Where should I apply to?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Now that college applications are starting to open, I am starting to narrow down my list of colleges to apply to. I am comfortable applying to 10-15 colleges.</p>

<p>Am a rising senior from AL. Am Asian (Indian) if that matters.</p>

<p>SAT I: 2330 (770 M, 760 CR, 800 W, 10 Essay), will probably retake in October</p>

<p>SAT II: 800 US History, 790 Math II, 770 Bio M, 750 Chemistry</p>

<p>PSAT: 224 (79 CR, 78 M, 67 W) - will get NMF</p>

<p>ACT: 35 (35 E, 35 M, 35 R, 35 S); 36 Superscore (36 E, 35 M, 35 R, 36 S), will retake in September for 36</p>

<p>AP: Sophomore: US History (5), Chemistry (5); Junior: Calculus BC (5/5), Macroeconomics (5), Microeconomics (5), English Language (5), Biology (4), Physics C Mechanics (4)</p>

<p>GPA: 5.08 W, 4.00 UW</p>

<p>Class Rank: 1/377</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: 4 years Varsity Cross Country, 4 years Captain School Quiz Bowl, President - Science National Honor Society, President - Chemistry Club, Played piano for 8 years, Worked to mentor at-risk high school kids (was paid), Research w/local university Professor</p>

<p>Volunteering: Hospital (200 hours in ICU/Oncology), local Science Center (50 hours), tutoring struggling students (50 hours)</p>

<p>Honors: 2013 Siemens Competition Semifinalist, 2014 JSHS National Finalist, 2012 and 2014 Intel ISEF Finalist, 2014 Intel ISEF American Society for Microbiology Special Award, 2012 and 2013 1st Place State Science Fair Microbiology, 2014 1st Place State Science Fair Materials and Bioengineering, Provisional Patent</p>

<p>Major: Most likely Chemical or Biomedical Engineering, but I would like to eventually pursue either a career in Medicine (MD) or a career in Management (MBA)</p>

<p>Finances: My parents make about 110k a year, and they are willing to pay about 20k annually. </p>

<p>I would like to go to schools like HYPSM, but I'm not sure if I have the stats for such schools. As a result, I am looking into schools like Texas A&M, where I will get full tuition.</p>

<p>Could you CC'ers please suggest some reaches, safeties, and matches for me, and some full scholarship programs that I would be a competitive applicant to? I am not limited by distance, but I wouldn't want my parents to have to pay too much for my undergrad, and then later have to have them foot the bill for my professional school. This would be a great help.</p>

2

<p>Well, the HYPSMs are crapshoots for everyone, so you apply to them and then forget about them. Maybe you’ll get into one. You’re certainly well prepared academically and have lots of science competition awards that are favored by the HYPSMs. No one can tell you that you will get into one of them, but I strongly encourage you to find you’re really interested in and do everything you can to get into it. You might apply to a bunch of ivys and near ivys but focus your attn on one in particular. If it doesn’t turn out it, you weren’t expecting it to anyway.</p>

<p>Your parents make enough money that I wonder at your ability to get need-based grants. Having said that, if there are places where this can happen it is at the elite schools. Here’s one list of such “meets-need” schools:</p>

<p><a href=“Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students”>Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students;

<p>and you can see that they’re the kinds of schools to which you aspire.</p>

<p>These schools promise they will not charge students like you more than the Expected Family Contribution, an amount set by calculators that the colleges use and based upon your parents salary, assets, numbers of children and numbers of children in college and private school, etc. You can get an estimate of what that EFC is likely to be for your family by going to the financial aid page of each college and looking for the “net price calculator.” Do this with your parents and their last year’s tax return, bank statements, etc.</p>

<p>If you don’t get into one of these schools you’re probably going to find that schools may present you with a gap between the EFC and what the school promises you in grant aid. If the gap is substantial, you might find that the gap can only be filled by getting a sizable merit award, possibly as large as full tuition or full ride. Fortunately, you’re as good a candidate as there is for one of these. Some are automatic, but most are competitive. You will find them listed here:</p>

<p><a href=“Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p><a href=“Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p>If you have other questions, someone here will be glad to answer. Your parents have reasons to be proud of you.</p>

3

<p>I’d like to see you in science, but if you must go into business or medical practice I’ll still help :P. Have you thought about an MD/PhD program? Or just a PhD? Okay, enough about me :smiley: </p>

<p>Because you’re unsure what path you’ll take, it would be good to go to a uni with an engineering program from the start rather than a) transfer later (and possibly lose your FA package) or b) apply to the generally unpopular 3+2 programs offered at many LACs (most juniors don’t want to leave their homies before they graduate). The courses in engineering the first couple semesters are a lot like the courses you would take in a more pre-med field: Physics, Chemistry, Bio. There will be some engineering courses first year, and these will expose you to enough engineering to help you decide if it’s for you. </p>

<p>Since you might apply to med school, and what med schools want to see is GPA and prerequisites for med school regardless of major, some engineers who would apply to med school find out that their GPAs have taken a hit by going thru engineering rather than dance or French or biology. So I recommend the best schools that are good in areas other than engineering.</p>

