Which out-of-state colleges should I apply to?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>ACT: 34</p>

<p>SAT: CR (780), Math (780), Writing (700)</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests: BioM (800), Math2 (800), Chem (800)</p>

<p>GPA: 3.96 I think, definitely 3.9+, school does not print GPA on transcript</p>

<p>Rank: Currently 2, I'll be somewhere in the top 10 out of about 800. I've moved around between 2 and 4.</p>

<p>AP: Biology (5), Chemistry (5), World History(5), English Language (?), Statistics (5), U.S. History(?), Physics B (5), Psychology (5)</p>

<p>Senior Year Courses: AP English Literature, AP German V, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Physics C, AP Government, AP Macroeconomics</p>

<p>Major Awards: National Merit Semi-finalist (finalist? I did make a C in Band during freshman year, which I can explain)</p>

<p>I am Chinese-American.</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities:
National Honor Society, German Club Interact Club, Habitats for Humanity
Science Team Captain (For the Texas state competition UIL)
1st Place in Biology at state-level and regional-level UIL contests
3rd Place in Science (overall) at State
1st Place in Physics and Chemistry at the regional-level
1st Place in Grammar, Listening, and Vocabulary at a state-level German language contest, 3rd place in Reading
Developer of an open-source IRC chatbot that runs on the FreeNode server and serves around 80 people
Wrote a small software that has received tens of thousands of downloads and has been featured on Lifehacker
Occasionally contributes to open-source software and libraries
I understand that my extracurriculars are weak. I don't know if I can claim hundreds of volunteer hours like others, but I have worked for countless hours maintaining projects such as the IRC chatbot for no profit (does that count for volunteer hours?)</p>

<p>I've always wanted to major in biological sciences, but recently I've acquired an interest sustainability and the environment and how nature reacts to our changing world. For that reason, I am seriously considering a major in environmental biology, or something. I'm not sure yet.</p>

<p>I live in Texas. UT is my safety school, and I would be very happy to go there.</p>

<p>I have heard of many of those well-known and "prestigious" schools such as those in the Ivy League. I will apply to just a few of them (reach), although I don't know which, yet.</p>

<p>I would appreciate it greatly if someone can recommend some nice colleges (research or liberal arts) that I should consider applying to.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Any interest in engineering? Several areas of engineering involve environmental sustainability – e.g. designing buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, and machines to use the least energy and minimize pollution (civil and mechanical), sustainable electrical power generation and transmission (electrical), computer controls everywhere (computer science and engineering), etc…</p>

<p>Do you have any cost constraints?</p>

3

<p>Your ECs are fine. Don’t worry about it. Agree you should clarify your financial situation. This may or may not have a huge bearing on your list. I’d look at some of the small LACs in rural locations. These are not only good at biology and environmental sciences, but, unlike urban campuses, they have a hard time recruiting and matriculating high achieving Asian Americans.</p>

<p>Some suggestions: Williams, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Kenyon, Grinnell. Smith if you are female.</p>

4

<p>Allegheny College
liberal arts college in Pennsylvania<br>
Muhlenberg College also in Pennslvania</p>

5

<p>My parents said that I should be able to go to any college with tuition = 50k ish or less.</p>

<p>ucbalumnus, I have a some interest in it, but I really don’t know. Do you recommend engineering?</p>

<p>Thank you for your suggestions, momrath and zobroward! I seriously consider applying to each of those schools now.</p>

6

<p>Engineering involves designing things using math and science (mainly physics). It does seem that you are taking the most rigorous math and physics courses in a typical high school, so you may want to consider that. Your interest in writing computer software may also lead to computer science and engineering. You may want do more investigation to see if engineering is something you would like to do.</p>

<p>Note that if you are concerned about job and career prospects, they are much better for most engineering fields than for biology.</p>

<p>UT Austin is an excellent engineering and computer science school, though note that automatic admission to UT Austin does not necessarily mean automatic admission to UT Austin engineering (but rank #1 and your test scores make it hard to believe that they will refuse you for engineering if you apply).</p>

<p>By “50k ish or less” do you mean at list price with no expectation of financial aid, or would there be the possibility of financial aid at more expensive schools that could bring the net price down to the limit? Many private colleges are now approaching $60,000 per year total for list price. Of course, some schools may offer merit scholarships.</p>

7

<p>Here is a good list of potential merit places: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html&lt;/a&gt;
Unless you really bomb or have behavioral issues you should make NMF (remember to send your SAT to the Collegeboard to confirm your PSAT score).</p>

8

<p>ucbalumnus, I hope that there is the possibility of financial aid at more expensive schools that could bring the price down.</p>

<p>Thank you for your insightful recommendation! I am seriously considering engineering as a major in college.</p>

9

<p>“I hope that there is the possibility of financial aid at more expensive schools that could bring the price down.”</p>

