Do you think I would have a good shot at Purdue?
The Data Digest is not an absolute predictor; it is a way of tempering expectations. Of course, if you don’t apply to Purdue then your chances of admission are exactly 0.0!
The best plan, IMO, is to apply to 1 or 2 reach schools, 1 or 2 safety schools, and 5-6 schools in between (at least that’s what my kids did). You might want to get some quality face time with your high school’s guidance counselor and discuss with him/her what would be doable in terms of college admissions; the GC should know how successful students from your high school are in getting in to certain universities. If you attend a private high school, you might have Naviance or some other software program that can help with planning where to apply.
Good luck!
I think that it is worth an application, as are UMN and U.Wisconsin.
Whether any of these are safeties is something that your guidance counselor is likely to know better than I do.
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You have received some great specific advice. I would more generally consider the following 10 basic ideas…
- Cheaper isn’t always better and the cheapest option should not be the de facto starting point for preference.
- Social, academic and financial fit are all very important in determining happiness and eventual outcomes and should be considered equally.
- You can’t attend a school unless you can afford to pay for it, but sometimes modest amounts of debt are worth it.
- Prestige and name recognition don’t always matter but often they do. For international students and those interested in specific careers, certain top tier schools out perform lower ranked schools. This difference becomes more acute as the disparity in ratings, prestige or name recognition becomes greater.
- These decisions and discussions are personal and based on family value systems and unique financial circumstances. Consequently no one should pass judgement on the conclusions or priorities of others.
- While it may seem helpful to hear about other kids specific experiences assuming that your experience will be the same is risky. Your response to any comments beginning with the term “my kid” should be taken with a grain of salt in terms of its personal relevance. First hand experience however is always more valuable than “searched” second hand info.
- No matter how well intended, anyone giving you advice will be basing that advice upon their own biases and as justification for their prior decisions. It is human nature.
- If someone always offers the same answer they aren’t listening to the question.
- The value of free advice from strangers is often equal to what you are paying for it (including mine).
- Listen to and respect everyone but only follow the advice of GCs, confirmed experts, your parents (or kids observations) and others who know you or your kid the best.
Good luck.
Hey thanks for the reply!
I have been talking to my guidance counselor since freshman year and we have a pretty awesome (professional) relationship! Sometimes I go to his office just to talk to him or check up if he’s also having a bad day but besides that, he says he thinks I have a good shot but that he can never know for sure. I will check out Naviance to see. Collegevine thinks I have an above 90% but then again, it probably isnt accounting for their school of engineering.
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Thanks 
Sorry if I seem to be saying the same thing over. Being in this spinning mess of college admissions is just making me go nuts.
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By the way… would the school you go to also affect chances? Perchance?
Engineering at Purdue is great, but it’s a hard admit (much harder than the rest of the school). But I definitely think you would have a shot at it. I said less than 20% chance, not a 0% chance 
.
Because you’re applying as an in-state resident, I do think that improves your odds at UMN-Twin Cities. My GUESS (which is just that, not the infallible word of some omniscient being) is that you probably have better than 50% odds of being admitted to UMN engineering. So although I think it’s a bit more likely than not that you’ll be accepted, by no means do I think it’s a sure thing, and it’s crucial that you have at least one (and preferably at least two) sure things that are affordable and that you would be happy to attend. That’s why I almost always focus on schools in the Extremely Likely bucket because those are the most essential schools on any list, no matter what a student’s background or accomplishments.
It’s possible. If your school is known as being particularly rigorous or not having much in the way of grade inflation, then it could be helpful. Alternatively, if your school has a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students who mostly don’t have a history of families attending college, and your performance is significantly better than that of your peers, it could also be helpful.
My advice (which I’m being paid 0 cents to give) is to relax right now. Focus on finishing the semester strong. Then when you’re ready to start looking into college stuff again, look at some of the programs people have mentioned. Look at Iowa State or Rose-Hulman or Missouri S&T. Explore their websites, look at their outcomes, and learn about them. As a high school junior you might hear these names and think that we’re mentioned No-Name U. for the Not Good Enough students. But for people in the know, these are really good schools. Give them a chance to see if they’d be a good fit.
