Chance/Match Kentucky Senior applying to T20 [4.0 GPA, 36 ACT, advanced college math, math and/or ME major]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US domestic (citizen)
  • State/Location of residency: Kentucky
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Academy (high schoolers in college type)
  • Other special factors: none… I think (other than rural school?)

Cost Constraints / Budget
I think I’m okay. Parents don’t seem to be very concerned.

Intended Major(s)

Double Major in Mathematics and Mechanical/Aerospace(?) Engineering. I genuinely enjoy math a lot more but am good enough at engineering that I’d like to have it so I can get a half-decent job after college.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
  • Weighted HS GPA: (my high school doesn’t weigh GPAs)
  • Class Rank: my high school doesn’t rank
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 36/1590

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: ENG 300 highest (english three in college)
  • Math: calc up to Ordinary Diffy, Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis and some various research math courses on the 400 level at my university/academy
  • Science: taking up to thermodynamics at university (including statics, mechanics of deformable solids) + various other college level bio, chem, physics
  • History and social studies: college US history
  • Language other than English: Russian (4 semesters)
  • Visual or performing arts: University Symphony Orchestra
  • Other academic courses: ?

Awards

AIME 3x and the awards you get for being one of the highest scoring girls in the region

Academic Team State Mathematics top 5 (not specifying place because then it’s lowkey really easy to dox)

Various published papers and presentations at conferences in Mathematics and Linguistics (not specifying)

NSLI-Y Russian Summer

FBLA State stuff (I guess?)

Various local art awards

National Merit

Extracurriculars

Research (publications, conferences, mathematics, civil engineering, computer science, linguistics. Was paid over the summer as a research assistant for civil engineering).

Math Club (President) (covers all competitions, including AMC, HMMT, etc.)

Academic Team (Math, Composition, QR starter, etc.)

Foreign Language (Fluent in Korean, Inter. mid OPI Russian + NSLI-Y, some spanish and chinese)

Violin(participated in symphony orchestras since 7th grade, have been up to 2nd chair 2nd + 3rd chair firsts, and accepted+ participated in all state orchestra)

FBLA (multiple state championships)

Science Bowl (got to Nationals once)

Tennis(varsity since eighth grade, had to quit high school tennis junior year when I went to the academy)

Visual Arts(knitting, crochet, sketching, have won some local events)

Essays/LORs/Other
should be okay…

Schools
(List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if unsure, leave them unclassified)

  • Assured (100% chance of admission and affordability): WKU, UK
  • Safeties?: Macalester, RIT
  • No clue: MIT EA, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Boston University, Harvard, Williams, Vanderbilt, Stanford(?), uPenn(?), Yale(?)
  • More?:
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You might want to verify that your parents are okay with the full price of private universities in the US, or perhaps have them run a couple of the NPCs and see if they are okay with the results.

You are of course competitive anywhere. Universities such as MIT and Stanford are none the less reaches, but reasonable reaches if your stats are real.

I think that there are three main issues. One is to check on your budget as already mentioned. Another is to make sure that you are okay with your safeties. The third issue is to think about which schools would be the best fit for you. Where would you be comfortable? You are likely to have quite a few schools to choose from and you want to end up somewhere where you will be comfortable.

As some examples of “fit”: MIT is very intense. The classes go fast and the homework can be difficult and there’s lots of it and the competition is strong. While your SAT scores are superb, arriving at MIT with an 800 on the math part of the regular SAT, and perhaps one or more 800’s on some math and/or science subject tests, is pretty common. Stanford has a bit of the laid back California vibe, but this is combined with classes that also go very fast and homework that is also quite tough. I still remember spending six hours on a Saturday doing one single homework problem at Stanford, and you need to be okay with this for either MIT or Stanford. I happened be there during a drought which was helpful in terms of getting around by bicycle since the Stanford campus is quite large. I think that I was just lucky. Stanford is on the quarter system so you do not want to fall behind – the end of the quarter will come faster than you might expect.

