<p>US Citizen but live abroad so I’ve done O/A Levels</p>
<p>SAT super-score: 2030 (Math 690, Cr 630,Writing 710)</p>
<p>SAT 2’s : Chemistry (710) , Math 2 (750)
O Levels 6 A* , 2A’s.
A*'s in the important subjects( Maths, Further Pure Maths, Physics ,Chem , Bio, English)</p>
<p>AS Level: Straight A’s (Math, Chemistry and Physics)
We do not have class ranks but I am most probably in the top 5/100 students in my batch.</p>
<p>Those people who don’t know much about O/A Levels, if I convert these grades to GPA, it would be around 3.9 out of 4.0</p>
<p>EC’s:
3 years of volunteer work for an NGO (Around 350-400 hours overall)
Taught primary school kids mathematics and English (3-4 hours a week for a year)
A 6-week mechanical engineering internship at a well-known University ( pretty useful I think)
Won an inter-school documentary/advertisement making competition.(had to make Ad using DSLR camera and edit and stuff)
Inter-school mathematics competition (part of a 4-man team from my school)
Part of the logistics team that arranged a MUN at school. Arranged for a formal dinner , concert, MUN committees etc.</p>
<p>Very Good essay
Great recommendations (2)
Majoring in Chemical Engineering</p>
<p>The schools I’ve selected so far as possible matches are NYU, Purdue , Case Western, Boston University. USC would be a slight reach because of my SAT 1. And my massive reaches are Johns Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon. Any other match schools that you guys would recommend from experience? I’d prefer that they’re on Common App.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Not sure how you came up with that list – Boston University doesn’t even have a major in Chemical Engineering, much less an accredited degree program in it. I’d suggest going through the list of ABET accredited chemical engineering degree programs (<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx”>http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx</a>), and comparing it to the list of universities that accept the Common App (<a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/Login#!PublicPages/AllMembers”>https://www.commonapp.org/Login#!PublicPages/AllMembers</a>). Look up admissions statistics on the universities that appear on both lists (admissions stats are posted by US News, the universities and elsewhere). </p>
<p>Oh sorry, I was considering Boston for mechanical and the rest for chemical, because mechanical is my second choice major.</p>
<p>Delaware has a great program.</p>
<p>We’re financially stable but I’d want 15-20k financial aid for a 50-60k school.</p>
<p>I.e. your price limit is about $30,000 to $45,000 (which is a big range)?</p>
<p>Have you checked whether need-based financial aid is realistic for that, or if you will need merit scholarships if the list price is higher than that?</p>
<p>Lower cost schools include:</p>
<p>Iowa State
New Mexico Tech
North Carolina State
South Dakota Mines
Stony Brook
Buffalo
Minnesota
Virginia Tech</p>
<p>And you can try the lists from here:
<a href=“Links to Popular Threads on Scholarships and Lower-Cost Colleges - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html</a></p>
<p>If you can afford 30-45K a year is seems unlikely you can aim for FA? Have you run the NPCs? Have you applied already for any schools with passed deadlines? Have you check out the common data sets for where you are a good fit with your stats? Have you considered applying for the UK schools? What are your likely A level grades at the end of senior year? </p>
<p>I’ve applied to Purdue.
I’m applying to a few more places other than the ones I’ve mentioned but they’re very selective . I could get into any of them but at the end of the day I could also get rejected.
UK is even more expensive than America and what’s the point of going to UK if I’m a US citizen.
I’ve already taken my AS CIE finals and have gotten 3 As in those. Universities mainly look at those as well as A2 predicted grades. So the grades at the end of senior year are not very important. But I’m still expecting As, nothing less than that.
If a university costs 65k and I can afford only 45k, then why can’t I aim for FA? </p>
<p>If your family can AFFORD 30-45K then you have sufficient income that only the very top schools (HYPSM) will offer much if any need based aid. Run the Net Price Calculators on a few schools like Purdue. You’re probably full pay. NYU you almost certainly are going to pay $60K+. Do look Delaware which offers merit aid and works closely with DuPont.</p>
<p>I was just going to suggest SUNYs but I see @ucbalumnus has gotten here ahead of me. I’d also suggest Pitt and UMD-CP because they’ll cost you 43K or so. Pitt has only MechE. If you could bring your CR+M up by 80 points you could go to Alabama for MechE for 15-20K. </p>
<p>I get that the UK is $$ as a foreigner but if you have terrific A levels proper (not AS) then you might be less impeded than you are by your SAT in the USA if you are taking aim at such selective schools. As has been said already you really need to run your numbers because what you decide your family can afford vs what the schools say you can afford won’t match up if you have 45K a year to blow. Have you run calculators based on the fact that while you are a US citizen, you are non resident and your parents are not residents or citizens, so your finances are more complicated? What are the hoops you have to jump through? </p>