<p>So I’m going to suggest unis with accredited BME and CE programs.</p>

<p>reach for anyone: Columbia, Georgia Tech Presidential Merit, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, UPenn, UVA, UTexas OOS, </p>

<p>match: Northwestern, Penn State Honors, Rice, Rose Hulman, UMich, URochester, USC, Vanderbilt, WashingtonU, </p>

<p>academic safety: Case Western, CUNY, Clemson, Drexel, Illinois Institute of Technology, Lehigh, Louisiana Tech, Michigan Tech, New Jersey Inst of Technology, North Carolina SU, Northeastern, Purdue, Rensselaer Polytechnical Inst, Rutgers, SUNY Buffalo, Stevens Inst of Technology, SUNY Stony Brook, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Akron, Toledo, Tulane, UArizona, UArkansas, UCDavis, UCIrvine, UCincinnati, UConn, UIowa, UMD-CP, UMinn-Twin Cities, UPitt, URhode Island, USouth Carolina, UTennessee, UUtah, UWashington, UWisconsin, Virginia Commonwealth,
Worcester Polyptych</p>

<p>The schools on this list are ABET-accredited. There might be more BME accredited programs that are listed under some other rubric like BioSystems or BioEngineering, but if one of these latter nomenclatures was used and the word Biomedical appeared under “criteria” I tossed it onto the list. I might not have been thorough in doing this, but the list is pretty accurate.</p>

<p>There are plenty of better engineering schools than these reaches that have one or the other major, like MIT, for instance. But the list is what it is: as broad a list as there can be for someone who hasn’t settled on BME or CE.</p>

4

<p>I would highly suggest Yale. You have the stats to get in, and they are known for excellent financial aid.</p>

5

<p>Choose one safety. Safeties must be absolutely affordable, absolutely some place you will get into, absolutely some place you will attend if all else fails, and, of course, have your major. I’d recommend Case, Syracuse, Ohio State, Tulane, UMD-CP, UPitt where you will get an excellent education AND are possibly going to get a full scholarship or full ride based on what I know about them.</p>

<p>Two matches should be like safeties in that you should absolutely want to go there and expect huge merit or grant aid. Based on what I know, I would recommend Vanderbilt and Northwestern.</p>

<p>The reaches can be as many as you want, but I would focus on one: That one would be Georgia Tech’s Presidential Scholarship. It is a great engg school, and I think you could get the Presidential. Check it out. Second bet would be Johns Hopkins which is just a great school with an outstanding BME. Money might be tougher here. It would be hard to beat Texas for CE, but OOS student admissions are about 10% so it’s a reach. The ivies are not generally known for engg, and Cornell is the only really good engg school. I wouldn’t bother with UVA or the ivies for engg. </p>

<p>However, I’m not you. With your cred you could get into any ivy, so don’t be shy about choosing an ivy just for the heck of it, even if it doesn’t have both CE and BME. I’d choose Cornell (where you will find it easier to get in but harder to get aid), but there is a romance the world has with other ivies, too. Stay away from Dartmouth unless you like your parties loud, drugged, and physical. Princeton is a beautiful school. Harvard ain’t bad. Yale’s rep is in the humanities and social sciences so they’re building up their natural sciences like mad.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the replies! I’m not really set on BME (prefer CE), as I know the job prospects can be worse than other traditional engineering majors. I am seriously considering Georgia Techs Presidential program…and crossing my fingers that I get in!</p>

<p>How many schools should I apply to? I’ve got about 15 schools pinned down, but I’m not sure if that is too many. Do you think I should even apply to schools like Auburn, UAB, and Texas A&M.</p>

<p>I’m probably going to end up applying early action to MIT, Caltech, and UChucago (maybe).</p>

<p>Do you know of any full rides that I would be competitive for, and any other schools beside HYPSM and the others that were listed above that I should apply to? Also, do schools like Northwestern, Hopkins, and Cornell give good aid, or do I need to aim higher to get a good FA package?</p>

7

<p>

Yes, but you probably should not apply to a lot of them. Three seems about right.</p>

<p>For full ride scholarships, your best bets will be schools where you would be in the upper 10% to 20% of SAT and ACT scores. The bigger the gap between your scores and your peers, the more likely you will get a scholarship. Also, private colleges tend to be more generous with merit aid than state universities.</p>

<p>Personally, I think you should at least consider small liberal arts colleges. In Alabama, take a look at Birmingham Southern. Here in Ohio, you might look at Denison or Ohio Wesleyan.</p>

<p>Other major universities to consider include Rice University and Tulane University.</p>

<p>

15 might be too many, but maybe not. The more reaches you apply to, the longer the list should be. I do recommend doing serious research on 15 to 20 (or even more). After deciding which ones you really like, apply to them in order of preference. At some point you will decide that you have applied to enough of them (or you will run out of money).</p>

