What's a realistic school for me?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hey guys just some background on me... I am a white male who is from an extremely competitive public school in northern VA. </p>

<p>I am looking to go into engineering! Please help me find a school that I can Realistically get in and is good for engineering. </p>

<p>Basically where should I apply? I was thinking UVA (in state) Carnegie, cornell?? </p>

<p>Gpa weighted 4.31 all As except one B in calculus AB
10/277 for top 4 percent in class
10 APs total including senior year
Multivariable calculus senior year</p>

<p>ACT: highest was a 33 with a 35 in math 35 in English and 31 in science and 29 in reading in one date. Also a 9 in the essay for a 32 combined English writing score. </p>

<p>SAT 2'S: Math 2 770.
US history 690</p>

<p>Extra circulars:
co-founder of a non profit organization dedicated to providing kids with comfort items and educations. IT officer </p>

<p>4H raised lambs. Took third in showmanship
Vice president of school model UN. Resolution was chosen to represent delegation. </p>

<p>Varsity chess team. Team took second at regionals and third at States. Took second individually in Robbie carter's annual March madness tournament. </p>

<p>Math tutor in community and school</p>

<p>governor for an advisory council dedicated to helping teens overcome issues with are most oppressing. </p>

<p>Tennis team number one seed and captain. MVP all three years. Competed at districts as a individual and team. </p>

<p>Boy scouts held numerous positions and soon to be eagle Scout. </p>

<p>Gold and silver presidential awards for over 300 service hours sophomore year and 200 junior year. </p>

<p>An alumni of leadership Loudoun and 2013 boys state. Party chairman </p>

<p>Mu alpha theta, nhs, and foreign language honor societies. </p>

<p>Awarded magnum cum laude on Latin 4 national exam.</p>

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<p>Note to make up for the B in calc Ab I took BC at nova community college and got an A. I am dual Enrolled for multivariable senior year. </p>

<p>My nova gpa is 4.0</p>

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<p>I think you are a good candidate at the 3 schools you listed. That being said, being a good candidate is not a guarantee of admission. Also, CMU and Cornell are very expensive. Do you have academic and financial safeties?</p>

<p>Also, wrt SAT IIs, selective engineering schools will want to see a science subject test, probably either Physics or Chemistry.</p>

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<p>I took chem but only got a 650…</p>

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<p>I’d say if you take either a chemistry or physics subject test (and score pretty well, doesn’t have to be fantastic) that you can get into any 3 of them. The math 2 score along with the 35 in math on the ACT will greatly help you for CMU. I also think that UVA is a match for you and Cornell is a high match.</p>

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<p>Subject tests aren’t required tho for act I thought</p>

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<p>What about Virginia Tech?</p>

<p>Anyway, have you checked the schools’ net price calculators to see if they are affordable?</p>

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<p>ACT does not always replace subject tests. CMU requires either the SAT or ACT as well as 2 subject tests (math and a science)</p>

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<p>Any other suggestions for schools I should apply to? And I will have to check out the net price calculators thx!!</p>

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<p>Why go to Tech when you have UVA? =p . Jk, but it’d roughly be the equivalent to passing on UC Berkeley for UC Santa Cruz.</p>

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<p>Yeah u much prefer UVA… I just hope I get in their engineering program</p>

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<p>People who care about rankings (which it looks like the OP is one, given his choices) may want to know that VT is usually ranked higher for engineering than UVA, even though UVA is usually ranked higher generically. However, engineering employment is not really as school-prestige-conscious as, for example, investment banking or management consulting employment.</p>

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<p>So VT?..</p>

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<p>VT probably produces better engineers (in most fields, not all. UVA has better Biomedical and Chemical than Tech) however UVA offers its engineers the possibility of developing business acumen through its engineering business minor and economics department. Perks such as these will prevent an engineer from hitting the proverbial “glass ceiling” many engineers face over time (which is why a lot go back for the their MBAs). Also, not all engineers stay in engineering. UVA has highly ranked programs in ALL fields, not just not engineering. If the OP decides to switch out of engineering or not use his engineering degree after graduation (maybe get one of those prestigious consulting jobs which some of our top grads do) UVA will allow for more possibilities than Tech can. It is also worth noting that “general” undergraduate prestige plays a part in grad school admissions and early career job hunts.</p>

