Backup colleges

bbbigelow · 08-30-2012, 09:03 PM

So I want to get into University of Michigan (hoping to do biomedical engineering and then med school) but I also need some backup options that are on the common app. What would be the best ones for me? I've taken an ACT, but not an SAT. Not planning to take an SAT, but I might... I dunno.
ACT:
Composite: 34
English: 32
Math: 35
Reading: 32
Science: 36
Writing: 9
APs:
History: 3
English Lang and Comp: 4
Chem: 4
Cumulative GPA: 3.925 on a 4.0 scale (weighted)
Extras: A few, including paid work over the summer, music, some volunteering, a couple of clubs
So what are some schools that are good for engineering I should apply to with this stuff?
Thanks.

prezbucky · 08-30-2012, 09:08 PM

University of Wisconsin-Madison... they're top-20 in Biomed.

Erin's Dad · 08-31-2012, 09:13 AM

What is your home state and what can your family afford?

bbbigelow · 08-31-2012, 04:22 PM

Home state is Michigan, and our family's kinda poor. But I'd like it if you would post colleges regardless of cost.

Hanna · 08-31-2012, 04:31 PM

Well...other people can offer expensive colleges if they want. But I think you should add Michigan Tech as an admissions and financial safety. Great engineering school, you will definitely get in, and you might get merit money.

happy1 · 08-31-2012, 05:11 PM

I'd add Michigan State as well for the same reason. There are lots of great engineering schools - if UM is your top choice I'll add some other large schools with good engineering. Offhand I can think of Cal-Berkeley, Georgia Tech, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, UIllinois, Purdue, Northwestern, UT-Austin, UCLA, UWashington, Vanderbuilt, UPenn, WashU(St. Louis).

It is worth it to do some research/googling online or go to the bookstore/library and go through some guide books to get more ideas.

tk21769 · 08-31-2012, 05:27 PM

^ Berkeley, UCLA, Texas, and other selective OOS public universities are not good "back up" choices for a Michigan resident whose top choice is the University of Michigan, and whose family is "kinda poor". Consider in-state public universities that are less selective than Michigan (in other words, any other state school).

You could also have a look at need-blind, full-need private schools: Need-blind admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

However, most of these are at least as selective as Michigan and therefore won't be good admission back-ups. The exceptions (Beloit, Holy Cross, Knox, Lawrence) don't have engineering. Some of the others, though very selective, might wind up being cheaper than Michigan after aid. For example, Olin and Cooper Union are strong engineering schools that give scholarships to all students.

If Michigan really is your first choice, it may make sense to focus on that and other state schools (starting with Michigan State).

bbbigelow · 08-31-2012, 06:25 PM

Actually tk, I'd prefer if you guys posted without taking cost into consideration, as I stated earlier. I just want to know where I stand.

tk21769 · 08-31-2012, 07:30 PM

Well, if money is no object, you have lots of options.
Many, many schools are less selective than U Michigan.
Some of them are pretty good engineering schools.

Examples
Case Western (67% acceptance rate, average ACT composite = 30; USNWR #13 for biomedical engineering)
Rose-Hulman (66% acceptance rate, average ACT composite = 29)
Purdue (65% acceptance rate, average ACT composite = 26)
Virginia Tech (67% acceptance rate, average SAT 591 CR, 626 M)
Villanova (45% acceptance rate, average ACT composite = 29)

Now if you want to consider "reach" schools that are more selective than Michigan, with excellent biomedical engineering programs (and that happen to have good financial aid too), then have a look at Johns Hopkins, Duke, Rice, or the University of Pennsylvania.

bbbigelow · 08-31-2012, 08:05 PM

Thanks!