8

<p>A full ride is seldom a free ride. Usually there are several thousand dollars each year in unmet costs. As I said in my first post, there are lots of elite meets need schools that may offer you all but the EFC. That may mean all but 10-20K per year, perhaps, in your family’s case. To go the full ride schools might require you to lower your sights a lot to be sure you’d get the full ride–something along the line of Birmingham Southern or Ohio Wesleyan or Denison. Fine schools, but not elite. Tulane is a little closer to elite and would consider you for a full ride, I think, and Rice is certainly closer to elite but I don’t know much about merit there. </p>

<p>So do you spare your family almost any cost for your college expenses or do you moderate that impulse and maybe take on some debt yourself combined with some contributions from them? If you were my child, I would hug you just for considering the first option, but I’d love you no less for going with the second, if it’s possible.</p>

9

<p>@jkeil911‌ Thank you for your reply. I would prefer to go to a school that is a top school, and am willing to pay 10-20 k a year if the difference is significant. </p>

<p>Does an engineering degree from a school like MIT or Caltech make a significant difference than a degree from a school like Texas A&M or Auburn (where I am likely to get a full ride)? Also, if I do decide to go the premed route, how much does institutional prestige matter?</p>

10

<p>

Good comparison to make. Yes, MIT and Caltech do actually make a huge difference; especially in salary (both immediately upon graduation and over your lifetime). BUT those two schools are about the only ones on that list. Perhaps add Carnegie Mellon and Georgia Tech.</p>

<p>Auburn and Texas A&M will lead to excellent jobs. MIT, CalTech, GT, and CMU will lead to amazing jobs (but only if that is what you want).</p>

<p>

Almost not at all. If you want to go to medical school, don’t pay extra for your undergrad education.</p>

11

<p>OP, given those two options, that would be the right choice in my household as well (but not necessarily in everyone’s). Research FA at the reaches I have given you or one of these BME OR CE schools like CalTech, MIT, CMU, and Cornell (the rest of the ivies are less important in Engg, and see what the net price calculators show you. Then check out the matches and safeties. If your EFC is 10-20, then you’ll know you can apply there and not be a burden on your family.</p>

12

<p>It bemuses me how you think you don’t have the stats for HYPSM! I think you spend too much time on these forums and get caught up in having to be perfect. That being said, I think you honestly have a great shot at ANY school that you want! :)</p>

13

<p>By the way, the abbreviation “CE” stands for Civil Engineering. Chemical Engineering is normally abbreviated ChE or ChemE. :wink: </p>

14

<p>Hello - as an independent observer, here is how I would view your application:</p>

<p>PROS:[ul]
[<em>]Strong standardized test scores
[</em>]Strong grades/class rank
[<em>]Geographic diversity (AL)
[</em>]Great ECs (Siemens, Intel, provisional patent)[/ul]</p>

<p>CONS:[ul]
[<em>]ORM (Indian)
[</em>]No leadership positions in ECs
[li]School: private or public? How easy is the school? Did you take the hardest course load?[/li][/ul]</p>

<p>Your test scores are high enough. DON’T TAKE THEM AGAIN, as you will appear to be a nit. Make sure you write a decent essay, show it to others to see what they think. Focus on your recommendations, make it easy for your teachers to write something nice about you. Make sure you craft your application carefully to highlight your various strengths. Be confident, but don’t be arrogant. Its a fine line.</p>

<p>Given all of the above, here are some suggestions: You have a GREAT shot at HYPMS. Given your interest in BME, suggest you also add Duke and Hopkins to your list. If you are ultimately interested in medical school then focus on a school where you can get as high of a GPA as possible for undergrad (avoid schools or programs where curved scores are common).</p>

15

<p>Thanks for your reply @sgopal2!</p>

<p>

I’m the Captain of our School Quiz Bowl team (3rd in state), the President of the Science National Honor Society (sponsored a community brain health expo and a multiple sclerosis walk/fundraised), President - Chemistry Club (chemistry demos). Is that not enough ECs?</p>

<p>My parents want a primarily engineering focused school, so in case I don’t want to do premed, I have other options. Also, I want to save my parents money for med school instead of having to take out loans. Do you know of any engineering schools that give full rides? I am seriously considering Texas A&M right now (b/c of Full Rides for NMFs), but that is my last option.</p>

16

<p>@indianboy2400 wrote:

</p>

<p>Sorry I must’ve missed that. These are good examples of leadership. However HYPMS they would be looking for even greater leadership positions (ie captain of varsity sports team, student body president, etc). Being captain or president of a relatively small club within your HS is good, but not as impressive as leadership on a statewide or national level.</p>

<p>You still have a great chance, but keep in mind that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of kids just like you who will be applying.</p>

<p>If you are seriously interested in medical school then I strongly suggest to AVOID engineering. Most engineering classes are graded on curves and hence makes it hard to get a high GPA. One of the main determinants for getting into med school is high GPA (regardless of the rigor of the coursework). If you really have your heart set on engineering try to focus on schools with lower academic rigor that you can stand out. </p>