Chance Me Engineering [NJ resident, 98.9 GPA, top 3%, 1440 SAT]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Chance Me

NJ student

SAT 1440 (710 Verbal/730 Math)

105.1 weighted/98.9 unweighted

HS doesn’t rank(just does percentage)

Top 3% of 375

10APs (Calc AB & BC, Physics, US History, Psychology, Comp Science, Environmental Science, English Language & Literature, World History)

Rest of classes all Honors

3 years of Spanish

Great LOR

Ok EC

Member of all National Honor Societies offered, Co President of 1

Athletic Excellence Certificate every semester throughout HS

AP Scholar

SAT for College Board

Works in a Restaurant t for 3 years, promoted twice and holds a leadership role

Played various sports, participated in a couple clubs.

Volunteers as assistant flag football coach

Major in engineering (mechanical)

Schools

University of Florida

Purdue

University of Michigan

Has gotten into a bunch of schools, but these are top 3. We know they are a coin flip, just curious what the chances are.

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Statistically, the odds are not as good as a coin flip. Did your student apply EA to all three? Did they submit test scores?

In my estimation, Florida would be most likely but still below 50%, followed by Purdue, then Michigan.

Presumably, all the applications are in and you’ll know soon. Glad to hear there are several acceptances in hand. Good luck!

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Yes early action, and yes I didn’t mean statistically. All of the those schools are below 50% acceptance rate besides Purdue.

He submitted scores. 1440 is top 6% of scores. Most advisors I have spoken to told us you always submit that score.

That’s the order I have them in also.

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Are you an athlete (on a team or this is like I passed PE.

You’ve worked 3 years in a restaurants - that’s a FANTASTIC EC. You have depth, tenure - one way or another - as a server, cook, cashier, or dishwasher, you take care of customers. Don’t downplay yourself.

The biggest thing of course is budget. UF is going up 10% I believe. Purdue has raised. They will be mid-40s. U Michigan over $80K - so can you afford all those?

UF doesn’t admit by major. To figure their GPA, you need to be on a 4 point scale. Each A = 4, Honors A = 4.5 and AP A = 5…and similar with B, C. Last year’s class, the 25th percentile was a 4.5 and 1380…so I guess you are there. People will say - but they only admit 10% of the class OOS - and that’s incorrect. The university system can only enroll 10% OOS - UF goes higher and the regional schools go naturally lower. The other thing is - accomplished kids don’t leave Florida in droves. Why? They have Bright Futures and go tuition free - which keeps in state rates naturally up.

We don’t know your GPA on a 4 point scale but I suspect you have a 3.8 at least unweighted but likely higher and you’ll get into UF. The other thing is - they say 22% more apps this year - so we don’t know how that will impact the stats of those getting offers (perhaps will take them up).

Purdue is a bit tougher - and would be a toss up if it’s a 3.8 unweighted. But no reason you wouldn’t get in.

I don’t see you getting into UM, and unless you’re filthy wealthy, I’m not sure it gives you any boost over the other two - or many more for that fact.

That you’ve gotten into a bunch - you’ve probably got very substitutional schools by the way, meaning that you are looking at a US News rank probably but you’ll find the Michigan grad working next to the Michigan State and W Michigan grad in the same role. In engineering, companies (right in their job listings) seek ABET accreditation.

So as long as you have budget achievers in the fold already, you’re in good shape regardless of these three but I’m suspecting UF happens if I have your unweighted GPA about right (on a 4.0 scale).

btw - Purdue is below 50% for acceptance - 43.7%. It’s become very popular. But engineering was 34.7%.

The other thing - you can’t “major” in MechE at Purdue. They have secondary admissions. Everyone is in FYI - First Year Engineering - and then if your #s cut it, you get your major. If not, then you get a different engineering major. You may have other schools like that too. There are direct admissions (you get in your major) and then secondary. Purdue is secondary.

Good luck although you have acceptance (assuming affordable) at ABET accredited schools so you don’t really need it.

Purdue University Class Profile - Admissions and Statistics.

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Purdue engineering acceptance rate was 34% last year. Significantly lower than the school as a whole. UM engineeering also has a lower acceptance rate.

Hopefully you get good news soon!

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Be aware of:

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Always forget the 9 credit florida thing. Many don’t realize. That’s all Florida publics.

And yep, noted the secondary at Purdue. I wonder how many of their acceptances thus far are direct vs. secondary.

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Looks like all engineering students at Purdue (West Lafayette) start in first year engineering and have to go through secondary admission to specific majors.

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Sorry, I meant OP said - they have a bunch of acceptances already.

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Athlete, but not playing sports in college. It’s for maintaining high honor roll while playing a sport.

