Chance Me/Match Me: Aero/Astro Engineering major; 3.66 UW, 1470 SAT, 33 ACT; GA resident

Chance Me / Match Me
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1

Chance Me: Aerospace Engineering, Fall 2027

Demographics

  • Citizenship: US domestic

  • State of residence: Georgia

  • High school: Public high school

  • Other factors: Dual enrollment at a technical college

Intended Major

  • Aerospace Engineering / Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted GPA: 3.66

  • Weighted GPA: 4.06

  • Class rank: 106/294 (approximately top 36%)

  • SAT: 1470 (750 math 720 english)

  • ACT: 33 (35 english 34 math 33 reading)

List your HS coursework

  • English: 9th Literature and Composition Honors; 10th Literature and Composition Honors; AP English Language and Composition / American Literature; Multicultural Literature and Composition (senior year, in progress)

  • Math: Accelerated Advanced Algebra: Concepts and Connections; Accelerated Geometry B: Concepts and Connections; Pre-Calculus; AP Statistics (virtual); AP Calculus AB; AP Calculus BC (senior year, in progress)

  • Science: Biology I Honors; Chemistry I Honors; AP Physics 1; AP Physics 2 (senior year, in progress); AP Physics C: Mechanics (senior year, in progress)

  • History and social studies: AP World History; AP US History; AP Government and Politics: US; AP Macroeconomics

  • Language other than English: Spanish I; Spanish II; Spanish III

  • Other academic courses: Fundamentals of Aerospace; Intro to Financial Technology; Marketing Principles; Flight Operations I; Flight Operations II; CTAE Science: Flight Operations; Health; Personal Fitness

  • College coursework / dual enrollment: Financial Technology and Services; Coding for FinTech

AP Exam Scores

  • Calculus AB: 5

  • Physics 1: 5

  • Macroeconomics: 5

  • US History: 4

  • Government: 4

  • World History: 4

  • Statistics: 3

  • English Language: 3

Awards

  • AP Scholar with Distinction

  • FBLA Regional Leadership Conference: 5th place in Business Management

  • TiE Atlanta entrepreneurship competition: 2nd place

Extracurriculars

1. Community Service | President, County Branch of an Online Tutoring Organization

  • Founded county branch; built outreach programs that launched chapters at 5 of 8 county schools.

  • Recruited 50+ new tutors.

2. Community Service | Tutor, Admissions and Advertising Officer, National Online Tutoring Organization

  • Tutored 2 underserved students weekly.

  • Matched approximately 10 students per week with tutors.

  • Conducted outreach to 105 organizations weekly to expand program reach.

  • The organization reports 600+ volunteers, 60,000+ tutoring sessions, and partnerships with 75+ schools on its public website.

3. Science/Math | TSA, Mechatronics Committee Member

  • Mentored 13 mechatronics teams during morning sessions.

  • Guided approximately 6 teams to top-10 state placements.

  • Competed in Flight Endurance with a self-built wooden plane.

4. Independent Project | Remote-Control Aircraft

  • Designed, built from scratch, and flew an RC plane with interchangeable wings.

  • Analyzed wing airfoils in XFOIL to select an optimal design.

5. Career Readiness | Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering STEP Camp

  • Selected through a competitive application for a two-week aerospace program.

  • Collaborated to design and build a planetary rover and programmed Arduino controls.

6. Employment | Cold Stone Creamery

  • Worked 15 hours per week year-round alongside school.

  • Served up to 20 customers per hour.

  • Trained to prepare custom ice cream cakes and sandwiches.

7. Career Readiness | Future Business Leaders of America

  • Competed in team business events throughout high school.

  • Placed 5th in Business Management at the regional leadership conference and was nominated to advance.

8. Community Service | Social Media Lead, School Chapter of a Service Organization

  • Managed weekly chapter social media with fellow officers, averaging 150+ views per post.

  • Volunteered at fundraisers and community service events.

9. Cultural/Community Service | Local Religious and Community Temple

  • Prepared and served meals to visitors during school breaks.

  • Helped raise $1,000+ for a construction project.

10. Music | Guitar Lessons and Performances

  • Studied guitar through weekly lessons for four years.

  • Performed live sets at local restaurants for audiences of approximately 50.

Schools

Extremely Likely

  • Kennesaw State University

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • University of Central Florida

Likely

  • Mississippi State University

  • University of Alabama in Huntsville

  • University of Alabama

  • Auburn University

  • Rochester Institute of Technology

Toss-up

  • Virginia Tech

  • University of Colorado Boulder

  • Texas A&M University

  • Penn State (University Park)

  • Purdue University

  • University of Florida

Lower Probability

  • University of Maryland, College Park

  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Low Probability / High Reach

  • Georgia Institute of Technology

Applying Early Action where available. These categories reflect preliminary estimates for admission to aerospace engineering or the closest relevant engineering program. Some universities admit students to general engineering before students enter their intended major. Im not sure how correct my probabilities are

2

Drop University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Texas A&M, & Penn State and replace with in-state GA alternatives, if available. The odds are too low as an OOS applicant given your stats. I didn’t ask you about budget & whether or not you require any need-based or merit-based aid. Right now, you only have Georgia Tech & Kennesaw State on your target list.

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As a potential engineering major, are any of your non-A’s in math or physics classes? For an engineering major, a B in English literature would not concern me nearly as much as a B in algebra or calculus or physics (and as a potential math major, many years ago I did have some of those B’s in English literature and it did not seem to matter in the long run).

I am not from your part of the US, but to me Kennesaw State does seem like a safety. I also agree that Georgia Tech seems like a reach.