MIT is quite close to Boston in a built up area. Stanford is in a more suburban area. Williams is a smaller school in a small town in a rural area. MIT and Williams and RIT and Macalester will have winters. Stanford and the UCs don’t have what I would call a winter (perhaps it is slightly less hot – I did see light frost occasionally at Stanford but this was rare and disappeared quickly once the sun came up).

To me it does look like it is worth the effort for you to send in an application to Stanford. I am however biased since I loved it there (master’s degree in my case).

In terms of a double major in mathematics and mechanical engineering, I doubt that you will need a double major. I actually started out freshman year taking classes to be on track for any of math, ME, or physics. Sophomore year I dropped the ME part but was still on track to major in either math or physics. It wasn’t until I got to quantum physics that I decided to be a math major. You might similarly want to take a variety of courses in math and engineering and see which you like.

There are quite a few careers available to someone with a degree in math. I for example knew math majors who went into software engineering, acoustics, law, AI, and probably a few other careers, and I have heard that accounting and economics and quantitative investing are other possible options, along with machine learning. Some of this doesn’t have to be decided until applying to graduate programs if you ever get to that point. There is a lot you can do with a degree in math.

However, whether to end up with a degree in math, or ME, or aerospace engineering, or some other related field, is something that you can decide after you have been in university for a year or two or maybe even three. Some computer science would fit well with math if you take that route.

Best wishes. It sounds like you are doing very well.

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Hello, You’ll get in.

Source: pure intuition & pattern recognition

Edited by moderator to comply with forum rules.

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doxxed D:

even for us it’s pretty hard. we might be considered a feeder school theoretically but it’s still not… that common.

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thank you for the very long reply! this kind of stuff is helpful.

i’m not worried about my college life being fairly difficult. the school i’m in right now challenges me much more than any average high schooler coursework-wise, with the college classes and such. even though it is indeed a smaller kentucky college, the courses i have been taking are still on a level far beyond your typical california magnet school (hopefully). so that’s not an issue.

i do enjoy winters. i’ve visited all of the big california colleges and the only complaint i had was the uc berkeley weather on a daily basis. it kind of depends on what i get into, i guess. among the very top colleges, like mit and stanford and harvard, i doubt i will get into more than one, if any. i’ll just choose the best one.

thank you for the advice on a major. i was actually a bit worried about it.

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I can help with categorizing these. They are all reaches…because they all have extremely low acceptance rates and reject 90% or more of applicants.

You are a strong applicant. You have the potential to get accepted to one of these or more. Or not.

I do like your list because you do have sure things on your list. If you are happy with those, and they are affordable, then apply to some reach schools. You do have a chance.

WRT finances, I would suggest sitting down and running a net price calculator on a place like UCLA which gives just about no aid to OOS students. Actually, yo7 might want to run the net price calculators for many of these schools to see if they come in at a price point your parents can and will pay for four years without loans.

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So - congrats on all you’ve done. A bit confused - it sounds like you’re already in college? You say Academy.

So UK is safe. You don’t need it and WKU - choose one. Both have MechE - neither Aero.

I wonder how deep you researched - Macalester doesn’t have engineering at all. Nor does Williams.

So you’ll get into UK and I have no idea on the rest. I would suspect more given your stats and rigor. How did you choose your list? And yes, my parents don’t seem to be worried is a bit casual - make sure they know you may spend $400K.

Since you ask for more - and if you want to do math, do math - it’s a wonderful major for a job. But engineering is too.

If you have a 4.0 and 36, sub in Alabama for UK/WKU. Why? Given your stats, you’ll get four years free tuition, one year housing, $1500 a years scholarship, and $2K one time for research/abroad. Oh, and you can study aero.

UAH would be another school - not as generous - but in Rocket City (Huntsville) - surround by aero companies.

