I live in Colorado and have a 1500 SAT and 36 ACT. I have a 3.4 GPA due to personal problems but the last 2 semesters I’ve had a 4.2 average. I also lifeguard but don’t have too many ECs other than that. I’d like to major in engineering with a business minor. I know I couldn’t get into an Ivy but what’s the best level of college (specific to my degree) that might accept me?
Next year as a senior I’m taking AP Comp Sci, Calc BC, Physics C, and Chemistry, if that helps.
URochester and CWRU might be examples of schools that would be within range for you.
Look a schools where the standardized test scores are weighed more heavily than GPA. That 36 will open doors.
You might have a better uc gpa. They weight things differently. And some cal schools look at scores more than ecs. Also some pure stem schools. RPI wpi And lastly there are some schools that don’t include freshman scores. That will really lift you and get you into the ballpark. Recs essays are going to be important. Only caveat is avoid the let me tell you why I have a bad gpa story as your personal statement.
Remember also that engineering schools are relatively ‘flat’- if they are ABET schools you are in good shape. Make sure you apply to what you want- engineering can be a separate admission in some schools.
The Ivy League is an NCAA Division I sports conference, located in the northeastern US, that is generally considered #1 for academic selectivity. If you like Ivies but suspect that they may be too selective, try the Patriot League.
The Patriot League is an NCAA Division I sports conference, located in the northeastern US, that is generally considered #2 for academic selectivity. Patriot League schools like Lehigh or Boston University would be great for engineering with a business minor, and would likely give a geographic boost in admissions to an applicant from Colorado. In particular, check out Lehigh’s “Integrated Business and Engineering” (IBE) program, although that specific program may be approaching Ivy-level selectivity.
Alternatively, consider the University Athletic Association, which is one of the most academically selective conference in NCAA Division III. Rochester and CWRU are examples of UAA schools. Many DIII schools are small liberal arts colleges that don’t offer engineering, but there are exceptions.
RPI would be another highly ranked northeastern DIII university with strong engineering and the option for a minor in “management and technology”
Case Western, Lehigh, Lafayette.
Pitt LOVES perfect scores.
Miami Ohio.
Perhaps NYU tandon since the are still trying to establish the college.
You’d get into u Alabama honors+engineering and get a pretty sweet scholarship to boot.
UC’s are actually a bad idea since they weigh GPA way more than test scores.
UCs also charge high out-of-state tuition, with no out-of-state financial aid.
If you wanted to study engineering plus business in California, and be eligible for financial aid, your best bets would likely be at private universities. Good options for engineering/business would be USC (maybe a reach) and Santa Clara (maybe a match).
Most of the schools being suggested here (e.g. BU, Rochester, CWRU, Lehigh, NYU) are ranked in the 30s or 40s in the US News & World Report “National Universities” ranking. You would likely be a competitive applicant for schools in that range (or below). You could certainly apply to higher ranked schools as well, but they would more likely be reaches.
Most of the schools with strong engineering and business are in the “National Universities” ranking, but there could also be schools of interest in the “Regional Universities” and “National Liberal Arts Colleges” ranking. Santa Clara, for example, has great undergraduate engineering and business, but is in the “Regional Universities - West” category because it doesn’t issue enough doctoral degrees.
Some schools don’t have a “business” minor, but they do have an “economics” minor. If you were willing to make that substitution, you could add schools like Tufts or Lafayette.
Depending upon the circumstances, you may get a slight reprieve for your GPA if the personal circumstances are compelling & something that you had to overcome.
University of Michigan. Carnegie Mellon University.
Pitt could definitely be a decent safety for you. Apply early and you’ll get your scholarship offer and you can pretty much guess your COA by october. If you like it and feel comfortable there as a safety; then, you can start applying to more reach like schools.
At Alabama you need a 3.5 GPA (weighted or unweighted) freshman through junior years to get the big bucks. Most of the schools that offer big scholarships want high GPA and high test scores.
The only reason I mentioned ucs despite the contrary opinions is They weight gpa depending on types of classes. You might have received an f in art for all I know. Probably not the case and a reach. And I wasnt thinking Berkeley or UCLA But worth looking at where yo stand since you asked for options. It was just an option to consider. One of many. Uc Merced or UCi might be in play.
But the cost factor is a consideration. But unlike some others I don’t presuppose it is an issue because you never mentioned it.
Yeah I agree. USC is definitely a reach
You would be competitive for a lot of good options, like:
- well regarded, low-cost in-state schools (CU-Boulder, CO Mines)
- large urban privates in northeast (NYU, BU)
- small private universities in northeast (Lehigh, RPI)
- highly-ranked Catholic schools (Villanova, Santa Clara)
- mid-tier UCs (UCSD, UCD, UCSB, UCI)
- Big Ten state universities (Wisconsin, Penn State)
- southeastern privates (Tulane, UMiami)
So you might want to start thinking in more specific terms, besides “tier”. The list could be narrowed down if you had preferences for things like size, region, setting, or cost.
@corbett. 100% accurate and solid advice.
Despite your stellar test scores, your GPA would make BU/NYU a reach
You can consider ASU and UofA as out of state safeties. Barret honors at ASU may be worth a look, although the gpa may be an issue.
Keep in mind that the NYU engineering school (Tandon) is at the old Polytechnic campus in Brooklyn – not the Washington Square campus in Manhattan. Admissions are significantly easier at Tandon than at the main NYU campus (which is the reverse of most universities, where the engineering school is particularly competitive). When NYU announces record-low acceptance rates (as they’ve been doing over the past few years), they’re talking about Washington Square specifically, not Tandon.
For Fall 2017, Tandon specifically had a 43.3% acceptance rate, with a 25-75% Composite ACT range of 29-33. My guess is that the OP, with a 36 ACT, would be a competitive applicant.
http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/7814/screen/19?school_name=NYU+Tandon+School+of+Engineering