What colleges should I apply to?

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys,

What colleges should I apply to?

I am a senior this fall.
Major Choice: Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering.

ACT with writing - 26
English (26), Math (31), Reading (24), Science (22)
SAT - 1740
Math (660), Critical Reading (510), Writing (570)
(I’m planning to take the tests above another time, I will most likely improve by at least 3 points on the ACT, and 200-300 on the SAT)

GPA - Unweighted (3.98), Weighted (4.19)

EC:
I am multi-lingual.

100 + Volunteering Hours (Various Organizations, Library, Tutoring, etc…)

Played the piano for 8 years
Played the guitar for 4 years
Won certificates in both instruments
Performed in front of audiences ( Recitals, Ensembles, etc…)
Took ABRSM exam for Music Theory Grade 3 - passed
Took ABRSM exam for Guitar Practical Grade 3 - passed with Merit
Took 3 Guild Repertoire Piano Music Exams and passed all. (1 of them I earned a plaque) (3 of them with certification)

I played on the JV team for Basketball and Soccer in freshman year of high school.
I played tennis for about 4 - 5 years. I reached the sectionals tournament of USTA Norcal in the state of California with my team, Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC).

I also achieved recognition in the field of art, as I do all types of mediums: Oil Pastel, Pencil Shading, Pen & Ink, Watercolor Paintings, Acrylic Paintings, Oil Paintings, as well as Graphic Design (Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator).
I won several medals and certificates in art contests.

I am also proficient with all of Microsoft Office and HTML.

Great letters of recommendation.

I flew to the country of Turkey and interned there at Gediz University with a professor in the area of Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering . As I shadowed him and aided him in his research, I learned the basics and the foundations of aerodynamics, college level.

Appreciate your help!

2

Financial need? State of residence?

3

Parents are willing to pay 20k and I will pay 5k, and I need the rest from scholarships and financial aid.
I live in California.

4

So far, your test scores are limiting your options. CA state schools are your best bet with your current numbers, financial need, and engineering as your objective. Most LACs don’t offer engineering, and those few that do probably aren’t going to give you the financial aid you want. You can’t afford the State Us outside of CA.

Retake the tests and if your numbers improve substantially, come back for additional suggestions.

5

@N’s Mom
Thank you for your advice.

6

Improve your test scores to a 1900+ then you would be good for UC Irvine and UC Davis. I know its out of your budget but your only other options are Cal Poly SLO or SJSU if you want a good engineering school. Otherwise Great GPA :slight_smile:

7

Here is a link to an excel table I made with average UC GPA and test scores for each UC campus. If you plan to pursue engineering, then expect to have Stats at or above the average listed.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jj0d3ttxoxw6pwo/uc%20stats.xlsx?dl=0

With your GPA and ACT/SAT scores, I would target UCR/UCSC/UCI. If you can improve those test scores, then UCSB and UCD could be possible. I would also look into SJSU/CSULB/SLO/CPP/SDSU which all have excellent engineering programs.

8

Thank you guys.