I’m not sure how familiar you are with classical music, but I’m going to try an analogy. Someone’s looking for a composer, and people suggest Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Brahms, Haydn, or Rachmaninov. And the person is disappointed because they’re not being suggested Mozart, Beethoven, or Bach. But anyone who knows classical music knows that all those other composers are all big names and really good, even if they don’t have the same degree of name recognition among non-musicians.
All that said, keep an open mind when you’re looking into colleges.
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Well done, you are definitely ahead of the game! Best of luck to you!
Thanks. I did get the classical music reference and it definitely helped. Plus, undergraduate will be a clean slate: one I will not waste time on because grad school will be around the corner.
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I think you have a decent chance at UMN engineering. Make sure to apply right away in the fall. If you apply in September, you hear back much faster. And I don’t think you need recommendations or personal statement, you just have to do their short essay and fill out the SRAR. My kids did the Gopher app, not the common app, for UMN. And once it’s submitted you can go back in check a box to have it sent to UM Duluth as well (“share my app”). Do you have AP scores at all? Sorry if I missed that. My kid got in to engineering without having taken Calc BC or Physics C although did have a very strong application, highest rigor in their school, four years of all core subjects, and a 33 ACT. You are more advanced in STEM for sure. I know another two kids who got in test optional too. One caveat, it is much harder to transfer into the engineering school that it is to get in initially. So if you get in, seriously consider it.
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If you are looking to match UMN costs ($37K) plus the engineering fee - so $40K ish - you noted Purdue and UNL.
With MechE, you want ABET accreditation (not, I’d spend a lot if I get Ivy). Whether you go to Purdue or another (like UMN), you’ll likely end up in the same role…or similar role.
But with a $40K budget, you have to hit schools that can get you there or even beat it.
So if you want alternatives or safeties - and you saw Iowa State, the Kansas schools would work (K State, KU), but you have to go South - Alabama, UAH for smaller, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, maybe LSU, etc
Those are your safety and well under budget schools - so cheaper than UMN.
A UMN is unfortunately, not safe for you, although possible certainly.
Others that could hit the # are schools like U of SC, Miami of Ohio, etc.
Let us know more what you want in a school - but that’s some initial thoughts.
As long as you’re at an ABET accredited school, you are good to go - yes, there are rankings but kids from different schools work together. Mine is in a program with kids from Michigan, Purdue, Washington, Cal Poly…and W MIchigan, Utah, Akron, etc. - and they all make the same. And all schools are ABET. That’s the critical component as you go down this journey.
Good luck.
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I have seen multiple cases of students who do the same or better when they get to university (compared to high school) or when they get to graduate school (compared to both high school and undergrad). I have also seen a few cases of students who start high school with mediocre grades (in some cases way, way worse than your grades) and then finish high school very strong, and who then go on to do well in university.
I think that there may be three reasons for this. One is that often we become stronger students as we get older. We sometimes will focus more and have better study skills. Another issue is that as we get into more advanced work, a larger percentage of what we are studying involves subjects that we like and that we are good at. A third issue is that for students who are strong in one particular area, getting into harder classes may make it easier for them to distinguish themselves compared to their peers.
I would be cautious about taking too many APs. I would be inclined to take then in your strongest subjects, but not in areas where you are either less interested or not as strong. High school is not a competition to see who gets the most APs.
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The rolling nature of U of MN admissions is something I forgot about. But both my kids had early admissions within a week or 2 in October through the common app. Definitely get that done first! I do think applying earlier could definitely help too. That could definitely relieve some stress! It did at our house.
I’d also recommend getting in UW Madison EA if possible if that school is of interest. Should be same price as UMN with recopricity unless you were considering commuting to the U of MN.
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This is a key point. Engineers learn a body of knowledge and a set of skills, and ABET programs share a minimum set of what is taught. In a hour interview another engineer can get a sense of competency, you can’t bluff your way thru a technical interview. So for new grads if they’ve learned the material they can show it. To further stand out, having an internship/coop or two during college helps and usually leads to a job offer from their employer(s) since they know them.
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That makes sense, I just really wanted to show colleges that I am not who I was before and that I am trying to be a better student.
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I would look at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as well.
I am looking at UIUC. What do you think of my chances there?
Less than 1% - because you are trying to match UMN tuition and that’s not going to happen.
An unaffordable school is a rejection even if you get in.
But admission wise, less a chance than Purdue.
But if you’re interested in the school, then go for it.
You can’t get in if you don’t apply.
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