at, but would have preferred something else entirely. And it took almost a year before he and my older D spoke after he tried to repeat his father’s mistake. The difference was that my D spoke up, while my ex just went along and seethed with resentment for four years.</p>
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<p>An actual safety would have 100% chance of admission and affordability, as well as being a suitable school for the student. 50% to 75% chance would typically be considered a match.</p>
<p>It’s possible the safety is one of the California unis either CSU or UC. Penn State is a reach most likely financially so the OP needs to be clear what the budget is going to be and Cornell would be a reach. So it feels to me what this kid is missing are the match schools. He likes Penn so it feels like he probably wants the Big U feel, if so than Utah might be worth looking at, but again the finances need to be pretty transparent. It feels to me like the OP needs to find out of the kiddo wants big or small and then make the match list. And the OP needs to be clear with herself what the budget is (and if Profile colleges can even be part of this given the family situation the son will be confronted with on the Profile.)</p>
<p>I don’t think any applicant could find a school which would have 100% chance of admission. I know my kids couldn’t find any, except maybe local community college(s). This is especially the case for very high stats kids.</p>
<p>Depending on the stats, there seems to be an entire list of such schools, oldfort. I think it was on this thread that I found out about two right here in my state. Maybe some would only view them as “less then” though.</p>
<p>Our academic and financial safeties are UC Riverside (applying) and Merced (by statewide guarantee). Everything else is admittedly a reach. He will grow where he is planted, so why not go for the most fertile ground? My son does not really believe he will get into any of these reach schools, so there is nothing to lose except an application fee and little time on essays. I think its worth it.</p>
<p>And forgive me if i have offended anyone by my characterization of HBCU’s. There is no doubt that many of them offer a very high quality education, and numerous men and women of great esteem have attended them. I do not think they are inferior by any means. However, in my opinion they are not highly regarded outside of the AA community.</p>
<p>Slym…as long as your son would be happy at one of those safeties…then fine.</p>
<p>But really…applying to ten schools or so…with the potential of eight rejections doesn’t seem like a good idea. </p>
<p>My kids were each rejected at one school. For DD it was a reach. She felt awful…even though she had already been accepted to her first choice school and three others. DS was rejected at a school where he was well within the range of accepted students. He got accepted at six other schools, but the sting of one rejection was felt.</p>
<p>And my KIDS picked those schools. I can’t imagine picking a list of schools for my kids where we actually thought they would get rejected. Plus…how invested in those essays and applications would one be for schools that are huge longshots.</p>
<p>I’m all for applying to a reach…or two. But I honestly do NOT believe the application list should be comprised of mostly reach schools.</p>
<p>Hi Slymlady,</p>
<p>I’ve been reading this thread but stayed quiet until now. I definitely wish you and your son the best.</p>
<p>I think you are underestimating the degree to which your son can have a full “social experience” even at commuter CSUs. My son is finishing up at Fresno State, which has a very high percentage of commuter students. Nevertheless, there are at least 6 dorms, and many student apartments and greek houses near campus. He has definitely had a “full social experience” in terms of social life and experiences. </p>
<p>The CSUs are more financially affordable as well. </p>
<p>I do have a question about Merced. Yes it is likely he will be admitted, but how is it “guaranteed?” Did I miss something?</p>
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<p>Not always as a low GPA/high SAT could signify a student being heavily challenged at an academically rigorous high school and that can sometimes work in the student’s favor.</p>
<p>However, I am with many posters who are saying that choosing engineering or colleges should really be driven by the student’s preferences and the parent(s) shouldn’t be driving most of/the entire college application process…and certainly not choosing majors.</p>
<p>The latter is a quick route to resentful adults who cut off their parents and/or ones who find themselves miserably trapped at jobs they hate and yet, are at a loss on how to change careers. One woman I dated was in precisely this situation…and she was the one who selected Pharmacy without parental prompting as “it seemed a good route to a good job” without assessing whether she liked it enough to sustain her through its negative aspects. Such as long hours and juggling multiple sometimes conflicting tasks simultaneously in a high tempo/high stress environment* where an error could literally kill someone. </p>
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<li>She works in a hospital, not a pharmacy store.</li>
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<p>All, I really do appreciate the input. You have certainly got me thinking about the negative ramifications of whats likely to be a huge amount of rejections and how it will affect my son. I was of the mindset that its worth it for even one longshot acceptance but Mom has 20 years additional life experiences that he does not. </p>
<p>I’m not all the way there yet, but you have sparked a desire for some conversations in my household.</p>
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<p>Very high stats students should have plenty of four year schools that they have 100% chance of admission:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1562918-updated-list-schools-auto-admit-guaranteed-admission-criteria.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1562918-updated-list-schools-auto-admit-guaranteed-admission-criteria.html</a></p>
<p>Of course, it gets trickier if many or all of the schools are too expensive without financial aid or scholarships. Then, a very high stats student may be looking here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-19.html#post16145676[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-19.html#post16145676</a></p>
<p>However, the OP’s son with a 2.9 GPA would have more limited choices of automatic admission, and few (if any) automatic large scholarships. A less selective local CSU with the desired engineering major may be the closest thing to a four year school safety, unless some school like South Dakota Mines is affordable at list price. UC Merced may also be a safety if the student falls into one of the UC guarantee classes, it has the desired major, and it is affordable.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider…MANY students who choose engineering themselves switch OUT of that major.</p>
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<p>Does Merced have the desired engineering majors?</p>
<p>It has mechanical, materials, environmental, and computer engineering. None are ABET accredited, but the first three are seeking ABET accreditation.</p>
<p>Also, note that if he falls into one of the UC guarantee classes, it is best to explicitly apply to UC Merced if he wants to use it as a safety. There is the “if space is available” condition in the UC guarantee. Explicitly applying also allows pre-selection of major.</p>