Unweighted it would be a 4.0. Only 1 grade ever below a 97 and it was a 94 which is still an A

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Florida actually didn’t raise tuition for next year. They just posted numbers although I thought they had plans to as well. Purdue is continuing their tuition freeze which includes OOS tuition…puts Florida and Purdue at same price really

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Yes you have to get into your major after first year at Purdue. Part of the appeal of the program is their first year. Getting to experience different types to decide if mechanical is actually the right fit.

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It’s a mix of direct and secondary. 2 are secondary but have no caps other than computer engineering which def not interested in.

had no idea about the Florida summer requirement so that’s important information. Thx

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However, the downside of many such programs, including the one at Purdue, is that some majors have more interest than capacity, so some students are not admitted to them. Purdue, with a 3.2 overall and technical college GPA for automatic admission, is not as competitive or stress-inducing as Texas A&M, where a 3.75 college GPA is needed for automatic admission.

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Your ECs are of zero concern assuming you worked regularly at the restaurant as well as played sports regularly.

So needless to say mid 40s is in budget. Don’t forget Purdue has an engineering surcharge. And not raising today doesn’t mean not raising tomorrow. As long as you can handle the proposed increases it’s no issue.

Honestly that you have direct admit - I don’t know who - but any will be fine if none of these three pan out. My kid turned one of your three for a lower ranked SEC school. Interned with kids from Ga Tech and works with Michigan and many others, both high and not so high pedigree.

So sounds like you already have the cake baked just fine. These might be some icing.

Let us know how it goes.

Good luck

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Thanks!

Can I ask which SEC school? Got into South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee. And state tuition at South Carolina and highest scholarship at Alabama. Sister goes to South Carolina so that’s where I’m leaning.

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Congratulations on your acceptances and financial aid offers! This sounds great. I think that you can do very well with a degree in engineering from any of these schools (I am assuming that they are ABET accredited in your intended form of engineering, but have not checked just now).

There is one question that I have wondered about. To summarize: Rutgers? It is a very good university.

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Bama - he chose it over Purdue due to:

  1. He’ll tell you get got his own dorm room and shared bathroom with one. I don’t think now but at the time Purdue had housing issues (housing off campus, etc.)
  2. Now he tells you - and they have palm trees.
  3. It was 3 hours closer to mom (3.5 vs. 6.5)

He told me rank is to sell magazines, etc. That companies don’t care. I didn’t believe him. I see where he and his friends - schools like UF (not known for engineering), Auburn, UAH, Western Kentucky, UTK, Kentucky have jobs - all over.

When he interned, he worked with and lived with two from Ga Tech and they had other SEC schools and I wanna say Michigan State. His job - he was in a program with 150 - engineers, supply chain and ergonomics (health/safety) - they hire from all over - names and not.

So I don’t think you are limited by a school. You are always limited by debt - if that’s an issue for you.

At Bama, you are $30.5K off - so you’re about $20K all in. But U of SC, you can fly to (Bama is an hour) and your sis is there. You have to remember, at a Bama they have tons and tons of smart kids - because they buy them in - so you won’t have any shortage of academic stars, especially in enginering.

At U of SC, it’s much more urban and a more compact campus than Bama and UF - although my son would say Bama is huge - but you are not using the entire campus.

So if you can afford both - it’s really a comfort thing.

If you were interested in an industry - for example, Southern schools do quite well with auto - because all the plants are there. But VW is building their huge Scout plant by Columbia, etc.

In the end, budget first - once you meet that, choose where you feel is best.

Your strong record has earned you the right to have wonderful options.

For me and it’s just me, I would not consider Michigan. But my kids had a $50K limit - fortunately they both killed it and we spent much much less. I don’t see the outcome having been any different…sample of one anyway. My other is not an engineer and went to a regional OOS school.

When I look at Michigan’s posted salaries - their average meche salary is great - but not world beating vs. others. Now, will you have access to more roles, etc. - some will say yes. I don’t know. I don’t think so. My kid had 5 offers by xmas and then his intern company - and as another poster said here, the jobs that come on handshake are the exact same on both schools.

But that’s an individual call. But $20K vs $80+K x4 (if you got into UM) is a lot of $$ to pay more with no guarantee.

UF is much more like Bama than U of SC campus wise - if you’ve been. In fact similar but not as nice - although Gainesville is nicer than Tuscaloosa. I don’t see the rep there (especially in engineering) as great shakes vs. others but that’s me. UTK has the grand challenges - it’s not like U of SC campus wise but it’s less expansive and in downtown - so shares that similarity - make sure to visit all affordable to you - and affordability doesn’t mean that your family can afford it - but wants to afford it - two different things. Hence the budget I imposed - I didn’t want to pay more - and fortunately didn’t for either (didn’t come close) - and it makes me a happy parent later.

Purdue - obviously fantastic rep - and a tad over half the cost of UM. No doubt a value sweet spot.

But I’m a value guy.

Your family may not be.

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