Holistic Colleges w/ Stellar Music & Engineering Programs [NE resident in USAF, 3.5 GPA, 1560 SAT]

College Search & Lists
1

I’ll try to keep this short.

My wants in a college are:

  • Urban (some leniency for suburban) with a jazz scene
  • Strong Engineering (Robotics) and Music (Jazz) program
  • Strong Campus Life
  • Nicer Weather (more warm than cold)
  • Near an Air Force base (<2 hours away)

Here is my polar profile:

  • Demos/Hooks: First Gen, Rural Resident, White (school is <50%), Armed Forces, <$80K income
  • Raw Stats: GPA 3.5UW, SAT 1560, 11 APs, Calc3/Diff Eqs/Lin Algebra
  • Top 5 Awards:
    • USAPhO Gold Medal + Camp Invite
    • USACO Platinum Divison
    • NFMC Composition Regional Gold
    • VEX Robotics Division National Champion
    • VEX Robotics National Award for a program/utility I created
  • Top 3 Extracurriculars (besides robotics):
    • International Rhythm Game Champion, USA Team Captain
      • North American Champion
    • Engineering Internship making electric tank wheelchairs for veterans
      • Made from ground up: CAD → Electronics → Assembly
    • Speech Campaign: Delivered several speeches across state for multiple years, spoke in front of the mayor and invited to speak again

Additional Info:

  • I got a B in geometry sophomore year and then skipped to Calc BC junior year.
  • My house loses internet frequently and I am responsible for my siblings on top of my extracurriculars which made doing assignments hard
  • I was bullied into suicide and forced to switch schools sophomore year. These people still come after me and it also made school difficult to focus in.

I am looking for schools that would fit the description and take me in despite my GPA. I know everything else looks good, but GPA is obviously the most important factor in admission.

2

What is your budget? How much can your family afford?

Your biggest issue might be combining the two? Just to clarify, you are looking for music and engineering separately, not something like audio engineering. Is there a specifc discipline you have in mind?

Given your interest in jazz and being in a city will be limiting, but in the end, your budget and ability to afford a college matters more than everything else, hook, line and sinker.

You have great awards.

I don’t understand how one goes from Geometry to Calc BC - just an observation.

Good luck.

3

Can you clarify the air force base requirement for us? And look at WPI– it lose on weather but might have a lot of what you are looking for….

1 Like
4

My first thought went to CU Boulder.
They are one of the few schools that actually look at weighted GPAs- what is yours?

And please clarify the Armed Service aspect?
Are you a dependent? Planning on going into the reserves? Doing ROTC?

1 Like
5

How about U Dayton?

6

That’s a pretty tough combination of attributes so it might be worth prioritizing for us–what are actual needs, what are more just wants, and so on. (ETA: Like another poster just named a bunch of great engineering + music universities, except most are in northern cities, and some not as close as you want to an AFB).

But my first thought is Arizona State. Strong robotics program, has a jazz program in their music department, obviously warm, Tempe is a highly-regarded college town not far from Phoenix, I gather Luke AFB is not far . . . .

What about the University of Delaware? Again nice campus in a nice college town with good train access to Philly, Baltimore, DC, and so on. Not exactly warm, but not cold either. They have a 4+1 program where you get a Masters in Robotics, and a Jazz program. Dover AFB is not far.

7

Ok, not sure about the air force base thing

I have a robotics kid so have been thinking of schools along these lines. though they don’t like warm weather :zany_face:

Below work, but not for the weather …so ignore if that isn’t flexible at all - sometimes one thing has to give for some ones list IME

Univ of Rochester (strong engineering), incredible music school with jazz program, Rochester has a big jazz fest. They really, really love demonstrated interest so if you interview and do visits (virtual if need be) can help a lot.

Northeastern: huge school, big city, all sorts of campus activities..a reach, but not impossible IME..they are a bit hard to predict. Hanscom AFB is less than 2 hours away…

WPI also would be less than 2 hours from AFB is obviously well noted for Robotics and you would be a solid candidate! Less known for music but has a strong campus life - Worcester isn’t giant, but urban and not that far from Boston (or really, in grand scheme of things NYC or New Haven for a weekend).

RPI - also a solid candidate - strong engineering - not sure about music part. I doubt Troy, as a city, has a jazz scene. It is “urban” though.

Stevens - basically in NYC - strong engineering!

Case Western - great engineering/robotics - strong musical city (world class symphony at min) and school has jazz ensemble least.. pretty sure there is an AFB in Ohio somewhere? not sure if w/i 2 hours though.. Would be a reach, too, but also not impossible IMO - espeically as rural first gen.

University of Maryland? Warmer than above–not sure about their jazz program though.

3 Likes
8

I was thinking Case too but it’s over three hours from Wright Patterson in Dayton (which is probably why U of Dayton was suggested up thread).

I agree that it would be helpful if OP prioritized the must have list. There aren’t many AFBs near big cities.

2 Likes
9

I feel we need info on budget and more, given the income.

UNM has an airforce base very close, a jazz program and engineering.

I’m not sure how you’ll do both majors - but UNM is one of the lower cost schools, ABET accredited in many areas, and has jazz…+ warm weather and very urban.

Kirtland AFB is in Albuquerque.

VCU is another with jazz studies and engineering - easier in and urban. In Richmond, and joint base Langley - Eustis isn’t too far.

But again, just guessing til you share more….not sure how you will pull off this combo academically - so you might ask the schools about that.

But these are two that meet all your requirements - but maybe not budget.

2 Likes
10

This makes me wonder if an in-state public university would be the best bet.

What state do you live in?

2 Likes
11

I thought this was apparent but college is paid for by the Air force so dont factor in cost.

1 Like
12

College is free because of the Air force

13

I’m in the air force.

14

College is free.

I skipped from geometry to calc BC by studying over the summer. Really, that jump isn’t hard to do and I scored an A in the class.

15

I just nee to be able to drive a reasonable (maybe 3 hours max now that I think about it) distance to get to my base for work.

16

I did not state I was double majoring, just participating. I have all my math, physics, and gen eds complete for my engineering major so I can occupy space with music and spread it out over 5 years.

1 Like
17

I am confused- are you full time Air Force?
How long have you been in?
Are you under the assumption that you are going to be able to pick your next duty station?
Are you looking at going to school part time or Full time?
Are you a transfer student?

  • perhaps a bit more info could help.
2 Likes
18

I am part time air force. Id go to school full time. Really, Id prefer to worry about the logistics beyond school choices on my own. I’m more so just searching for qualified options. I’m from Nebraska.

19

I’ll look into these, thank you

1 Like
20

Cal Poly SLO and UCSB are both highly regarded for engineering, near Vandenberg AFB. I think you would find decent jazz options at both as well.

San Luis Obispo is decidedly not urban, but has a great college town atmosphere.

Edited to Add: one of my musician kids lived and worked in SLO for a couple of years. Kid found the jazz classes at nearby Cuesta Community College were at a higher level than at SLO.

1 Like