If it were me and I was looking for names, I would lose BU and add schools like UMD, Purdue, etc. If you want small like Williams and Mac, swap in Rose Hulman, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore.

But make sure your parents run the NPCs because if $400K is too much, then there’s a different set of schools (by that I’m talking Mudd and Swat).

Good luck to you.

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You have an outstanding record - congratulations. I would encourage you to have a frank discussion with your parents about the cost of college to confirm that they are able (and willing) to finance an education that could cost $400,000 (if you do not qualify for need-based aid which is the only type of aid available at many of the schools you have listed). OOS students are not eligible for aid at the UCs so for those schools the OOS sticker price is what it is (I think around $75k per year). I only bring this up because parents are often surprised at costs and parents of high performers may not realize that “scholarship” money at top schools is really just need-based aid and not based on academic performance. Although you don’t need another reach, you might consider Princeton which I believe has an outstanding math department (not sure about engineering). I can’t really chance you for your top schools because they reject so many awesome students although I do think you’ll get in to BU. Apply EA anywhere that has that.

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I always suggest students have two sure things. If they don’t get accepted elsewhere…it’s nice to have choices in the end.

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As a high school student advanced in college math considering a major in math, be sure to check the upper and graduate level math course offerings at any college of interest, so that you do not run out of math courses while in college.

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I am seconding @tsbna44‘s suggestion of Purdue. If you look at the Purdue Data Digest, here: https://www.purdue.edu/datadigest/; and especially the links to “Applications, Admits, and Matriculations” and “New First-Time Beginner Profile”, you can plug in your stats to some of the interactive links on these sites, and perhaps get an idea where you might fall relative to recently admitted OOS applicants to Purdue. I think that you would be a viable candidate for Purdue (although there are no givens in college admissions to top schools). If cost is going to be a factor, then UAH and Alabama, as @tsbna44 also mentions, should be looked at.

No matter what school, you need to sit down with your parents and have a frank discussion about money; “parents don’t seem to be very concerned” doesn’t necessarily equate to “they are willing and able to pay for whatever school I want to go to.”

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Thank you. i have no idea how to edit a post but to be more specific i would say my parents are completely willing to pay. i put may seek financial aid because we might qualify for that purely through income but i would say and have been told that we definitely have the assets for paying even the highest tuitions. My parent are aware of the reality of the process and have told me multiple times to not worry about the money when i’ve talked about it with them.

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i’m in a program in which i live and act as a college student while still being in high school. it’s for juniors and seniors.

actually didn’t know that macalester didn’t have engineering. it was something a counselor picked out for me, so that’s a bit concerning.

i would be fine going to williams for its mathematics only, i think.

as a kentuckian, and especially because of the school i currently am at, it’s default to apply for uk/wku as most of the time we automatically get extreme benefits.

i’ll consider alabama. i know a whole group already from here who are applying…

i have been considering harvey mudd. not sure about purdue or umd, but swarthmore may already be on my common app…

i like bu personally because it’s in boston.

thank you for the response!

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I think if you want math, you should consider majoring just in math. If you want engineering, then don’t apply for Williams. This will impact what you do in life - it’s not just about - school name.

And if you like Boston, will you like being in the middle of nowhere (Williams)?

I mentioned Bama solely because your 4.0 and 36 get you free tuition, a year housing, $1500 a year scholarship and $2K one time. It’s likely better than you’ll get at UK - and WKU just won’t have the academic heft for you that even UK will. Plus, UK is more urban and that seems like something you might like (even more urban than Bama). As for Bama, they have, if not the most, top 3 National Merit Scholars in the country, so no shortage of smart people. And it has aero.

I wonder - maybe incorrectly - if a school might turn someone down because they walk in with so many credits - like a private - as is you wouldn’t be there 4 years.

If you like Boston, you can also look at Tufts, Northeastern and a bit further away, WPI. But again, a BU is $100K a year or close - so make sure you have that discussion with your folks. They can run the BU Net Price Calculator - I put below. Note, they are need aware, so if you needed, say a full ride or close to it, they could turn you down just for that.

