Sat: 1270
Sat 2: M1: 550 Phy: 600 M2: 600
GPA 5.02 w 3.98 uw
Female
Low income
African American
South Side Chicago Illinois
First Generation
Single Parent Household
Major: Electrical Engineering
Extra Curricular: Section Leader Band, Pep Band, Pit Orchestra, STEM Tutoring Internship, US China 100K Strong Ambassador, Robotics, Study Abroad in China, PepsiCo Design Challenge, Chinese Culture and Language Club
AP:8
Four years of Chinese
Strong letters of rec (One from Physics teacher another from Chinese teacher)
Essays: Center around globalization, engineering, identity
Schools:
Carnegie
Syracuse
Purdue
UMich Ann Arbor
Cornell University
Yale University
NYU
Northwestern
Northeastern
USC
You have a tough list, but you also have a GPA to boast about.
No one can give you the odds for each university listed, The easiest admit on your list is Syracuse. They are all fine universities.
Because you listed EE major, Chinese(Mandarin I assume) with study abroad in China, globalization, Pit Orchestra and robotics, I’m suggesting you add add WPI to your list. It is a very high quality activity/ major match with a lot of overseas Chinese research activity in engineering and all over the globe with automatic $5,000 scholarships for the world-wide off campus research centers. First generation/cultural diversity are hooks for FA. All of the above activities are VERY well developed part of a very unique program where team cooperation is held in higher esteem than “me first” competition.
The average unweighted GPA of the last class is just under 3.9. The acceptance rate is about the same as Syracuse, but 60% of the majors are in engineering with all majors are required to do research on integrated approaches to real project solutions.
You are a strong candidate based on your URM, first generation, low income & woman in STEM status. But your standardized test scores are weak. Not sure how one can remain in a tough major like EE with SAT subject test scores of 550 in Math 1 & 600 on the Math 2 exam. Hopefully you have earned high grades in all of your math courses.
Have you looked at any HBCUs in addition to the schools you’ve listed? HBCUs tend to be really good with STEM education and giving you what you need to succeed even if you haven’t been thoroughly prepared by your HS classes (which your test scores seem to maybe indicate). I have heard great things about Jackson State and Morgan State but there are many others (North Carolina A&T, Virginia State, etc). They are really the schools producing the most Black engineers and scientists. But you would maybe have to give up that China connection depending on the school. Do you plan to continue studying Chinese language and culture? Do you plan to keep up with band?
“USC (University of Southern California)? A reach school based on GPA and test scores.”
With an unweighted GPA of 3.98 you cannot get much better with your grades. Your test scores are low when compared with average test scores at your selected universities. It is also well established that first generation students and minority groups on average do not do as well on standardized tests. These test scores do not define your educational boundaries or limits. They are also low when compared to the average tests scores at WPI, BUT
You need the right environment, opportunity, and a little help from your friends. You probably have the stuff and standardized tests are overrated. Please look at this WPI data on their URM (under represented minorities) @ https://public.tableau.com/profile/wpi.institutional.research#!/vizhome/IR_DataDashboard-RetentionRates/RetentionRates You need to go to the Diversity Status box and click on URM to see the retention rates. They are only a couple of points lower than the total population AND the retention rates are all over 90%.
WPI has three engineering project centers in China and you can minor in Mandarin. Your guidance office may not be aware of these options.
@retiredfarmer: Since OP listed a weighted GPA of 5.02, I was assuming the UW GPA was not on a 4.0 scale since the weighted looks like it might be a on 6.0 scale, that is why I commented on a Low GPA along with Lower than average test scores for USC.
Given your standardized test scores I would consider most of the schools on your list to be reaches. Please be sure to create a balanced application list with reach, match, and safety schools that appear affordable (run net price calculators) and that you would be excited to attend.
You have a reachy list and your test scores are a bit soft for STEM. Being URM and 1st-gen will help. It’s hard to predict.
How have you done on AP tests? If your AP scores are strong, you might really consider applying to URochester before the 1/5 deadline. They are “test-flexible” and will consider AP scores instead of SAT/ACT scores if the former are stronger. They also love musicians, and they have strong Asian Studies programs. And they meet full need. (They do care about demonstrated interest so you’d need to catch up a bit on that front after submitting the app… but it’s a possibility to think a about.)
Also, Union College, also in upstate NY, is a test-optional, full-need-met school with engineering, as well as a major and minor in Chinese, and a 1/15 deadline.
You sound like a great candidate, and hopefully at least a few of the schools on your list will see that. (There are a few, like Purdue, NYU, and CMU that seem unlikely to be affordable, however.) But if you don’t have other matches/safeties that you know you can afford, I’d consider shoring up the test-optional/test-flexible (and full need met) end of your list a little if you can.
URM four year graduation rate 74% and a 5 year rate of 85%.
For some reason the female students have higher graduation rates than the male students. Four year rate is 79% and 5 year rate is 89%. University wide the female graduation rates are 88% and 92% respectivly.
These are very high success rates for a STEM university!
WPI is a great option if the financial aid comes through. They meet 80% of need on average, and meet full need for 58% of aid recipients. If you’re among that 58%, or if you have outside scholarships and/or a merit award to bridge the gap, then it could be a great fit.
@retiredfarmer also CDS - why, do you see a discrepancy?
I guess I cited the freshman numbers which are slightly different from the schoolwide numbers.
PROFILE OF 2016-17 FINANCIAL AID
Freshmen Financial Aid Applicants 943 (84.2%) of freshmen
Found to Have Financial Need 741 (78.6%) of applicants
Received Financial Aid 740 (99.9%) of applicants with financial need
Need Fully Met 432 (58.4%) of aid recipients
Average Percent of Need Met 80%
Average Award $34,841
Need-Based Gift
Received by 737 (99.6%) of aid recipients, average amount $22,795
Need-Based Self-Help
Received by 365 (49.3%) of aid recipients, average amount $2,265
Merit-Based Gift
Received by 203 (27.4%) of aid recipients
Merit-Based Gift 349 (31.2%) of freshmen had no financial need and received merit aid, average amount $12,797
All Undergraduates Financial Aid Applicants 3,136 (74.4%) of undergraduates
Found to Have Financial Need 2,678 (85.4%) of applicants
Received Financial Aid 2,664 (99.5%) of applicants with financial need
Need Fully Met 1,256 (47.1%) of aid recipients
Average Percent of Need Met 81%
Average Award $35,614
Need-Based Gift
Received by 2,598 (97.5%) of aid recipients, average amount $22,942
Need-Based Self-Help
Received by 1,320 (49.5%) of aid recipients, average amount $2,599
Merit-Based Gift
Received by 765 (28.7%) of aid recipients
Merit-Based Gift 1,487 (35.3%) of undergraduates had no financial need and received merit aid, average amount $15,800
A gray boxed bar appears across the top. Click on the arrow to right of gray boxes until section “h2” shows up and you will have detailed breakdown of FA information. This indicates that 82% of the matriculating freshmen with demonstrated FA had 100%of their need met. This data represents only those who actually enrolled and does not reflect the full population of FA needing admitted students.
Where did you find data on the awards offed to all accepted applicants?