Hi, I am an upcoming junior wondering about my chances of getting into Olin college. By application time, I will have a unweighted gpa of 3.91, and I’m expecting a ACT score of 34-35 based on practice tests. I have done 120 hours of service hours including 40+ in the areas of engineering. I have taken AP Calculus, I am planning to take AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP English this upcoming year, and I will take AP Computer Science, AP English, and either AP Calculus BC or Statistics senior year. This totals to seven AP classes. I have also been heavily involved in my school’s First robotics team for 4 years, and I have assumed a leadership role since 2014. We have competed on the world level every single year. I also plan to do a summer internship the summer of junior year at a aerospace manufacturing robotics company. If you have any other suggestions for colleges, please let me know, and thank you in advance for your time
Based on the information here, I think you are competitive for those schools, assuming your AP results are good (4 or 5). Check carefully about what those schools want to see in terms of Calculus before choosing between Calc BC and Stats. Is AB enough or will they look more favorably on BC? (You might want to call Admissions and ask.) What kind of engineering are you planning on majoring in? Where do you have state residency?
Hi, @Westchestermom I’m thinking of majoring in either Mechanical, Electrical, or Software, and I have residency in Washington State, as for AP tests, I got a 4 on AP calculus :(.
You have a lot of assumptions yet (assuming a 34-35 on ACT, and assuming a GPA “at application time” when you haven’t even started your junior year!). And don’t forget you need to take the SAT subject tests too.
But given those assumptions and looking at your courses, I’d say you have a decent chance (but they take so few, that many people who have a decent chance still don’t get in).
AB is enough. My son took AB as a senior and got into Mudd.
@ClaremontMom haha, yes at this point educated assumptions are about as good as I have. I am planning on taking at least a math, science, and humanities sat II. Thank you so much for your insight on Calculus BC, as statistics sounds like a much more interesting course ( I will still contact the admit offices to make sure though ). 
My son’s stats were similar to yours, with a slightly lower unweighted gpa. Lots of APs, 7 years of robotics, plenty of volunteer hours. Mudd was his first choice and he didn’t get in there, or to Olin. He will be attending his second choice, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. It was on his radar and then highly recommended by the interviewer from Olin. It’s considered the “Harvey Mudd of the Midwest” but the admit rate is much higher, mostly because the location (Indiana) is less desirable. You might want to throw an application their way… they do Early Action.
Re: decision between Calc BC and Statistics. AB enables you to place out of Calc I, BC enables you to place out of Calc II. Stats will get you out of the introductory Stats course. However, some engineering majors do not require an introductory stats course, whereas they are certain to require the Calc sequence.
I think that during the next year or so you should try to identify which engineering major is your passion. At some schools, you are accepted generally into engineering and you declare your exact major later on. At others, you apply directly to the major.
If you decide to major in CS, be aware that at certain schools, it is very hard to be accepted into CS if you don’t get in prior to freshman year. This major is experiencing a surge in popularity. For the University of Washington, they take some kids into CS as freshman (guaranteed admit) whereas others must apply for sophomore year. The latter students risk not being able to major in CS if they are denied sophomore admission.
Also talk with your parents regarding financial aid and costs. Are private schools like Mudd and Olin affordable? (I know Olin gives some money, but it’s no longer a “free” school.) Can you afford an out of state public? Remember you are looking at 50-70K cost of attendance.
@Westchestermom Thanks for your reply!, Thanks for your posts helping me with this problem! I am aware that some CS programs are incredibly difficult to get into, and I will make a decision before applications summer of senior year. 50-70k is an awful lot of money, and I think I have a rather well paid summer internship lined up junior year that will aid my parents. I also plan on working as much as I can between classes during college to also lessen the load. My parents have said that they are fully behind me in any choice that I make (given that I am accepted). Again, thank you so much for your replies!
Please use the College Search forum for looking for other colleges to apply to. You should know that a lot of informed posters do not use this forum to give advice because of tiresome chance threads. How accurate do you think chances with made up data are. They are already garbage with real data.
Your parents may be ‘behind you’ with costs but do they know what the costs will actually be? Run the Net Price Calculator from the college websites. Olin gives 1/2 tuition.