Hello, I’m currently a Junior in High School. Here are my stats:
SAT: 1st time 2060 (650 R + 740 M + 670 W) and 2nd time 2020 (590 R + 720 M + 710 W) so superscore 2100
I’m waiting on SAT II for Bio E and Math II
ACT: 34 (33 E + 33 M + 32 R + 36 S and 11 on the Essay)
10-12 GPA: 3.78 UW/4.11 W (This is without the current semester, but it will go up)
Rank: 31/566
AP’s: World (4), Calc AB, USH, Lang, Bio so far
Comp Sci, Calc BC, Gov/Econ, Lit, Physics C: Mech next year (I would take French but I have schedule conflicts)
Extra-Curriculars: I’ve been playing trumpet in band since 4th grade. I’d say I have a passion for cars and driving and also computers and programming, but I can’t say I’ve done much to show that. I’ve tried volunteer work but I didn’t really enjoy it. I think I need the most work here.
I want to major in Aerospace Engineering. I’m not sure, though, if it would be better to get a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in Aerospace. I think I will go to grad school either way and would prefer to get a Bachelor’s in Aerospace. And, I’ think I will minor in Computer Science/Software Engineering.
Basically, I’m wondering what are the best colleges for aerospace or mechanical engineering that I have a decent shot of getting into. I’d say my “dream” school is Stanford, but, while my parents think I will easily get in, I’m not so convinced. It would be nice if this college had a good study abroad program (love travelling) and good internship opportunities so I can make connections for future jobs. It would also be nice if they had a decent music program, but that is not at all a necessity. I’m in California, but I would be willing to go most anywhere in the US. I could probably afford up to 20,000, but I believe I qualify for a few financial aid programs. I think Purdue is my best option, but I’d prefer to go to a smaller school (but it’s not a necessity).
Thanks guys
Have you looked University of Colorado Boulder? they are known for its Aerospace Engineering program.
UCs and CSUs should be considered if you need financial aid as a California resident. Check their net price calculators.
Most out of state publics will not give good financial aid, though some have merit scholarships.
I was about to say that, why not look at UCc and CSUs?
CSULB/Cal Poly SLO/UCSD/UCD/UCI would all be good options since you are in-state. UCLA could also be a possibility but as stated above, check the net price calculators and also calculate your EFC to determine if you will receive FA. Good Luck.
Yes, I’m looking at UCs and CSUs, mainly Cal Polly SLO, Berkeley (a stretch, I think), LA, and San Diego. I guess I could have made that clear. My other top choices would be Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, UT Austin, Ohio State, Illinois-Urbana, Michigan, and Colorado-Boulder.
Make sure to start your list with safeties that you know you will be admitted to, you know you can afford, and which offer your intended major. Your list in reply #5 consists of UCs and CSUs that are unlikely to be safeties for you (particularly as a mechanical engineering major) and out-of-state public schools that cost significantly more than $20,000 per year, will not offer you good financial aid, and whose large enough merit scholarships (if offered) would be super-reach for you. With that application list, your true safety would be to start at a community college and then transfer to a UC or CSU after two years – a doable option in California, but perhaps not the safety option that you would like best.
If the start-at-community-college option is unappealing to you, then I would recommend that you expand your list of UCs and CSUs, and also consider the lists linked to in http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html (for safeties, particularly the automatic full tuition/ride list at http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ and the low cost schools at http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1651944-very-low-cost-oos-coa-universities-less-than-25k-coa-for-everything.html ).
For example, your stats would give you an automatic full tuition scholarship at the University of Alabama - Huntsville, with a remaining cost of about $10,000 per year; it has mechanical and aerospace engineering and is near the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Use san jose state university as your safety. It has strong engineering programs and you should be able to get into the mechanical engineering program with your stats.
Hopefully you’ll use your ACT as your standardized test score to send to colleges; it is much better than your SAT. Since you have a budget, stay in California or go somewhere like @ucbalumnus mentions that gives you scholarships.
Reaches can be Cal Tech, Berkeley, and Stanford. Matches can be UCLA, USC, UCSD, UCI etc. Safeties can include San Jose State, any lower UC’s and CSU’s.
Yeah, I was just listing colleges I was interested in, not where I was necessarily thinking of applying. I was hoping that I could get ideas for where I could end up. Thanks for the links.
Also, I heard that I should send both my SAT and ACT. Why is it beneficial to only send the ACT, besides the fact that it is better than my SAT score? And if I retook it and got a higher score, how would that affect my chances?
And do subject test scores really matter?
Finally, if I could afford a more expensive tuition, what doors would I open?
