<p>I'm a rising senior at a STEM school that is very well respected at the national and international levels. I'm looking to be a biomedical engineering major in college, so Georgia Tech is very high on my list. Some of my stats:</p>
<p>SAT II
Math I: 800
Math II: 790
Chemistry: 800
Biology M: 770</p>
<p>GPA: 5.229 (My school does not rank however)
Pretty significant list of extracurriculars, volunteer experiences, leadership positions, honors and awards, and what not</p>
<p>At this moment, getting an acceptance is not my main concern. I would be overjoyed to be accepted even though I have other schools I'd like to go to on my list. But for some reason my parents do not even want me to apply. I feel like the main reason behind their refusal is that despite GT's high rankings in engineering fields, it does not really have the same prestige associated with its name that schools like MIT, Harvard, Columbia, and other schools (all of which I am also applying to). They have told me not even to waste my time applying to a school like Georgia Tech because they would never pay for me to go there. In spite of all this, they are still telling me to apply to schools like George Washington, NYU, and Vanderbilt, all of which are good schools but based on what I've read do not have as good engineering programs as GT. I really don't want to end up not getting into many of the schools that are on my list and then not having the opportunity to attend a school that could be as good a fit for me as Georgia Tech. If it weren't for them Georgia Tech would be at the top of my list (maybe second to MIT) but the only way I'm going to be able to convince them to let me apply is if they think it is one of my safety schools. How can I convince them first to let me apply, and then if I'm accepted that GT would be a good option for me?</p>
<p>Personally, for the cost, I would think that Georgia Tech is a better choice for engineering than some of the colleges on your parents’ list. Perhaps they are influenced by friends and family opinion of what are good schools, and are not as familiar with the programs at Georgia Tech. </p>
<p>In general, it isn’t a good idea to apply without your parents’ knowledge as you need their support wherever you go. It would be better if they could learn more about GA Tech through a visit and speaking to college representatives and other students/parents. In the end, a college list is sometimes a combination of your wishes, their wishes, and both. You could agree to their choices and in return ask them to let you apply to some you are interested in.</p>
<p>One thing that may interest your parents is the merit awards at GA Tech. The Presidential Scholarship at GA Tech is a wonderful opportunity on par with other excellent competitive scholarships ( Park, Morehead-Cain). To be eligible, you need to apply by the early action deadline. Your parents may agree to let you apply for this opportunity. This isn’t disingenuous, because, if you apply, you might be chosen for the award or perhaps other ones as well. This will give you and your parents time to learn more about GA tech as the year progresses.</p>
<p>Parents also consider costs, and for you, NCSU is an excellent value, so they may not want to pay more for a school unless it is significantly better. GA Tech is one of the top colleges- as you know- and stronger in BME than NYU or GW. </p>
<p>Many selective colleges do not award merit aid, but you may qualify for some at other colleges. Also, parents may have a wish for certain colleges, but sometimes finances also affect the final choice. If you can convince them to let you keep all your options open, and learn all you can about them, then you all can decide among them in the spring when you know what they are.</p>
<p>One selling point is GT’s strong co-op program. GT is definitely a research university, so there are LOTS of opportunities to get involved in research even as a freshman. My dd started working in a neuroscience lab there as a freshman. They also have a lot of entrepreneurial opportunities designed to help students bring their creative ideas to life and eventually to market. See <a href=“http://startup.gatech.edu/”>404 Error; for more information. GT is located not too far from the Shepherd Center, one of the premier treatment facilities for brain and spinal cord injuries, which may be of interest to you as a BME major. Also, GT’s BME dept works in collaboration with Emory’s med school. It’s a joint program, I believe.</p>
<p>I don’t know if finances are an issue, but you will likely have less debt coming out of GT than most private colleges, particularly if you manage to snag a full ride. You can always apply as a back-up, but as others have mentioned, definitely apply Early Action. My dd came from a very prestigious boarding school where many of her classmates went to top name schools. She applied to GT as a back up and ended up falling in love with it and has been very happy there. And she will likely come out with NO debt and a job, where some of her high school classmates will likely walk out the door with a liberal arts degree, 30k+ in debt and an ivy league name on their diploma.</p>
<p>Also consider opportunities to follow other passions you may have. For my dd, GT has an outstanding outdoor recreation program (ORGT). She is able to go backpacking, hiking, kayaking, etc. on a regular basis. She values that highly. Find a school that offers extracurricular opportunities that inspire, energize, or provide balance to your academic life. </p>
<p>And though you are likely to get into a good number of schools, keep in mind that there is no guarantee. The whole process can be rather fickle. Make sure that you do have some back-ups on your list. Good luck. Hopefully your parents will hear you out and support you when making those tough decisions. </p>
<p>Thanks for all of your advice. I was planning on applying early action in order to be considered for GT’s merit scholarship programs. Money is not necessarily a concern; my family is in a pretty high income bracket. I will continue to try and sell them on georgia tech using some of the things you all have talked about. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Sewj97- let them know also that a scholarship means more than finances. Many come with other opportunities such as travel and mentoring. They are significant achievements. </p>
<p>My kids are about your age and when it was time for them to apply to college, I realized that what I knew about colleges from when I applied has changed. It is natural that your parents would be hesitant to send you to a college they are not familiar with but they will learn more about the colleges you are interested in as they go through this process with you. </p>
<p>It also happens with students. Some will tell me they don’t want to apply to a school because they are not familiar with it, or they knew someone they didn’t admire who got in- but that school may have some wonderful programs. </p>
<p>What I would say to both is that applying is an opportunity to learn more about the school. If it is a good possible match, it is better to apply and then learn about the school, then to not apply and have regrets. Once you apply to a school, you can take the time to learn more about it through correspondence, visits, accepted students day visits. Come May, you will make a choice, but with much more information than you have now. </p>
<p>I have no affiliation whatsoever with Georgia Tech. (other than I have driven on or by the campus a couple of times).</p>
<p>Great engineering school. You may need to help your parents understand that it is better than Harvard or Columbia or GW, or Vandy for that field. It is not about what their friends think, it is about the reputation in the industry.</p>
<p>The only reason my kid did not apply there is that the setting was too urban for him. The campus is right in the city next to a major highway. He was looking for a more pastoral campus.</p>
<p>It is easily better than all 3 of those schools you listed for nearly anything in STEM education and training. I dare one to compare courses between these schools and Tech will kill probably all 3 of them. The programs at the other 3 are pretty standard whereas it is clear that Tech is striving toward innovation in EC options for majors and innovation in instructional methods. I would hardly bother applying to those other places to be perfectly honest. Maybe Duke, JHU, Princeton, Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, USC, or something, but not those…</p>
NYU and GT are ranked overall as a school very closely on usnews. However, when we’re talking about engineering, Tech tops NYU in a heartbeat. GT’s engineering program is top in the nation and for some of their majors, they are ranked #1 (yes, even better than MIT). I agree with the other poster saying that you should make an effort to educate your parents about Tech. I can understand why they might think its not the most prestigous because it’s not as famous as Yale, etc. However, Engineering at Tech will be more prestigous than engineering at NYU, Vanderbilt, GW. Not to mention that it is actually harder to get into GT than NYU (Based on your major and the assumption that you are a male)