If you like Boston because it’s urban, then Pitt and UMN would make great engineering schools in an urban environment. If you like urban, Penn might be a better school for you than Williams or Swat - then you’d have math and engineering.

As for Mac not having engineering, don’t put the blame on your counselor. You are a very bright individual - you can look up majors offered by colleges on your own. But you can continue to run ideas by people here.

Good luck

Welcome | Net Price Calculator

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Just a general comment about this as I’ve seen it come up a lot. I think a student in October may have a different opinion in April about their choice of major. Applying broadly and across types of schools seems appropriate. I would not recommend artificially limiting colleges that you might like because they don’t offer every major. Of course, when they get to April and they’re unsure of their major, the school with the variety of majors may be best.

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Fair comment - and another reason to apply to schools that offer both. And there are Williams subs that offer both.

The student made an interesting comment about liking Boston - so if that’s the case, they might consider location as a factor too - and skew urban vs. rural.

Just another thing that they might think about - beyond the “strength” of a school name. There are subs out there for most every school.

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If you like the outdoors, check out University of Colorado Boulder. Has Aero and punches way above its weight in math and physics. My niece sounds similar to you and turned down higher (generally) ranked schools. Started off majoring in aero and math and eventually moved to math and physics. She liked the math department so much, that despite other opportunities, she stayed for her doctorate.

It’d be a likely for you and you can expect merit, plus, lots of support and TA opportunities if you end up in the math department which is an easy minor with aero or transfer from aero.

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It’s not really about the name to me, though I assume it’s correlated. I value the intellectual value of a school more than anything, and I want to go to a school that genuinely feels like it’s the best of the best. The research environment is also very important to me, which is why i would benefit from the name.

As someone who grew up rurally, I have been trying to avoid applying to… middle-state schools? My genuine preferences are either the new york/massachusetts area of the east coast or west coast (california). of course, these schools are typically pretty difficult to get into, but i know there are choices in that area that are more than possible for me.

what do you mean by subs?

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I also think you are likely to find there are many different great careers open to people strong in Math besides engineering, such that you might not do that. But I see no harm in it being an option.

If it were me, I’d probably add a couple more colleges which are excellent for Math and engineering, which are Targets or Likelies for you, and where you might get merit. You may not need it but it can be nice to have the option. Minnesota and Stony Brook are both publics I would recommend. Rochester for a private. I know Minnesota is not on the coasts, but the Twin Cities make up a vibrant, diverse, globally-connected metropolis. Rochester is also a bit off the beaten path, but it is a great college for people with diverse STEM interests who want to explore options thanks to a flexible curriculum.

Finally, if you are interested in exploring smaller colleges, Harvey Mudd and Cooper Union might be worth a long look.

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I missed this - then Williams should definitely be a no whereas Mac is in the middle of the country, but not the middle of nowhere.

A Swarthmore - is a Williams equivalent but has ABET engineering and is not in the middle of nowhere.

A Georgia Tech will be a Purdue - but smack in the city, etc.

A UMN or Pitt again - not on the coast but in the big city, etc. UK is urban as you know, but small city. Louisville might fit you better and has an up and coming engineering program - the Speed School.

So coastal state doesn’t mean non rural.

So do you want urban, etc. and the where doesn’t matter….or do you want coastal - and by that I don’t just mean state - but say a U of Washington (on the coast) or an Embry Riddle / Florida Tech - both on the coast - or yes a UC - but over $80K a year. UCSD and UCSB then should make your list - like ocean close.

The Boston schools are obviously very close to the cost -

In the end, budget drives ALL decisions - but look at locations - because a coastal state doesn’t mean it’s not rural. You can googlemap or whatever map you choose - of any school. But you can’t make any decisions to add a school until you understand affordability. So your parents need to come up with an actual $$ figure of what they can afford per year.

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