<p>Tech is not a bad school, strong engineering and architecture (stronger than UVA as ucbalumnus pointed out), okay business, but it is a less desirable choice for most top students when compared UVA. Considering UVA’s corporate reputation and well roundedness, the OP should consider it over Tech unless Tech gives him a substantial scholarship (which he would get with his stats).</p>

<p>Also, if the OP is in to girls, UVA has a better ratio going on than Tech. Better sports on the whole too. There is a reason why Tech focuses on football, it’s the only major sport they regularly beat us in outside of wrestling and women’s volleyball. Basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, rowing, etc. is all UVA. Tech hasn’t even attempted to get a Men’s lacrosse team cause they know they’ll have years of winless seasons in the ACC and it’ll diminish their football edge due title 9 adjustments they’d have to make in order to be competitive in both sports.</p>

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<p>Engineering (and CS) recruiting tends to favor local/regional schools (for convenience) and those with better reputations specific to the major. PhD program admissions are more likely to be concerned with how good the best students in the major would be as PhD students, rather than the usual notions of school prestige which are based on the quality of the worst students at the school.</p>

<p>Any engineering student in any school should be able to take breadth or free electives in economics or business.</p>

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<p>Again, OP might decide not to stay in engineering. For example, if he pursues consulting or finance with his engineering degree after undergrad UVA is the better option.</p>

<p>Anyway, let’s let everyone decide for themselves. I have links to the Virginia Tech post-grad survey and the UVA one for 2012. </p>

<p>[Virginia</a> Tech Post Graduation Report: Full Report](<a href=“http://www.career.vt.edu/PostGraduationReport/PostGraduationReportByMCU.asp?College=00&Major=ALL&Cohort=2010-2011&SortBy=]Virginia”>http://www.career.vt.edu/PostGraduationReport/PostGraduationReportByMCU.asp?College=00&Major=ALL&Cohort=2010-2011&SortBy=)</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.career.virginia.edu/download/First_Destinations_2012.pdf[/url]”>https://www.career.virginia.edu/download/First_Destinations_2012.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>One thing for sure, VT has a better post-graduation survey, since they have information broken down by major.</p>

<p>Also, if the OP really wants to go into investment banking and management consulting, HYP is a lot better for that than UVA. While such employers may go to a few state flagships (UVA, Michigan, Berkeley) and recruit a few there in a highly competitive process, they will take a much higher percentage of the graduating class (30-60%) at HYP.</p>

<p><a href=“Out of Harvard, and Into Finance - The New York Times”>Out of Harvard, and Into Finance - The New York Times;

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<p>We’re comparing VT and UVA, not UVA and HYP. I will be the first to admit that UVA can’t hold a candle to the Ivies for undergrad (nor can Berkeley for that matter). That’s why UVA attempts to steal Ivy level talent with its Echols, Rodman and Jefferson Scholar programs. =)</p>

<p>With respect to the OP, based off the stats he has provided, the OP does not have a shot at HYP. Therefore IF the OP desires the possibility of having a career that is not engineering related UVA is the better choice. Furthermore, it is worth pointing out that selective firms recruiting a few from a school is better than selective firms recruiting none from a school.</p>

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<p>Has the OP indicated an interest in going into investment banking or management consulting? While it seems to be a “default career” at HYP, it certainly is not the only non-engineering career that people want to do. Indeed, many don’t want to do anything that stressful and unhealthy.</p>

<p>[Warning:</a> Banking May Be Hazardous to Your Health - WSJ.com](<a href=“Warning: Banking May Be Hazardous to Your Health - WSJ”>Warning: Banking May Be Hazardous to Your Health - WSJ)</p>

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<p>No, the OP has not indicated an interest in going to investment banking or management consulting. I used these professions as examples of possible alternative lucrative career paths to engineering that are significantly more accessible by attending a school like UVA instead of VT. The OP may say that he wants to do engineering but the reality is that there is a chance he will drop out of engineering due to rigor or a change in career interests. </p>

<p>If the OP knows engineering is their calling then the OP should attend VT. If the OP has a second thoughts about engineering, other academic interests they’d like pursue along with engineering or would like to say that they attended a prestigious university then the OP should attend UVA.</p>