<p>If you are a NMSF, and are accepted, you would automatically be given a 1/2 tuition scholarship of U Southern Calif. Texas send a lot of students to USC. </p>

<p>[Freshman</a> Profile - USC Undergraduate Admission](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/fresh_profiles.html]Freshman”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/fresh_profiles.html)</p>

<p>I have worked for countless hours maintaining projects such as the IRC chatbot for no profit (does that count for volunteer hours?)</p>

<p>yes. </p>

<p>"I’ve always wanted to major in biological sciences, but recently I’ve acquired an interest sustainability and the environment and how nature reacts to our changing world. For that reason, I am seriously considering a major in environmental biology, or something. I’m not sure yet.</p>

<p>USC offers majors in both Biology and Environmental Studies and encourages students to double major or major and minor in 2 areas of interest. </p>

<p><a href=“http://dornsife.usc.edu/environmental-studies/[/url]”>http://dornsife.usc.edu/environmental-studies/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://dornsife.usc.edu/bisc/undergraduate/programs/[/url]”>http://dornsife.usc.edu/bisc/undergraduate/programs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The faculty and students in USC Dornsife’s Biological Sciences department study the natural world to better understand living systems—from the biochemical to genes, and from cells to global biodiversity. The department plays a central role in the university’s goal to make USC a leader in life science research. The department has research faculty with specialties in three disciplines: marine environmental biology, molecular and computational biology, and neurobiology. Biology majors may study general Biology or choose an emphasis in any of these three disciplines. Undergraduates in Biological Sciences have the opportunity to become involved in laboratory or field research by taking research courses.The Biological Sciences department sponsors two semester-long programs at USC’s Wrigley Marine Sciences Center on Catalina Island in conjunction with the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. The fall program focuses on microbial ecology, while the spring program centers on population biology and animal physiology. Students live on Catalina Island for the entire semester.</p>

<p>USC also has a top Engineering program -Vertibi- which offers majors in 8 different Engineering specialties, including Biomedical Engineering major
<a href=“http://viterbi.usc.edu/academics/departments/[/url]”>http://viterbi.usc.edu/academics/departments/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Your stats put you in the running for a Full Tuition scholarship, which are offered to 140 exceptional students each year . Just be SURE you complete your USC application no later then Dec 1. USC has more NMF’s enrolled than any other U except Harvard. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/scholarship.html[/url]”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/scholarship.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Trustee
• Full tuition
(approx. $42,000)
• approx. 100 awards
Candidates are selected by USC faculty and staff from an extremely competitive international pool. Applicants pursue the most demanding curriculum and achieve at the highest level.
Average SAT and ACT scores are in the top 1–2 percent of all students nationwide. In addition to academic criteria, candidates’ talent, involvement and leadership are considered.
Freshmen
Mork Family Scholarship
• Full tuition
(approx. $42,000) plus $5,000 stipend
Submit a completed 2012 Common
Application and USC Supplement with required materials by Dec. 1. An interview is required for finalist candidates.
Candidates selected for an interview will be contacted by the Office of Admission in Feb.</p>

<p>Fall 2011 Entering Freshman Class
New freshmen 2,931
USC Mork Family Scholars (full tuition + stipend) 20
USC Trustee Scholars (full tuition) 140
USC Presidential Scholars (half tuition) 349
USC Dean’s Scholars (quarter tuition) 107
Recipients of other USC merit scholarships 63
National Merit Scholars 247
Freshmen</p>

10

<p>If you happen to decide firmly on mechanical engineering, consider applying to Berkeley and for the Drake Scholarship. This is a competitive full ride (including out of state tuition) scholarship for mechanical engineering majors only.</p>

<p>However, Berkeley otherwise is very expensive; most people will not find the out of state list price to be worth it over in state UT Austin.</p>

<p>Really, with UT Austin as a safety and well within your affordability, there are very few (if any) schools that are worth a significant additional cost, especially for engineering, unless you really want to go to a completely different kind of school (like a small LAC).</p>

<p>If lower cost is desirable, your stats (or National Merit) may find some very attractive scholarships that can make some other schools attractive. Examples include Texas A&M for National Merit Finalists who designate the school as their first choice, and competitive full tuition or full ride scholarships at Georgia Tech (President’s) and NCSU (Park). There are also some guaranteed big scholarships for stats at places like Alabama. Yes, USC is worth a look here as well, although the half tuition scholarship would still leave it more expensive than UT Austin in state (you want to aim for the bigger ones like Trustee or Mork described by the previous poster).</p>

<p>Among the super-selective schools, MIT and Stanford have top reputations in engineering. Stanford is also relatively generous with need-based aid.</p>

<p>To get an idea of need-based financial aid, try the net price calculator on each school’s web site. If it comes up with no non-loan aid estimate, it needs to have a low enough list price or large enough merit scholarships to aim for.</p>