I am wondering whether UF is really a toss-up, or if you should think of it as lower probability. However, I am not sure that this really matters since you cannot count on it in any case.

Otherwise I wonder about affordability of the many out of state schools on your list. I am under the impression that some aid might be possible at some of them, but I would not be too surprised if you end up with some acceptances that cost significantly more than in-state options. Do you know what your budget is?

This does make me wonder whether there are more in-state options that you should consider.

4

i do have uga and gsu for in state alternatives but they dont have aero engineering unfortunately

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i had an 89 in ap calc ab and 87 in physics 1, im not sure if ap test scores make up for it unfortunately

6

I don’t agree. This student is a strong applicant. It looks like they added their sure things to the OP.

I think this is a well balanced list.

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Section C7: Georgia Tech 2025-26 Common Data Set

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Congrats on a solid profile. You might consider MechE as a major. You can take aero related classes and easily fit into an aero company. Mine works in Aero - but as a manufacturing engineering I believe. MechE might give you more career flexibility, especially in times of a downturn.

On its surface, I like your list. So I think you’re in good shape.

I don’t see why Kennesaw as it’s not ABET accredited unless you want a home safety (maybe you live near) and would do MechE.

Miss State is extremely likely - as are Bama and Huntsville. Auburn will depend on which of the many deadlines they have but assuming you are already in, then yes. But it’s splitting hairs - you’ll get into all those, except a small chance not Auburn (dependent upon which of the various early you apply to).

I think - if you have a favorte between Bama (large), MSU (smaller large public) and UAH (10K kids in suburbia although it’s technically in Huntsville proper…which feels like suburbia), you can pick one of the three and save the application fees and effort. All are great schools with UAH located amongst aero companies. But - all three get you a summer internship.

Toss up - I think CU is safe but engineering may not be. You might get put in exploratory which is not a huge deal. You pay less the first year (but your tuition resets the next year higher) and it’s an easy transition. . I think Purdue and UF go into high reach, as does U Michigan. UMD is properly placed and I’d move Ga Tech (not that it matters) to lower probability - only because you’re a Ga resident.

Va Tech is a toss up as is A&M. I lean in on Penn State but again, why any of these over Bama, UAH, or MIss State - unless cost isn’t a factor and you simply prefer them. Your outcome is likely to be similar.

Note - Purdue and A&M have FYE - so you aren’t assured Aero. You have to get in after the first year.

In the end, you didn’t mention budget (for you, an Alabama school will be low 20s, UMich $85K. The career outcomes are very similar so why pay $250K more? You certainly can - that’s a personal choice.

You didn’t mention budget so that also has to drive a list. Is UMD at $60K affordable, etc.? Same with Va Tech, etc. - so that’s the unknown - you have to determine budget and then you can see if certain schools are even worth applying to.

I do think you can trim the “safeties” - but if you wanted more that were smaller and aero focused, which you seem to be, you could also look at Embry Riddle in Daytona and Florida Tech in Melbourne, both also excellent and both safeties.

But I think, without factoring in budget which is unknown, that your list is fine overall - you’ll have plenty of choices. But I could see you culling it for simplicity, although many of those likely/highly likely are probably easy apps.

Best of luck to you.

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Thanks for the advice, I would keep purdue as a reach right?

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I would classify Purdue as a “reach” since you are an OOS applicant with a bottom quarter HS GPA for Engineering.

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I was looking at UCF as a safety also and I toured its campus and I could definitely see myself there. Is it worth it for my major?

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It’s definitely worth an application for an additional option. Aerospace Engineering is the fourth top-ranked major at UCF. I wouldn’t classify this one as a safety either as OOS. UCF has gotten much more competitive than in years past. The admit rate is now very similar to Purdue’s. UCF doesn’t publish school or department-specific statistics, as Purdue does. I would expect College of Engineering GPA & test scores 50% ranges to trend upward.

You may want to also check out Embry-Riddle & Florida Tech, though these could be more expensive options & not within budget.

13

Yes, it’s good.

Another option: University of Cincinnati has a co-op program and is the second-oldest aerospace engineer program in the US.

14

I think - the entire safety, match, reach - is unnecessary.

What is necessary is that you have an assured, affordable safety - and with Bama, UAH, and Miss State, you have that. If you want to call Purdue a match or reach is up to you. I’d call it a reach because of your GPA. In the end, that affordable safety is all that matters. You can apply anywhere else you want, but given secondary admissions to aero, is Purdue the right choice? What if you find out in year two you can’t study aero?

But the entire, if I get into a reach, I’d go over a safety isn’t something one needs to do either. My son got into Purdue with merit aid but chose Bama (because there you can get a single dorm room). As he told me, rankings are for parents and marketing, companies don’t care. Given his ability to get job offers and who he works with, I’d agree - i.e. the same companies often hire from all these schools.

SO put schools on the list that you want to attend - not for rank - but for wanting to attend. If I was certain I wanted aero, i might not pick a school with secondary admissions. But to answer your question, in my opinion a 3.66 makes it a reach or unlikely.

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It’s ABET accredited and the Space Coast isn’t far - hence my mention of Embry Riddle and Florida State. UCF is a huge population but not a huge campus - very good school.

if you prefer it over a Bama, UAH, MIss State and you can afford it, it’s a fine choice although I’d still apply to one of those three. Why? UCF is likely a target - your GPA is a bit low but SAT very good. I’d lean in but it’s not a gimme.

I work in auto - we have a UCF grad as a field engineer. Very solid.