CX380LAX

Is there any good mechanical engineering school that I could get into for ED but not RD?

Here's my stats:

Unweighted GPA: 4.0/4.0 (straight A's) Class Rank: 1/796

Courseload: Freshmen Year -- Geometry P, Bio Honors, Spanish 2 Honors, English 1 Honors, PE, World History P Community College -- Intermediate Algebra Summer -- Precalc Honors Sophomore Year -- AP Calc AB, AP Comp Sci, Chemistry Honors, English 2H, Track, Spanish 3 Honors Summer -- American History P Junior -- AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Spanish Lang, AP Chemistry, English 3H, Track Summer -- Music Appreciation Senior -- AP Psych, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Econ, AP English Lang, IB Math HL

SAT: Highest per test date: 780M, 760W, 630R = 2170 Superscore: 780M, 760W, 660R = 2200

PSAT: National Merit Commended (212)

AP: Comp Sci -- 4 Calc AB -- 5 Chem, Spanish, Stats, Calc BC -- Pending AP Scholar w/ Distinction

Activities: Track -- hurdles 10th/11th grade FIRST Robotics Team -- 10th grade; Los Angeles Regional Winner FBLA -- 10th/11th/12th; Board Member, Sponsorships Officer; Placed top 10 at state CSF -- 10th/11th/12th; Treasurer 2012; 64 community service hours Leo Club -- 9th/10th/11th/12th; Director of Lions International Publicity, District 4-L4 Activities Director, District Newsletter Editor; 500+ community service hours Link Crew -- 11th/12th; Captain Pocketful of Sunshine -- 11th/12th; Treasurer American Cancer Society Relay for Life -- 4 year participant

Awards: --"Top 10" student; 10th --2011 Outstanding Volunteer in City; 10th --LA County Fair Community Hero of city; 11th --Lions Student Speaker Contest winner --FBLA Sections: 2nd Global Business; 6th Marketing --Misc. awards from FBLA and Leo Club for completing certain projects --JPL invention challege: 2nd place regionals --FIRST Robotics Competition: Los Angeles Regional Winner

Misc: --Southeast Asian --Male

Personal Statement: I'll most likely talk about the robotics team in which I dedicated 25 hours each week for 7 weeks. I was the youngest in the team (sophomore) and the team only lasted for 1 year because the adviser quit even though we won regionals. I am the only member from the original team still going to the school because the others have graduated. I spent the past year working to bring back FRC (A LOT of work and road blocks) for senior year and will be Team Captain/President. While coordinating FRC, I also worked with local middle schools to form a solid robotics program that spans from middle school into high school where students at a younger age are able to participate and the older ones will serve as mentors. FRC has not only inspired me to focus on engineering but has also allowed me to incorporate business and public speaking skills from FBLA as well as computer science that i learned from taking AP Comp Sci.

Erin's Dad

The questions are what can your family afford and what is your home state? You COULD be a match for many schools but you may not be able to afford them.

CX380LAX

I am in California but I am looking into privates which my family is fortunately able to afford.

ucbalumnus

The whole premise that ED is a lot easier to get admitted than RD is not necessarily true everywhere that offers ED -- nor is it knowable from the outside of the admissions office. Nevertheless, it does appear that a lot of people believe it.

ED is really only appropriate for your clear first choice school. It appears that you have no such school.

The <700 on the SAT-CR may be an impediment to getting admitted to the super-selective schools (e.g. Stanford, MIT) and getting the big merit scholarships at other very selective schools (e.g. Drake @ Berkeley, President's @ Georgia Tech, etc.).

minger49

Definitely consider Olin College of Engineering. Note: they don't have ED admissions.
This college's admissions selectivity is of MIT-level caliber, but they do love FRC students and that may give you a leg up. A significant portion of the curriculum is project-based and hands-on similar to what you experienced in FRC. There is also an emphasis on soft-skills and entrepreneurship. In fact, all students must start their own business at Olin. I think Olin is an excellent fit for you.

phantasmagoric

Agreed with ucbalumnus. More importantly, you're coming at this the wrong way - ED (as well as SCEA) is an option for those who have decided that the university in question is their absolute first choice and they are okay being bound to attend. Thus, you should explore schools and, if you decide you have a clear first choice, then you can apply early there (if they have an early program).

Given your profile, the sky's the limit. Stanford, MIT, and Caltech are reaches for everyone, but you certainly would stand a chance. It's impossible for anyone who isn't an adcom to say that you'd more likely get in as an early admit than as an RD one. (In fact, much evidence shows that the former isn't more likely - it's just that those who apply early tend to be stronger candidates, so they get in at higher rates.)