If a part-time job is something you want, it’s a great EC….can be scooping ice cream, moving shopping carts from the parking lot to the store, or anything. It shows responsibility.
Is it going to enhance your chances as you already have solid ECs? Unlikely. Is it something you’d enjoy? If so, and you have the time, then great.
Your ECs look solid to me and some of your schools won’t even necessarily look at them beyond - you’ve kept busy.
Good luck.
thanks again. one more thing… how likely are these colleges for me if i keep up with everything and get a decent SAT?
Please read through the chain - people have answered.
Your biggest issue is you’ve named names - and you have no idea what you want in a college. Your friends, who you say are prestige focused, will find new friends when they go to college, as will you. In 20 years, you can look back and know you did very well. Hopefully they will too - but worry about you.
You said you want to go for $300K - so then why Tufts? You’d be out $100K.
You like Smith - a small, all women’s school.
So then why Ohio State? See what I’m getting at.
You can get into any school on the list if you deliver - you noted a 1540 and NMF but then said neither is true. You have a year to go btw - to know where you’ll be.
And you go to a private school - so talk to them.
But let’s say - it’s all true - what you say - and I would focus on school and not that:
If you want to spend $300K, Tufts is wasted - but you might get in.
UCLA - too hard to chance but it’s your dream so try. hmmmm - also over $300K so another wasted app in that sense.
WUSTL - you could get under $300K.
You could get in anywhere on this list. You will get into GW (have to demonstrate interest), ASU, Ohio State, and WPI. You’ll definitely get into CU Boulder - but - they put even top kids in Exploratory Studies - which is not bad. You save money the first year and take the same classes. People fret - but you’re still basically an engineering major unless you bomb first year.
WIth #s like you’re proposing, I’d say likely to UW (Washington, Wisconsin, or Wyoming) and Purdue. Wash U - maybe need an ED (same as Tufts) but it’s possible.
But here’s the thing- you ask others?
Is it worth spending $50 or $70K a year just so it looks good to your friends when you can likely get the same outcome at $20K? That’s what you have to ask.
Honestly, you also need to ask, if I only want to spend $70K, why apply to UCLA? How about Georgia Tech instead - if you want a “big name” - it will be under budget or UF (under $50K) or UMN - like UW, a top school in a big city and at a better price. And why Tufts - how about School of Mines? Better name, cheaper price. WUSTL is over budget too but has merit - but Rose Hulman (much smaller and tech focused) but would deliver for you better bang for the buck. And you can tell your friends and family it’s #1. I
If you get NMF, what’s more prestigious than telling people you have a full ride - no matter the name - but you are ahead of yourself - and the names are great in enginnering - Tulsa, UTD, Alabama, and more.
But honestly, you need to start taking visits and these are names. See - do I like large (you noted UCLA so maybe you do). Do I like small? Go visit Occidental if you’re in LA or LMU or another smaller school - doesn’t even matter if it has engineering? You want to get a sense of what you like, etc.
And have that budget discussion and get to a #.
If it’s $70K and Smith may not be - btw- then take them off - because a UCLA that I love that’s over budget is a high reach. And btw - there are no dreams. Every school has bad profs, bad food, bad roomies….UCLA is on a 3 term per year vs. semester system - does that bother you? Classes are at a different pace. They start and end late - how does that impact internships (it does, it make you qualified for less, although their kids still get them but most are May - August).
Budget is first and foremost and technically we can afford but don’t want to pay more than $300K is not a suitable answer.
Mom, dad - I can go to school likely from $20K a year to $100K a year. In many cases, I’ll have the same career outcome. ASU will cost mid $30s minus merit.
What will you really pay because I don’t want to apply to schools you will not be willing to afford?
If they say $50K, then your list is different. If they say $70K, your list is different.
But guess what, you’re ahead of yourself….do well in school, do your bests on the tests, and visit a few campuses of varying sizes and see how you feel.
Have you actually been to U of A? It’s a huge sub for UCLA - and it’s a much nicer campus (my opinion and that means it’s subjective) than ASU, of which I’m an alum.