Your 34 blows your SAT superscored or not, out of the water. That’s the only reason. SAT and ACT scores are comparable so there’s no reason to send the SAT at all. Schools can always convert your ACT into the equivalent SAT score (which would be like 2280-2330). Chances are always better when scores are higher.
Subject tests only matter if the college says it matters. If they ask for it, require it, whatever, then yes. And those tests would most likely be Math II and Physics or another science.
I don’t know what you mean by this last question. Possibly clarify more?
Thank you for the explanation. I was told that it would be better to send both, but I thought that it might be beneficial to only send one. Is it bad that I already sent the scores (I wanted to take advantage of the free score reports).
In the last question, I’m asking that if I could afford a more expensive college, what are other schools that I could get accepted to? Would any of the colleges I listed in post 5 be possibilities?
And one more question, if a school accepts an arts supplement, would it raise my chances for engineering?
Eh sending the score before applications really just means your name gets put in a cutesy file and stuffed away, waiting for when you actually apply. Since you’ll be sending in a 34 regardless, it doesn’t really matter.
If you could afford more expensive schools, you could go out of state (and could possibly go to Cal Poly) and apply to places like you mentioned and MIT, Case Western, Embry-Riddle, etc. Here are some lists: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aerospace_engineering_schools#United_States) (http://www.findengineeringschools.org/Search/Majors/aero.htm)
Also consider CSULB; they have a strong program.
I don’t know if it would raise your chances but if you are interested in art/are good, it wouldn’t hurt.
It depends on how much more you can afford. If you can afford $21,000 instead of $20,000 per year, few additional options open up. If you can afford $70,000 per year, almost every college in the US becomes an option financially.
Have you asked your parents about what they will contribute each year? You can add a $5,500 federal direct loan and perhaps $4,500 work earnings per year to get a stretch budget that the net price after deducting grants and scholarships (not loans or work study) must fall under. Of course, lower cost is better so that you are not on the financial edge and need to take out less debt or work fewer hours during school.
<<<
“dream” school is Stanford, but, while my parents think I will easily get in,
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
your parents are very naive
<<<
US. I could probably afford up to 20,000,
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
purdue wont be affordable
<<<
Finally, if I could afford a more expensive tuition, what doors would I open?
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
what are your parents saying???
Great ACT, OK GPA, but the EC’s are severely lacking, especially for a school like Stanford. I would say recalibrate your expectations a little lower. Good luck!
Aerospace is not always offered at the undergrad level… sometimes it is, sometimes it a subfield in mechanical engineering, and at other places it is only in graduate school…
Apply to Stanford, but realize that it is a long shot (it is a long shot for everyone).
Next, consider the UC schools:
UCLA, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego all have strong mechanical and aerospace.
(Berkeley is outstanding in Mechanical Engineering, but its Aerospace is surprisingly nonexistent.)
Also consider USC, which is very strong in aerospace.
For out-of-state options, outstanding aerospace programs include: U. Washington, U. Colorado, and Arizona State U.
I urge you study ACT math being as you’re obviously good at it and try for a higher math score because your composite is already so standout and I think (given your SAT math scores) you can get a point or two improvement there. Also, I’d say look to UCSD, UCSB, UCLA, and UCB as your obvious in state choices
As for out of state:
Purdue
RPI
Cooper Union (pretty rough reach)
Georgia Tech
Illinois-Urbana Champaign
Wisconsin-Madison
Yes, your parents are dreaming. I’m not saying Stanford is out of the question, just saying that there’s nothing I see in your post that makes you a likely candidate. Go ahead and apply, but it’s a reach for you.
I don’t know what schools are strong for aerospace engineering. You should look at some college guides and figure that out, and then figure out where your scores put you for those schools. Be aware that the UCs are much, MUCH harder to get into for engineering or any STEM subject than they are for humanities or social science majors. So when you look at a UC’s mid-50% range for ACT scores, as an engineering major you need to be near the top of that range in order to have a decent shot. If you were a Russian Literature major you could be near the middle 50% and call it a “match.”
Frankly, I wouldn’t spend too much effort on your extracurriculars. Spend that same time and effort on your schoolwork to make sure you have all A’s fall semester senior year, and it will pay off much more than volunteering at a hospital or something. Schools care about grades first, test scores second and ECs a very distant third, sometimes fourth or fifth behind things like teacher recommendations and essays. The only thing I would say is, make sure that what you do with your summer this year reflects well on you in some way, either by showing your interest in engineering or by demonstrating passion and dedication to one of your EC’s.