<p>DS is looking at chem eng, his ACT is 33 (10 w), gpa 3.9 (UW) IBDC, APs in most of the IB subjects to total about 10 maybe at the end of senior (5 so far). HL's inc Physics and Chem, Eng and Hist,, SL math (4) and Spanish (6) but BC calc this year hoping for a 5. Public school. Plenty of service stuff, variable ECs but no special overarching theme LOL. Did a 6 week engineering company internship over the summer. I am looking to round out his list, which is public heavy. We would be looking for scholarships because of the sticker shock, to at least take it to half sticker. I see from the CDS where his stats are for last year's data, I can't find a local visit (Utah) but he is on their mailing list. I see the application is free and that he could apply for the DH, the PT maybe, and that he should apply EA. While he is sticking to chem eng at the moment I think he has a bit of a thing for the bio eng aspects and Tulane looks like it might be a fit if he widens that interest.
I suppose my question is would be be a strong contender for merit (we won't get any need) or is Tulane still more of a reach/match? It seems that it would take a biggish scholarship to get to a reasonable EFC and as he already has enough reaches or less likely publics on his list.</p>
<p>Thanks. </p>
<p>@Alfonsia </p>
<p>Just at that glance you give us into his record, it would seem he has a very good shot at the Presidential scholarship, which is $32,000 per year for all 4 years. So that is right at your half scholarship, at least freshman year. The scholarship is fixed, so as tuition rises it does cover a little less of the bill, but tuition increases have slowed the last couple of years. Hopefully that will continue.</p>
<p>He does also have a good shot, it would seem, for the DHS or PTA. Those of course are full tuition AND fees, so quite a bit more than half the bill. My D had the DHS, it is a wonderful thing, even if it didn’t cover fees when she had it. The recommended stats Tulane publishes for those awards are 33+ ACT and top 5% of the class with a rigorous schedule, so certainly he seems to fit the bill. They are quite competitive, with 75 DHS and 50 PTA being awarded last year. I believe it is the same this year. There are many more applications than that, but it is well worth his effort to try for one.</p>
<p>Tulane does have both ChemE and BME, so you are right that he would have that choice at Tulane.</p>
<p>Any other questions, feel free.</p>
<p>Thanks, that sounds at least a bit reassuring. I am never sure how to take rank as his school doesn’t weight GPA and there are kids on basic schedules with higher GPAs than the IB kids. Does this mean he indicates in the application that the school doesn’t rank or is this something the universities are just able to see in the school profile or transcript? Do I ask the GC to write something specific in these schools that specify rank?
Thanks. I think he should just go ahead and apply if DH is a possibility. </p>
<p>I think that GPA and rigorous schedule will carry sufficient weight, rank notwithstanding. If the school doesn’t rank at all, then for sure that is what Tulane will look at. I wouldn’t over-analyze it. He will definitely be in the mix.</p>
<p>FC, I have been lurking CC for a number of months to get background info to help my son through the admissions process and have intensely lurked/stalked the Tulane board for the last couple of weeks since my son started seriously considering Tulane. So, at this point I’ve read probably a thousand of your posts. I am amazed at how knowledgable, thoughtful, patient, and outrageously nice your posts are. I have literally seen you answer the same question 10 times, sometimes several times in the same thread, and the last answer is as nice as the first one. Thanks for all your help, on my behalf and probably on behalf of hundreds of other lurkers/posters.</p>
<p>@nmfixed - Wow, thanks for such kind words. And in your only post so far! It would be less than truthful if I claimed I never got a little exasperated answering the same question I just answered yesterday. But I figure most of the members that are students are 17 and stressed enough. Not to mention that the system of applying to college as it currently exists is expecting them to make a very important life decision with almost no experiential background to make it. For most of them, how do they know what it is like to be in college, live on campus, live in New Orleans (or St. Louis or Nashville or Miami or…), Greek life, the whole financial situation and potentially taking on loans, etc. And the sheer myriad of choices, combined with the paralyzing fear a lot of us have when choosing to purchase something expensive and worrying we didn’t make the “perfect” choice.</p>
<p>A lot of that applies to parents too. The ones that went to college themselves obviously have an advantage, but even a lot of them think, right up to the time the process gets serious, “how hard can this be? I didn’t have a tough time picking my school.” Then they see how different it is these days. Way more selective admissions. More complicated financial aid issues for schools that are so much more expensive. Far more information available, and being pushed at them. For good students and their parents especially, which CC over-represents, it is positively dizzying. I just try to keep that in mind when answering the same question for the 15th time. It is the nature of CC, obviously, that the interested parties change every year.</p>
<p>Besides, I am a fast typist. 
</p>
<p>Oh, I almost forgot. Best of luck to your son!</p>